Anthropocene: The Human Epoch

While some reviewers feel they needed more information, I was content to revel in the exquisite images marked by section headings and occasional narration. Yes, there is so so much more that could be asked, and it would be great if there were accompanying materials for those who want to follow up, but I was simply swept away by the images (and drone work!) telling the simple truth about human transformation of the planet. (I do confess that I whipped out pen and paper in the middle of the film to note down the place names so I could Google them later). I am also a subscriber to Overview on Instagram which likewise documents human earthworks, in that case with a bit more narrative.

My biggest regret is not (yet) finding a way to watch this film again, at home, slowly.

Update: after thinking about this for a few more hours (it is good enough for that, afterall) I bumped it up a star thinking about some of the incredible locations captured. They really did their research there. ---------- Not sure why there would be a narration if it only comes on every 5 or so minutes to explain VERY LITTLE about what we are seeing. Honestly most of the movie I was very very confused. Also the whole notion of trying to give us a "slice of life" of who lives in these regions is completely wasted. There is a scene where thousands of people sift through a continent of trash and it is very depressing and then they show a young man rapping a song about it. Very odd and offputting to include something like that. That being said visually this movie is great. And it's awesome we get location names but I don't want to HAVE to research every single thing to know what's going on. Because the narration is completely absent on that part. Being confused as to why what they are showing as a "problem" is a problem when it seems to only comes across as another humans daily routine: not everyone can live in plywood castles, some people have to sift through trash to make life work. Leaving viewers clueless doesn't make for a very pleasing viewing experience. Either give us information or don't, don't expect the viewer to do your research. Also if you are expecting this movie to give you any insight into how, specifically, these things you are seeing correlate to the overall catastrophe that is man don't hold your breath. This movie I would have rated higher had their been no narration and had the edit been a little smoother. In its current state it is just confusing visuals.

Seeing what we have done to the earth makes me want humans gone from this planet. We have done enough damage. Time to end the human race experiment through any means. Launch the nukes!

Humans are a disease, a cancer on this planet. We are a plague. Spreading like a virus. :(

With 12,000 ton and ten story high machines on the move in German forests, pools of lithium gleaming in the Atacama Desert sun, 10,000 elephant tusks on fire in Kenya, furnaces glowing in the world's largest heavy metal smelter in Norilsk and Lagos growing to 20 million inhabitants, we tipped the balance of the earth. The Holocene Epoch is done and the age of mass extinction, planet altering industry and swift climate change gaining momentum.

This astonishing, mesmerizing and disturbingly beautiful documentary presents stunning images and commentary from around the world with the hope that human tenacity and ingenuity might assume a new direction. It is not accusatory but grounded in humility and open-mindedness (what humanity needs for any shift in consciousness). It is not a vision or rumination on the future but what is real and already here. What a wakeup call! Grounding moments of humor and insight, such as when Russian women talking about little flowers blooming in barren rock and Russian men joking about their work, brighten the film. I wish there was more depth in places, but overall Anthropocene is insightful, revelatory and compelling. Seen at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival with the directors in attendance and providing input for this review. They recorded 300 hours per one hour of film.