Don't Shoot the Messenger

I finally got the chance to see An Inconvenient Truth last week and I must say I really enjoyed the film. In my "other life" I work at The Nature Conservancy, so environmental conservation is a priority for me. Much to my surprise, when I've asked people if they've seen the film, the conversation immediately turns political, whether or not Gore should be President, the current war in Iraq, (or if Gore really invented the internet). Sure, publicity on the film is centered on Al Gore (the narrator of the fil), and the film and the documentary shares Gore's passion for spreading the word on Global Warming, but in the end, it's really about the truth he is trying to deliver. Isn't it?

This makes me recall a similar experience I had a few years ago when Fahrenheit 9/11. I asked a friend if she saw the film and she immediately ranting how she supported George Bush--as if seeing the film would be a betrayal to him.

It makes me wonder, in film, especially with documentaries, can the message get lost in the messenger? If instead of Al Gore as the centerpiece of the film, if some random river scientist were sharing the impending threats of climate change, would we listen?

Well, if you are interested in finding out more about climate change and global warming without "supporting Gore" here are a few places you can look.

The Nature Conservancy - www.nature.org
Climate Crisis - www.climatecrisis.net
Clean Air, Cool Planet - www.cleanair-coolplanet.org
Climate Wire - www.climatewire.org

Long live indie film,
Michelle