Racing Extinction
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Racing Extinction |
| Original title | Racing Extinction |
| Country of production | USA , China PR , Indonesia , Mexico , United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2015 |
| length | 90 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Louie Psihoyos |
| script | Mark Monroe |
| production |
Olivia Ahnemann Fisher Stevens |
| music | J. Ralph |
| camera |
John Behrens Shawn Heinrichs Sean Kirby Petr Štěpánek |
| cut |
Geoffrey Richman Lyman Smith Jason Zeldes |
| occupation | |
Racing Extinction is a documentary by Louie Psihoyos from the year 2015 . The film aims to draw attention to species extinction . The film was produced by the environmental protection organization Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) and had its world premiere on January 24, 2015 at the Sundance Film Festival .
content
Because of a small article in a magazine about the fact that mankind could cause a mass extinction and which was only mentioned very small on a back page, the documentary filmmaker Louie Psihoyos began to think about how he could make people more media-effective on this big problem could draw attention. This is how this documentation was created.
Louie Psihoyos had previously written four large articles on species extinction and had already undertaken expeditions to the Gobi Desert in 1995. Here he reported on the extinction of species in the course of evolution, which continues to this day and is in part a natural process. Dr. Stuart Pimm , an ecologist at Duke University, explains that this death would be so accelerated by humans that by the end of the century half the species can be expected to be extinct. Reasons for this are the spread of man and his actions. But it is also the only living thing that can stop extinction.
The American environmental protection organization Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) tries to prevent this. Scientists and experts will be asked to comment on the topic.
Underlaid with film documents, there is a brief report on how hidden cameras were used to secretly film the delicacies that were offered in restaurants. You could report where endangered species were found on the menu.
Louie Psihoyos goes on an expedition to see the blue whales, which were previously hunted by whalers and are now threatened by modern shipping. With his film footage he shows the hidden worlds of these animals. Together with Dr. Christopher Clark , who has been recording and analyzing whale songs for over 30 years, can prove how widely these species are in the world's oceans and how threatened they are.
It is reported by environmentalists who work to save animal species worldwide. Through protests against whale meat on the menus of restaurants, the clearing of the rainforest, actions by Greenpeace at sea and much more, they want to actively help against the extinction of species and the destruction of the earth. This is life-threatening and over 800 activists have lost their lives in the past decade.
Louie Psihoyos contacts the environmentalist Shawn Heinrichs , who had given up his job to stand up for endangered species. It is thanks to him that a shark trapping station has been turned into a shark observation station and the former fishermen can live well from this work without having to kill animals. Together with photojournalist Paul Hilton , Heinrichs also uncovered cartels for the trade in endangered species. With simple means, such as the use of Facebook , they can track down illegal wildlife traffickers, film them secretly and report them to the authorities. Other wildlife filmmakers show their recordings of a shark that is still alive and fighting for its life on the sea floor with its fins cut off because these are still illegally processed into soups in restaurants. Shawn Heinrichs tries to get into a shark fin factory with other animal rights activists in Shanghai . You can take a lot of pictures with hidden cameras. Among other things, from a store of huge amounts of cut shark fins. Hundreds of manta gills can be found at other dealers , which are used in traditional Chinese medicine . Later the cruel capture of these gigantic animals is shown. Fin traders who are confronted with such images claim that such images, like the shark without fins, were initiated by environmental activists themselves in order to be able to show spectacular images.
Louie Psihoyos moves on to the threatened coral reefs that are suffering from global climate change, ocean acidification and humans. Even Psihoyos has to determine how much energy he uses for himself and his work and is therefore responsible for the CO2 emissions himself. The balance that humans leave behind to produce their food is not much better. According to scientific calculations, animal husbandry produces more greenhouse gases than traffic emissions.
People have to work on all of these fronts. A first way is to educate consumers, because without a buyer the animal business ends. Pictures can touch people and their hearts. With special cameras, CO 2 can be made visible and thus the extent of human activities. Accordingly, the decline in phytoplankton is extremely threatening because 50 percent of our oxygen is produced here. We are connected in a gigantic network and the failure of one species can trigger a chain reaction. So attempts are being made all over the world to protect species, in breeding stations for endangered species, indirectly through the development of electric cars, but also through startling images and films. Louie Psihoyos, together with other visual artists such as Shawn Heinrichs, Joel Sartore and Travis Threlkel , is dedicated to this path of enlightenment. They want to convey the message to people that it is up to them to save animals. Not only large projects, but also small daily decisions can lead to preserving the world and shaping it the way we need and want it. It ends with the call that everyone can get involved.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film was released for the first time on November 6, 2015. It was composed by J. Ralph .
- One candle
- Manta Ray
- One Million Miles Away (From the Illusionary Movements of Geraldine & Nazu)
- The Whole World Is Singing
- The hump
- Our Own Road
- The Permian
- Underwater Color
- The hand of man
- 37 Pictures on a 36 Roll
- Move the needle
- Burning Through the Fossil
- Endangered Amphibians
- Better stewards
- Almost All Life
- Racing Extinction
- Grasshopper Sparrow
- The Movies
- Rings of Endangered Species
- One note grand piano
- The Mesozoic
- Possibilities
- Racing Extinction
criticism
| source | rating |
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| Rotten tomatoes | |
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| Metacritic | |
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| IMDb |
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In the Internet Movie Database , the film received an average rating of 8.1 out of 10 in 1,200 reviews. The Rotten Tomatoes reviewers got 77% positive reviews. At Metacritic , the critics got 81% positive reviews.
"This film is terrifying and depressing, but it also gave me a little hope."
"If a documentary can be both alarming and strangely reassuring, the gripping splash of cinematic cold water is Racing Extinction."
Awards
- 2nd place in the Audience Awards
- Nomination for the Silver St. George
- Melbourne International Film Festival
- Nomination for the People's Choice Award in the category Best Documentary Awards. IMDb , accessed February 5, 2016 .
Web links
- Racing Extinction in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Official page for the film
Individual evidence
- ^ J. Ralph: Racing Extinction (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). iTunes Australia, November 6, 2015, accessed February 5, 2016 .
- ↑ a b c d Racing Extinction (2015). Rotten Tomatoes , accessed February 5, 2016 .
- ^ Racing Extinction. Metacritic , accessed February 5, 2016 .
- ^ Racing Extinction (2015). IMDb , accessed February 5, 2016 .