Documentary screening: ‘Home’ shows how humans are plundering the planet

The film is a wake-up call before damage to earth becomes irreversible.

ISLAMABAD:

Compelling viewers to think beyond everyday consumerism, “Home,” a documentary screened at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) revolves around a warning that depletion of its resources is impacting the earth with far-reaching consequences.

The critically acclaimed documentary, shown in collaboration with the French embassy, is inspired by Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and amplifies the arguments of environmental organisations. Taking one on a visually-stunning voyage around a span of 54 countries and 120 locations, all seen from the air, the film captures the earth’s landscapes, showcasing its beauty and acknowledging its vulnerability.

A directorial debut of photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Home took three years in the making and entirely comprises of footages shot from the air. It is easy to see the Earth’s wounds from higher altitudes according to the filmmaker, whose work for the last decade is all carbon offset.

Glen Close’s narration, mesmerising pictures and text and the gripping music - which reveals emotions but never becomes superfluous - sentimentalises the simple, poignant tale told by the director. Everyone knows what the film is portraying but unfortunately, nobody wants to believe it.

It approaches the current debate about climate change from a whole new angle, lending the viewer the opportunity to witness how earth is changing, while saying that a solution exists. Its subtitle could be “It’s too late to be a pessimist.”

In the past 200,000 years, humans have upset the balance of planet Earth, a balance established by nearly four billion years of evolution. It is time to act. The price is too high. Humanity has little time to reverse the trend and change its patterns of consumption.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2013.