The Age of Stupid is a film about climate change. Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devasted world of 2055, looking back at archive footage from 2007 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?
Shot in seven countries over a period of three years, The Age of Stupid features six separate documentary stories, archive footage and lots of animation. The archive footage is all genuine, gleaned from recent news items or filmed by director Franny Armstrong and her crew.
“It is a captivating and constantly surprising film: the first successful dramatisation of climate change to reach the big screen.” George Monbiot, The Guardian
In the film, each of the six characters’s real stories interlock and overlap with the others. Postlethwaite plays an old man looking back on all their lives and wondering why no one did anything about climate change when they had the chance.
Postlethwaite describes working with Armstrong as ‘thrilling’. “She was one of those people you trust … her tenacity and integrity went together … she was clearly not someone looking for the glitzy main chance. She has a real desire to get her message across.”
No option
“We have no option but to be sympathetic to the film,” he says. “It’s sympathy or die. We really can do something about climate change. We don’t need government to tell us what to do. Individuals can do things too.”
Franny Armstrong comes from the first environmentally aware generation. Her film does not seek, like Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, to prove climate change is happening. Narrative, not just facts, she believes, is needed to make people understand what is at stake.
From The Guardian
More information
The film goes on general release in the UK on 20th March and around the world in April. Check out The Age of Stupid website for more details. And share your views and reviews by leaving your comments, below.
6 comments… read them below or add yours now
A fabulous film, left me feeling empowered and inspired. If you think its tough to watch, imagine how tough life would be if we allow it to happen, so lets try and avoid it becoming reality…time to get active people!
Tepsy’s got it in one. Superb film, which needs to be broadcast on television so as many people as possible can see it.
“We don’t need government to tell us what to do. Individuals can do things too.”
I have that thought EVERY DAY
One of the ooffoo community posted a wicked review of Age of Stupid – not trying to be spammy but worth checking out! Keep up the good work GreenPepper :)
http://www.ooffoo.com/listing/The-Age-of-Stupid-time-for-change.aspx
@Tepsy: Welcome to Green Pepper and thanks for your brief review – it sounds very inspirational.
@Almost Mrs Average: Welcome to you too! I’m sure it will be broadcast on TV eventually – not quite the same impact as on the big screen though. I hope to see it before then!
@Martin at Plasticless: Likewise, welcome to Green Pepper! We sure DON’T need the government to tell us what to do! Collective action and cooperation is usually more meaningful and sustainable ;-)
@ooffoo: Welcome to Green Pepper and thanks for the link – great review! Must see it soon!!
We went to see it on Wednesday and recommend everybody to go! Even though it’s scary seeing what might happen, it does inspire you to do more to save the planet :)