VIFF Review: Home

Home

OPENING: 06/05/2009

STUDIO: Elzevir Films

RUN TIME: 120 min

ACCOMPLICES:
, Official Site

The Charge
A stunning visual portrayal of Earth.

Opening Statement
Home is an ambitious documentary project meant to bring awareness to the plight of our planet. Bankrolled by a conglomeration of international companies called the PPR Group, the filmmakers wanted to open the film in various formats (theatrical, home video, TV, online) around the world on the same day — June 5, 2009, World Environment Day — and even offer free showings in as many locations as possible. [ Note: Our review of Home (Blu-ray) is already posted at DVD Verdict. The Canadian premiere of the theatrical version screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival. ]

Facts of the Case
Aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s book Earth From Above has sold more than 3 million copies, since its initial publication in 1999. Making a motion picture of the same subject required three years of work that included 217 days of shooting in 54 countries. All of the footage in the film was captured using gyro-stabilized Cineflex HD cameras mounted on helicopters. Under the photographer-turned-filmmaker’s direction, the portrait of the Earth presented here is uniformly, gorgeously mesmerizing. The script, narrated by Glenn Close, is an accessible guide through no less than a concise history of human civilization.

The Evidence
Without a doubt, Home is a film with a big message to deliver. "In 50 years — a single lifetime — the Earth has been more radically changed than by all previous generations of humanity," we’re told in the narration. That shouldn’t be news, as we’ve been hearing this in one form or another for many years now. Support that statement with pictures and it becomes more meaningful. Now, instead of just a ground level scene of a farmer’s field, imagine a bird’s eye view of a transformed landscape stretching as far as you can see. Imagine the same expanse of land ripped apart by machinery and reshaped to suit luxury home developments. It’s a gradual visual journey from the farmlands of Africa to the incomprehensibly decadent beachfront properties in Dubai, but the fact that such an extreme exists speaks volumes about what is happening to our planet.

As a call for environmental activism, Home isn’t the didactic lecture of An Inconvenient Truth, but nevertheless presents a number of alarming statistics. Anyone who has even passively listened to the news of the environment will be familiar with much of the information presented in this film, but I discoverd some new information as well. For example, methane gas contained in the Russian permafrost can be released should the trend of global warming continue. Canada’s tar sands are still something of a mystery, but I now understand how the costs for retrieving oil from them far outweigh the benefits of the product extracted and the extraction process completely ravages the land.

The mood gets pretty bleak towards the end, as statistics about how we’ve made a mess of the planet pile on. Yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The film concludes with examples of worldwide government initiatives that promote conservation and sustainability. While I don’t recall mention of any programs in the United States or Canada, the implication that governments must lead by example seems more meaningful than suggesting my carpooling will make all the difference.

Environmental messages aside, Home is two hours filled with some of the most amazing photography of the Earth ever captured. Graceful aerial cinematography takes in the splendor of the natural landscape, dramatically charting the degrees by which humanity has expanded and reshaped the planet. Even those who refuse to acknowledge the effects of climate change will be struck by the images’ awesomeness. Watch it with blinders or earplugs, if you must, but watch it.

Closing Statement
Maybe one day environmental responsibility will be so ingrained in our culture we won’t think twice about making lifestyle decisions to preserve the planet. Hopefully, we’ll reach that point before it’s too late. To help the cause, I encourage you to see Home. Rent the DVD or watch it online. And if it happens to be playing at a theater near you, see it on the big screen to truly appreciate the beauty and fragility of the cities and natural landscapes that make up our home.

The Verdict
9/10

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