arts // no. 16 theotherpress.ca ‘Our Planet’ teaches us about the sublime animal kingdom » The Netflix YouTube show provides fantastic imagery while discussing climate change Jonathan Pabico Senior Columnist keen f you're looking to settle cozily into nature for a while, then the documentary series Our Planet on Netflix (also available on Netflix’s YouTube channel) is the answer for you. The show has eight episodes available to watch completely for free. Each entry has highly informative research complimented by engaging visuals and sound design. The channel dives deep into several animal species, specialized animal habitats, and climate change. Voiceovers are done by the iconic narrator David Films on Attenborough who is best known for his work in The Blue Planet series. A well-written script enables Attenborough to skillfully describe fun facts and information about wildlife in each episode. Every word he speaks is elevated by how captivated and excited he is, and that provokes us to feel the same way. The skilled narrator pauses and paces his descriptions to allow the visuals and musical score to breathe. Thanks to Attenborough’s work we can better savour the documentary’s themes with delightful wonder. The photography itself is just breathtakingly gorgeous; the camera work is dazzlingly lit and colourful. Each shot and angle are complimented by impressive natural sounds (or silence) from every landscape, and the myriad of animal environmentalism for all demographics » From fun kid’s films to dystopian thrillers! Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor } | ow do you teach positive environmentalism without scaring your kids? Luckily, there are films that can help with that—as well as films that can cater to your doomsday hunger. Although, I’m not so sure who would want to view those. Regardless, sit down, grab some popcorn, maybe cry a little, and get ready for some activism! The Lorax A young children’s story based on the book by Dr. Seuss follows young Ted on his mission to retrieve a seed from “The Once-ler” and plant a tree (in a tree-less world) to impress his crush. However, he is met with incredible backlash by the mayor and the rest of the town. The story is acommentary on pollution and activism and is tailored for educating children on environmentalism. Wall-E This charming Disney classic for kids is about a lonely trash-picking robot deserted on planet Earth. With a unique love story (pairing Wall-E with Eve, a modern robot), and an overarching plot of humans being overconsuming zombies floating in space, Wall-E is about a little robot’s mission to save humanity from itself and to bring the humans back to Earth. Princess Mononoke A classic Studio Ghibli animated film, Princess Mononoke, shows the battle between humans and forest gods. Multiple attempts at peace between nature and society creates more and more conflict until it feels like nothing can be done. This tale follows a gruesome story about finding balance between mankind and Mother Nature. Wouldn't recommend this one for young kids because the movie can be rather stressful, gory, and potentially scary—but it’s suitable for any higher age group. Ready Player One This 2018 Steven Spielberg action-adventure film is based in a future reality that has been completely rundown by climate change and fossil fuel emissions. The only escape humans have is a VR-type of video game reality (which may be some teenagers’ dream come true). Even so, the video game reality is still a capitalist environment where the poor continue to struggle. species in their natural habitats. The episodes also have seemingly impossible closeups that capture the diverse lifestyles of various creatures. The documentary truly excels in its visual storytelling and awakens our curiosity about wildlife. Anytime there is an ocean episode get ready to experience the most enjoyable of the different environments. The clear and sometimes suppressed sound design, uplifting music, and abundant marine life give you an amazing experience of what it’s like to be in an underwater world. As an early warning: the series does provide a few eerie interludes about climate change and environmental damage caused by human activity. We see some of the most incredibly shocking images from overfishing and deforestation to 2012 Every climate crisis seems to hit at once in 2072. Solar flares, massive earthquakes, tsunamis—you name it. We follow a father and his family trying to make it to arks built in the Himalayan mountains so that they can survive the end of the world. I watched this with my parents when I was a kid, but I wouldn't recommend it for your children who may get haunted by the scene where people throw themselves to their death while trying to latch onto the boardwalk to get onto the ark. Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne more distressing animal behaviour. These emotionally gripping scenes are hard to watch, but that’s the point. The documentary is unapologetic in showing us the dire experiences of animals because of global warming. Our Planet is one of the best nature documentary series I’ve ever seen; the images and sound are so infinitely immersive that each frame yearns to be seen on the biggest screen you can find. The Netflix YouTube show offers a tonal balance between the riveting visuals and the devastating imagery. We are left with some hope though from the current and perhaps future work for sustainability. Check out this documentary whenever you can if nature is something that truly speaks to you. Illustration by Athena Little The Day After Tomorrow I have a vague memory of watching this movie ona little DVD movie player in India and being slightly terrified despite being a child who didn't have a clue about what was going on. Though, that’s a different story now. This film is about what happens after dropping temperatures in the ocean cause destructive hurricanes to form and wreak havoc on parts of the world, while politicians dismiss warnings issued by scientists. Probably best for adult viewing.