Planetary

This is documentary with lots of unknown experts pontificating about the environment, spirituality, and the world. Quite frankly, I don't know these people. Their philosophy talk is a nebulous crossword puzzle kumbaya singalong. There are moments of clarity about our connection to the world except it keeps repeating the point or that it meanders around in a subject which is too vast to document. There are some cool visuals of people, nature, and the world from space. This is compelling for the crystal crowd and important for the environmental warriors amongst us. This is not going to convince any non-believers. It doesn't lay out any facts for their case. This is a marriage of the all-one-world-doctrine and the flashiness of nature documentaries. It's like a boring diner party where everybody talks above their heads and you're forced to pretend to be interested. It's way too long and I got the point the first time around.

We live in a world well poised for a change. Our path up until this point has been one of a Take, Make and Waste society. Planetary draws our attention to the behaviors of the past and ask's what are we do do now. The behaviors of the past, if they persist, will lead us to an inevitable outcome. However we have a choice to treat each other and the beautiful world we share with the respect and consideration that each of us deserve.

It is beautifully done, never placing blame or condemning past actions. It simply shares the beauty that is planet earth and our share connectivity. I enjoyed it immensely and will watch it again.

marc

Guy Reid has produced one of the best documentaries yet on what are the challenges facing homo sapiens in terms of its future relationship with planet earth - as one of the speakers says, "we are of this planet, we do not live on it."

To me, it seemed to raise the following key points:

1) Mankind cannot continue the current model of post-industrial age economic growth without this ending in our species' ultimate destruction.

2) Some kind of new model needs to be devised that will enable us to maintain a more symbiotic relationship with the environment. Some very interesting references were made to the way nearly all indigenous societies view their role as protecting and working with nature rather than separating themselves from it.

3) A huge part of the problem is the increasing urbanization that has taken place and the rise of "mega cities", where most inhabitants basically 'couldn't give a crap' about the environment, given that they have very little contact with it (one speaker said some grass growing in a pavement crack might be all they see in a week). In my opinion, governments around the world need to work on a radical new approach to implementing a new model of urban planning where inhabitants are not concentrated into such huge conglomerates.

4) Many of the commentators were asking for a change in social relations - a sort of brotherhood of man, where there are no boundaries and borders. One speaker talked about the fact that, under the current system, we seek to separate ourselves, building ever bigger houses to get away from each other. Another said that if you view planet earth from a fixed point above it, you do not see the barriers created by man but rather one homogeneous biosphere.

To be frank, I don't think this is ever going to happen unless there is some apocalyptic event that breaks down normal national barriers and interests. It is in our innate nature to focus on our own selfish interests and this mindset is almost impossible to change.

My only problem with the film was it very successfully highlighted the current disconnection between homo sapiens and nurturing the planet, but did not devote enough footage on how to achieve a new model that enables our species to thrive without the associated economic growth and abundant materialism we currently enjoy - and that many in society seek. Experts like Professor James Lovelock and Charles Eisenstein (one of the film's interviewees) have some interesting suggestions to make on this.

This beautiful film shows how we have gained self awareness of our planet, especially when first looking at ourselves "in the mirror" from outer space in the 1960s. The film presents a rather Buddhist viewpoint, which is fine by me. However, the talking heads in the film are mainly American, and since this is a film about our planet the cast could have been more international. Perhaps the Haida Gwaii nation in Canada could have been interviewed, as well as a nod to Marshall McLuhan with regard to our self awareness as a species (the "global village").

Well worth seeing, over and over again, to remind ourselves of our place in nature.

Watching the movie brought me in a very peaceful state. A state in which I view every part of earth as a part of myself. The movie starts off with the astronauts talking about their experience in space. This made me realize that this view of the world is needed, especially in contemporary times. A view that Earth is one living organism in this gigantic universe. A view that goes beyond species, race, borders, nationalities and communities. It made me realize that once we eventually do become a species that travels to other planets and maybe even star systems, it will radically change the way we view our existence. As the concept of tribe relates to a kingdom, the concept of kingdom to nationality, so will nationality eventually relate to Planetary.

All these ideas and feelings came to me in the first 15 minutes. The rest of the movie was more a filler with commentary by various people from different walks of life, accompanied with beautiful imagery. It is interesting that in a movie that was fairly centered around spiritual ideas no mention was made to theistic religions. Which was fine for me, but I can imagine some of my fellow Earthlings feeling left out.

The opening message was very strong, the rest of the movie could have left out some of the commentary so that the viewer has more time to reflect on the core message. A tribesman jumping around in animal skins talking about mother earth, or monks chanting away "mindlessly" in a monastery did not contribute to the message of interconnectedness, mindfulness, caring, appreciation and love.