Anthropocene: The Human Epoch
In a city overwhelmed by a green initiative it seems entirely fitting that ‘Anthropocene: The Human Epoch’ should be screened in Bristol’s Watershed ahead of its official UK release. In one of the larger theatres, to which the screening had to be moved due to popular demand, every seat was filled with an unsurprising range of ages between whom discussion roared in anticipation of the commencement of the film which was met with a perfect silence.
My expectations of the documentary were exceeded both in information and artistic display. Flames and black smog engulfed the length of the screen for what seemed an eternity for the opening scene which was visually hypnotic whilst eliciting a genuine discomfort from the audience. This is predominantly what I took away from this film – it was not a ‘telling off’ for the damage we, earth’s most intelligible residents, have inflicted upon our home. There was no finger being pointed, not patently anyway.
‘Anthropocene’ evoked a sense of guilt and worry (as well as an immediate desire to jump from my seat and single-handedly save the world) that came from the statement of absolute fact rather than scolding any single contributor to the planet’s rapid demise, whether that be the 10 major corporations responsible for 70% of the planet’s carbon emissions or the 9 ‘til 5 worker who can’t quite commit to a reusable coffee cup.
‘Anthropocene’ illuminated the insanity of our decisions through the explanation of several ways in which the planet is being destroyed. Most poignant for myself was anthropoturbation, the irreversible disturbance of the earth’s soil by human activity such as mining but more interestingly, the construction of tunnels. A celebration of the opening of the world’s longest train tunnel in Switzerland consisted of cultural traditions such as a yodel performance as well as a contemporary dance routine involving the depiction of labour workers climbing up a rock face and falling theatrically to their deaths. The underlying ironic comedy of this film is what truly made it hit home. Here we are in the depths of a climate emergency, in which our ecosystem is perishing, and we blindly celebrate our contribution to this with dance and song in an almost satirical manner.
‘Anthropocene’ was executed with such an awareness of the propensity of jargon to disinterest and ostracize the public that narration was scarcely used nor was it needed. The imagery alone did more than words could for the demonstration of our impact on the planet and such an artistic approach to an issue so deeply rooted in the science of both ecology and human behaviour must be recognised and praised accordingly. Undeniably, it is science that has awoken us to the dangers of our actions. It is science that provides us with the facts that are used to support our protests and our desire for global change. What is clear, however, is that this film is an active example of how the arts and humanities are invaluable in the promotion of mass social change, even where the issues are clouded with a scientific narrative.