Ten Films To Watch On Earth Day

Disney has announced that BORN IN CHINA will open in U.S. theaters Earth Day 2017.

Directed by Chinese filmmaker Lu Chuan, Disneynature’s BORN IN CHINA follows the stories of three animal families, transporting audiences to some of the most extreme environments on Earth to witness some of the most intimate moments ever captured in a nature film. A doting panda bear mother guides her growing baby as she begins to explore and seek independence. A two-year-old golden monkey who feels displaced by his new baby sister joins up with a group of free-spirited outcasts. And a mother snow leopard—an elusive animal rarely caught on camera—faces the very real drama of raising her two cubs in one of the harshest and most unforgiving environments on the planet. Featuring stunning, never-before-seen imagery captured in the remote wilds of China, the film is produced by Disney’s Roy Conli and premiere nature filmmakers Brian Leith and Phil Chapman.

To celebrate Earth Day 2016, April 22, here are the Top 10 Films to catch.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006)

Al Gore’s 2006 Oscar-winning documentary about climate change is a must-see introduction to the process of climate change, barriers to change and possible solutions.

CHASING ICE (2012)

This documentary focuses on one of the fastest-changing parts of global warming, the melting of glaciers and ice shelves, by using time-lapse photography to track multi-year changes to glaciers around the world, yielding some spectacular footage and alarming data.

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS

The Morgan Freeman-narrated documentary, following the lives of penguins in the Antarctic throughout the year, is both a crowd-pleaser and a remarkable nature film.

BLACKFISH

This gripping expose documentary explores the nature of orcas or killer whales, called “blackfish” by Native Peoples, and the unnatural conditions under which they are kept by commercial aquariums like SeaWorld. The film led indirectly to SeaWorld’s recent decision to stop its captive breeding programs for orcas.

WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR

Under pressure from coming new emissions rules in California, American car manufacturers developed an electric car. Then it vanished. What happened and why is the subject of this essential documentary about the intersection of commerce and climate.

GASLAND

An outstanding exploration of natural gas “fracking,” which exploded following Congressional re-writing of rules regulating it and new techniques, and fracking’s impact on water, geology and people.

FOOD, INC.

A documentary beneath-the-label look at modern food production in America, one that dispels many myths about farming and foods on grocery shelves.

KING CORN

Another food-centered documentary, this time about one crop: corn. Two friends, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, move to the Midwest, plant an acre of corn, watch it grow, and then it as it moves through the agricultural system. The project reveals surprising and even disturbing facts about modern food production, how subsidized crops drive what foods are in the grocery store and their costs, the impact of genetically-modified seeds and pesticide and herbicide use and other facts about American farming.

ERIN BROCKOVICH

In this excellent fictional version of a true story, Julia Roberts plays Erin Brockovich, in her relentless investigation and legal battle for families impacted by industrial chemical pollution of their homes.

WALL-E

This charming animated film about a lonely robot cleaning up the mess humans have left behind is a gentle reminder to reduce, re-use and recycle.