How to Change the World (film)
2015 British film
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How to Change the World is a 2015 documentary film directed and written by Jerry Rothwell (Deep Water). It documents how the founding members of Greenpeace created the green movement.
Bous de Jong
| How to Change the World | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Jerry Rothwell |
| Written by | Jerry Rothwell |
| Produced by | Al Morrow Bous de Jong |
| Starring | Robert Hunter |
| Narrated by | Barry Pepper |
| Cinematography | Ben Lichty |
| Edited by | James Scott |
| Music by | Lesley Barber |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Picturehouse Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom Canada |
| Language | English |
Synopsis
In 1971, a small group of activists sailed from Vancouver, Canada in a fishing boat to try to stop Richard Nixon's nuclear bomb tests in Amchitka, Alaska. Their actions caught the attention of the public and this eventually led to a worldwide green movement and pioneered the foundation of Greenpeace.[3]
The film centers on activist Robert Hunter and his part in the creation of Greenpeace, which is structured by the five rules of engagement from Hunter's writings.
Cast
- Barry Pepper as the voice of Bob Hunter, serving as narrator
- Bill Darnel
- David Garrick
- Bobbi Hunter
- Emily Hunter
- Will Jackson
- George Korotva
- Myron McDonald
- Rod Marining
- Patrick Moore
- Ron Precious
- Paul Spong
- Carlie Truman
- Paul Watson
- Rex Weyler
Release and marketing
The documentary first premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, winning the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing and the Candescent Award.[4][5] A first trailer was released on July 30, 2015.[6]
On September 9, 2015, Picturehouse screened the documentary in 120 U.K. and 70 U.S. cinemas, (presented with Fathom Events stateside), followed by a satellite Q&A with Rothwell, fashion designer and Greenpeace supporter Vivienne Westwood and daughter of the first president of Greenpeace, Emily Hunter.[7]
Reception
The film received positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 86% approval rating, with a rating average of 8/10.
Dennis Harvey praised the film in Variety noting, "The goldmine of 16mm color footage, whose propagandic value participants were quite cognizant of at the time, is in mint condition, showing the excitement and fun of the movement in its earliest days."[8] Kate Taylor from The Globe and Mail gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, adding that "Whatever you think of Greenpeace's less well-considered antics over the years, How to Change the World is a compelling story of one environmentalist's remarkable combination of prescience, grit and timing."[9] The Toronto Star wrote "Almost a "found footage" movie, it makes excellent use of 1,500 archived 16 mm reels supplemented with fresh interviews and some animation."[10]
Accolades
The film has received various accolades such as those listed below.[11]
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Sundance Film Festival | World Doc Special Jury Award: Editing | Won |
| Candescent Award | Won | ||
| 2015 | Sheffield Documentary Festival | Best Environmental Documentary | Won |
| 2015 | Sebastopol Documentary Festival | Best Feature | Won |
| 2015 | Portland EcoFilm Festival | Best Feature Film | Won |
| 2015 | Hot Docs | Top Ten Audience Favourite | Won |
| 2016 | 4th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Feature Length Documentary | Nominated |
| Best Editing in a Documentary | Won |
