Sustainability Film Series Fall 2023

The Sustainability Film Series hosted by the Athena Cinema, Environmental Studies and University Libraries feature documentaries that bring visibility to and increase awareness of complex problems like climate change, degradation of the environment due to industry, and the widespread proliferation of biotoxins. The films have all been chosen because they detail, in various ways, the obstacles preventing humanity from living a sustainable existence. Beyond simply identifying these obstacles, however, this batch of first-rate documentaries attempts to offer solutions that promise a return to a better quality of life for all. This focus on offering solutions is a hallmark of the Sustainability Series and one of the reasons its appeal to the local community has prevailed for over a decade.   

Because the Athena Cinema is currently scheduled to soon begin undergoing repairs, all screenings for the Fall Sustainability Series will be held at the Ridges Auditorium located at 135 Ridges Circle in Athens. Non-metered parking is available in lots near the auditorium, and efforts are being made to extend the operational hours of the Athens Public Transit Line 2 bus service to accommodate transit to-and-from the building.  

Updates regarding the results of this effort will be posted on the Athena Cinema website and social media accounts. The series kicks off on September 13th with This Changes Everything, the 2015 Avi Lewis film based on the New York Times-bestselling book by famed author/activist Naomi Klein. As with all past Fall Sustainability Series events, this year’s films will be followed by panel discussions comprised of local experts, activists, and scientists from the OHIO and Athens communities who will go into further detail about the issues presented in each film.  

• September 13, This Changes Everything. Filmed over 211 shoot days in nine countries and five continents over four years, this film is an epic attempt to re-imagine the vast challenge of climate change. Followed by STAND UP, a short animation by Jenny Morgan.
• September 27, Microplastic Madness. A story of 56 fifth graders from P.S. 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn - living on the frontline of the climate crisis - whose actions on plastic pollution morph into extraordinary leadership and scalable victories. Brought to you by Athens ReThink Plastics.
• October 11, To the End. Filmed over four years of hope and crisis, TO THE END captures the emergence of a new generation of leaders and the movement behind the most sweeping climate change legislation in U.S. history.
• November 1, Taking Root. Tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy.

All films are free and open to the public.