[Sust-mar] The Refugees of the Blue Planet

[Christopher Majka]

Hi folks,

The Refugees of the Blue Planet is a documentary film from the NFB  
that will receive its world premiere screening this coming Saturday,  
September 16 at 12:05 pm at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax.  
Its subject matter may be of interest to many on the sust-mar list.  
Further information on the film is below.

Best wishes,

Christopher Majka


The Refugees of the Blue Planet

The Refugees of the Blue Planet is an aptly-named documentary.  
Natural disasters have become increasingly prevalent over the past  
ten years, leaving scenes of devastation in their wake. Yet  
industrialized countries either continue to question the viability of  
measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions or refuse to  
adopt such measures and revise their economic development policies.  
The Refugees of the Blue Planet sheds light on the little-known  
plight of a category of individuals who are suffering the  
repercussions of this reality: environmental refugees.

Each year, millions of people the world over are driven to forced  
displacement. These refugees, who often have no legal status, have  
seen their right to a clean and sustainable environment violated. The  
enormous pressure placed on rural populations as a result of the  
degradation of their life-supporting environment is driving them  
increasingly further from their way of life. In this respect, the  
film is an invaluable documentation of the disappearance of an  
occupation rooted in the intimate relationship between humans and  
their environment. From the Maldives to Brazil, and even closer to  
home, here in Canada, the disturbing accounts of people who have been  
uprooted are amazingly similar. Rage, powerlessness, injustice and  
betrayal - feelings they all share - are superbly brought to the  
screen by filmmakers Hélène Choquette and Jean-Philippe Duval.

The Refugees of the Blue Planet is a hard-hitting documentary that  
brings us to the heart of major issues confronting humanity It raises  
the crucial question of responsibility, not only where Western  
governments are concerned, but also with respect to each and every  
one of us as citizens and consumers. It compels us to rethink the  
concepts of progress and growth out of respect for the lifestyles of  
millions of people who are dependant on the health of the soil, air,  
and water.

The Refugees of the Blue Planet will premiere at the Atlantic Film  
Festival on Saturday, September 16, 12:05 p.m. (5 minutes after noon)  
at the Park Lane 4 cinema in Halifax.

The Refugees of the Blue Planet is directed by Jean-Philippe Duval  
and Hélène Choquette and produced by Monique Simard, Marcel Simard  
(Productions Virage), Luc Martin-Gousset (Point du jour), and Yves  
Bisaillon (National Film Board).

For further information contact Christopher Majka at (902) 425-3725  
or <c.majka at ns.sympatico.ca>.

Christopher Majka
Publicity: National Film Board of Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
(902) 425-3725   <c.majka at ns.sympatico.ca>


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