One problem environmental films often face with attracting a general audience is the perception that they will be supreme downers. Scientists suspect that our love of nature is rooted deep in our psyches, and so to be confronted with how we are ruining it can create too much discomfort. Not interested!
Recently I had such an experience. I heard about a movie called “The Cove” which I understood as a film depicting the terrible plight of dolphins, and I couldn’t bear to even watch the trailer. Just reading how dolphins in captivity can commit suicide made me want to weep.
Then I saw a blog post by Amy Gotliffe of KQED in northern California after she had seen the film premiere in San Francisco.
I sat back, marveled at the audience rich with environmental leaders, munched my popcorn, and proceeded to have my world rocked. The Cove is indeed a nature and conservation movie, but throw in spy movie, hero movie, horror movie and action flick and you have a more accurate description.
She describes the net effect of the film as fun. Yes, a film about the tragedy of dolphins being fun. It made me want to see the movie after all. Read her post. You’ll want to see it too.