Part 7:
Environmentalism and Science under Capitalism

The movies on this list are well-suited to watching as a group to stimulate political discussions, and may be especially pertinent in the wake of the Seattle WTO demonstrations. Most can be found on video at the Seattle Public Library, or independent video stores.

*highly recommended
**a "must see"

BRAZIL (Comedy) Terry Gilliam 1985 The new world order? Great special effects.

THE BURNING SEASON 1994 the story of Chico Mendes, who led a movement to save the Amazon.

CONGO

EMERALD FOREST

FOR EARTH'S SAKE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVID BROWER John DeGraaf 1990 Documents life of environmentalist who led the Sierra Club and founded Friends of the Earth.

GATTACA Science Fiction account of what genetic testing may lead to.

*KOYAANISQATSI: LIFE OUT OF BALANCE Francis Ford Coppola 1983.

METROPOLIS Fritz Lang 1926 Visionary look at the future under capitalistic exploitation.

MOBY DICK John Huston 1956 Viewed from today's perspective, it could be an allegory of the anti-environmentalism movement.

THE PLOW THAT BROKE THE PLAINS Pare Lorentz 1936 Shows conquering of the land by cattle ranchers and then destruction by farmers.

RED DESERT Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy) 1964 Beautiful cinematography of life out-of-balance.

THE RIVER Pare Lorentz 1937 US Government propaganda film showing the destruction of the land by farming and cutting down trees.

THE SECRET OF NIKOLA TESLA (Yugoslavia) 1986 This great inventor's fate gives insight into our economic system.

SISTER KENNY 1946 True story of nurse who develops a successful treatment for polio, and has to fight MDs who suppress her work.

TONGTANA1990 Story of a young Swiss Man who joins the Penan Indians in Borneo to confront logging companies.