Benedict Cumberbatch in How to Live On Earth [Conor McDonnell]

HOW TO LIVE ON EARTH
Directed by Fredi Divas
Certificate: 12a
☆☆☆☆

IT is a conversation we must not stop having, a point that must never be sidelined, a discussion that has to be daily: how do we humans fit on this planet of ours, what are our roles and responsibilities, and what can we do as the man-made climate crisis threatens the very existence of scores, hundreds, thousands of species.

This thoughtful documentary, narrated by Kentish Town resident and Oscar winner Benedict Cumberbatch, approaches a chunky topic in a fresh way.

A range of voices from across the globe offer a take on our place on the natural scheme of things, and how saving the planet doesn’t have to be a hair-shirt existence. Instead, if we can learn to understand where we are in the natural cycle, we can create a better place.

By looking at how people are trying, striving, to do the right thing, this documentary avoids the pitfalls of many eco-cide think-pieces, which usually feels like we are all damned and fossil fuel interests are too ingrained in the machine for us to do anything but hold our loved ones as close as possible while our interiors scream in despair.

It does not shy away from points we need to talk about. For example, director Dr Fredi Divas (who has form, having worked with David Attenborough) tackles the issue of eating meat, and the undeniable damage our 21st-century diets is having on the earth and ourselves. It looks at how we can use natural resources in a regenerative rather than exploitative way. It considers schemes that bring the natural world into our urban environment, and it also gently touches on the simple fact that humans feel good when they are near a tree.

What works best is the fact this film asks us to be inspired. While the individual might feel powerless – and let’s face it, we need to be going after the biggest polluters and accept that as individuals powers to make a difference are limited – but making a difference, no matter how small, is firstly good for you, and secondly, we can, by acting, create an unstoppable movement that will reach a tipping point.

And this is a fight we cannot ignore. The future of our existence is at stake, and we can all play a part in making a better world.

This film joins the canon of eco-docs that offer positives in the current dark storm.