MOVIES FOR HOME VIEWING

We have acquired an eclectic variety of DVD’s that we are making available to our members for $2 per movie.  Pop some corn, and invite friends over.  Some of these movies are sure to create discussion and/or debate.  If you are a member and would like to borrow one, please contact Sharon at 250-489-4412.

THE AGE OF STUPID (92 min.)

Imagine the world in 2055, devastated by the disastrous effects of climate change.  Humanity’s sole survivor (Pete Postlethwaite) takes refuge in an Arctic storage facility, compiling archive footage from 1950-2008 to discover what went wrong.  This movie presents a fascinating mosaic of people whose lives have been deeply affected by global warming. Including a hurricane Katrina survivor, an elderly French mountain guide, and an 8 year old Iraq war refugee.  Their stories show the ravages of climate change and suggest, in some cases, possible solutions for a more hopeful future.

CHANGING LANES (30 min.) by George Sibley

Since the 1950s Florida's leaders have emphasized building roads as the key to our state's future. Now, gridlock and driver frustration are everywhere, but politicians still tell us we can build our way out of highway congestion. George Sibley looks at Florida's enthusiasm for highways and how it affects human and natural communities. This film encourages us to rethink the path to our future.

ERIN BROCKOVICH (2 hrs. 12 min.)

A real woman.  A real story.  A real triumph.  Julia Roberts stars as Erin Brockovich, a feisty young mother who fought for justice any way she knew how.  Desperate for a job to support herself and her three children, she convinces attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney) to hire her, and promptly stumbles upon a monumental law case against a giant corporation.  Now, Erin’s determined to take on this powerful adversary even though no  law firm has dared to do it before.  And while Ed doesn’t want anything to do with the case, Erin won’t take “no” for an answer.  So the two begin an incredible and sometimes hilarious fight that will bring a small town to its fee and a huge company to its knees.

FAST FOOD NATION (114 minutes)

Inspired by the bestseller that revealed the unpleasant truths behind America’s fast-food industry, Fast Food Nation combines an all-star ensemble cast led by Greg Kinnear, Wilmer Valderrama and Catalina Sandino Moreno with riveting, interlocking human stories to serve up “a firecracker of a movie that jumps off the screen” (Rolling Stone).

When a marketing executive (Kinnear) for the Mickey’s burger chain is told there’s a nasty secret ingredient in his latest culinary creation – “The Big One” – he heads for the ranches and slaughterhouses of Colorado to investigate . . .but discovers the truth a bit difficult to swallow.

FUERA (Out!) (32 min.)

The Bolivian
cities of Cochabamba and El Alto experienced massive anti-privatization
riots in the wake of significantly raised prices and poor water
service, which have left thousands without access to water services.
FUERA! focuses pecifically on the water service in El Alto, which has
been privatized since 1997 under the French multinational Suez, and its subsidiary, Aguad del Illimani. It investigates how Aguas del Illimani has affected access to water, the quality of water, and public health in the sprawling urban hub of El Alto and the anti-privatization efforts of the Altenos themselves.

GARBAGE WARRIOR (86 min.)

What do beer cans, car tires and water bottles have in common?  Not much unless you’re renegade architect Michael Reynolds, in which case they are tools of choice for producing thermal mass and energy-independent housing.  For 30 years New Mexico-based Reynolds and his green disciples have devoted their time to advancing the art of “earthship biotecture” by building self-sufficient, off the grid communities where design and function converge in eco-harmony.  Shot over three years and in four different countries, “Garbage Warrior” is a timely portrait of a determined visionary, a hero of the 21st Century.

SAVE OUR LAND, SAVE OUR TOWNS (57 min.)

Vibrant towns or sprawl? Tom Hylton explores how we can save our cities, towns and countryside.  This movie taps into a growing concern about sprawl among ordinary people. People are frustrated with traffic congestion, angry about the loss of open space, and perplexed by the decline of America’s cities.   Many think sprawl is inevitable.  But it’s not.  This is a story of hope – logical reasons why our towns can be rebuilt and its countryside preserved from strip malls and subdivisions.  The program is designed to be engaging and personal, a voyage of discovery rather than a mere recitation of facts, with moments of revelation, humour and emotion.

