Nous resterons sur Terre (2009) - film review

In the face of dramatic climate change and dwindling natural resources, we have almost reached the point at which the survival of our species is threatened unless we change our behaviour.  But mankind has become so disconnected from the natural world that he hardly notices the devastation he has wrought and can scarcely imagine the disasters that lie ahead.  World leaders appear to be far more concerned with social problems, which they believe can only be solved by constantly increasing economic activity.  But the world’s resources are finite and the human population is ever-expanding.  Do we still have time to mend our ways or are we walking down a one-way street towards extinction...?

Pierre Barougier and Olivier Bourgeois’s thought-provoking eco-documentary doesn’t mince it words and offers a sobering meditation on the greatest issue of our time, namely the necessity for mankind to move beyond the current economic paradigm to secure a future for his species.  The film combines authoritative statements from four eminent contributors -  James Lovelock, Edgar Morin, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev and Wangari Maathai - with stark images that contrast the unspoiled natural beauty of Planet Earth with the devastation wrought by relentless industrialisation.   Nous resterons sur Terre is a timely and well-balanced piece which states its case with clarity, without resorting to the kind of hysteria and hyperbole that has become all too noticeable in recent years in the environmental arena.

Perhaps the most striking thing about this film is its subdued tone, which makes a welcome change from the familiar eco-warriors’ tirade.  Although all of the contributors stress that action needs to be taken urgently to avoid a catastrophe (Lovelock and Gorbatchev put the case most succinctly), it is interesting that they all appear to have faith that mankind will rise to the challenge and act before it is too late.  Whilst it is refreshing to watch a pro-environment documentary which does not conclude with the message that we are all ineluctably doomed, there is a danger that such an upbeat assessment may simply bolster the complacency that has so far prevented individuals and nations from bothering to change their ways. 

Whilst Nous resterons sur Terre is chillingly astute in its summing up of the mess that we have created and the challenges that lie ahead, it is pretty mealy-mouthed when it comes to presenting the likely outcomes if we fail to grasp the environmental nettle.  Most people watching this film may be misled into thinking that reusing carrier bags or recycling more cornflakes boxes may solve all our problems.  What the film misses (or at least massively understates) is the necessity for governments across the globe to act in a coordinated manner to bring about the socio-economic changes necessary for an environmental revolution.  Without top-down action of a fairly urgent and dramatic kind, there isn’t a hope.  Nous resterons sur Terre will doubtless motivate those who are already environmentally minded to do more, but it is unlikely to convince the sceptics who, like it or not, are still in the majority and will doubtless carry on partying until the lights go out.

© James Travers 2011

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