Six Fairy Tales About Growth in Florida (30 min.)

“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell”, Edward Abbey.

Growth Floridians for Environmental Accountability and Reform presents a film by George Sibley (Gale Force Films)

Up The Yangtze (93 min.)

In China, it is simply known as “The River”.  But the Yangtze – and all of the life that surrounds it – is undergoing a truly astonishing transformation wrought by he largest hydro electric project in history, the Three Gorges Dam.  Canadian documentary filmmaker Yung Chang returns to the gorgeous, now-disappearing landscape of his grandfather’s youth to trace the surreal life of a “farewell cruise” that traverses the gargantuan waterway.  Singularly moving and cinematically breathtaking, “Up the Yangtze” gives a human dimension to the wrenching changes facing not only an increasingly globalized China, but the world at large.

WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? (93 min.)

The Auto industry’s biggest conspiracy . . . revealed.  Running solely on electricity, General Motors’ fleet of EV-1 electric vehicles were so efficient, they were on the brink of altering the future of driving in America – perhaps even the world.  Those lucky enough to drive one gave it glowing reviews.  So why were they al destroyed? 

Narrated by martin Sheen and featuring on screen contribution with Ed Begley Jr., Ralph Nader and Alexandra Paul, “Who Killed The Electric Car?” is a murder mystery like no other, as it unravels the puzzling demise of a vehicle that could have saved the environment and America’s dangerous addiction to foreign oil.

LIQUID ASSETS (90 min.)

Liquid Assets is a public media and outreach initiative that seeks to inform the nation about the critical role that our water infrastructure plays in protecting public health and promoting economic prosperity.

Combining a ninety-minute documentary with local, public involvement, Liquid Assets explores the history, engineering, and political and economic challenges of our water infrastructure, and engages communities in local discussion about public water and wastewater issues.  (There is a toolkit that can be downloaded to go along with the documentary, but it is American based.) http://liquidassets.psu.edu/outreach/community_toolkit.html

The concept of sustainability first came to the world’s attention with the release of “Our Common Future,” a report of the Brundtland Commission in 1987. The report used the following definition of sustainable development:

 

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

 

Normally, sustainable development or sustainability is spoken about as a three-legged stool. The three legs of the sustainability stool are the economy, the environment, and society/culture. Each leg has to be strong and equal if the stool is to stand up. If one or more of the legs are ignored or missing, the stool will collapse. This is a significant challenge for countries, businesses, communities and individuals because it is a complex problem with many overlapping issues. Often, an issue in one area (such as poor air quality, water shortages or lack of affordable housing) is simply a symptom of a much deeper problem that is linked to other many issues.

 

Communities such as Cranbrook are on the pointy end of the sustainability challenge. Cities and towns are where the effects of climate change, air quality, water quality and quantity and loss of green space and other natural resources are felt. They are where people live, work and play, and they are our economic centers. They are where quality of life, health and affordability improve or decline. And they are where our social fabric, art and culture come together and are nurtured or left to deteriorate.

 

From a sustainability perspective, many communities have begun to undertake their land use, social, fiscal and infrastructure (roads, sewer, water) planning by collaborating with residents in an open process that creates a vision of a sustainable future. Good examples include: Olds, Alberta; Airdrie, Alberta; and even the community of Whistler. These kinds of plans emphasize long-term thinking, collaboration and open engagement of residents, creating partnerships and on-going monitoring. They show vision and leadership on behalf of both Council and residents. We urge you to look at Cranbrook’s Official Community Plan (OCP) http://www.cranbrook.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=421 and make a decision for yourself if it really includes sustainability and open public engagement on these critical issues.

 

Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook are asking for a process that allows the residents of Cranbrook to talk about our options for future growth, and – using the principles of sustainability - to look at the economic, social/cultural and environmental implications for each of the options. This will allow us to develop a clear vision for a sustainable future, and to provide clear direction for our growth.