In it, we follow Anne de Carbuccia through her artistic lens as she travels the world and the seas for ten years, visiting often inaccessible locations like Mustang in the Himalayas, Lake Baikal, or Peru. In each of her photographs, Anne creates a symbolic installation called a Time Shrine to honor and capture the ephemeral beauty of the planet, featuring an hourglass to represent the passage of time and a skull to symbolize life's transience. Thus, it is through beauty that we enter into the real story that Anne tells us. We are struck by the beauty and purity of the landscapes through the artist's eyes, as well as by her works that radiate and provoke thought.
During her travels, we meet the Earth Protectors, witnesses of this new geological era in which the impact of human activity on the planet has become the main geological and environmental force shaping the Earth. The Anthropocene is now its main destructive force, and these guides are burdened with the heavy responsibility of saving what can still be saved, whether glaciers, a river, a lake, or a forest. The Sea People of Indonesia exemplify this.
This is not just another documentary about climate change. The artist's perspective and narrative are not those of an activist but of an exceptional witness, leading to major insights:
1- We have self-centeredly gotten used to referring to our planet as Earth instead of Planet Ocean. 71% of the globe's surface is covered by seas and oceans, and we too often forget what earns it the nickname 'blue planet.'
2- Climate change directly impacts culture and traditions. When people are forced to relocate, ancient traditions are sometimes lost.
3- Those who pollute the least are the first affected by climate change; this is clearly seen with the inhabitants of the Himalayan regions or the primeval forests. These peoples have no industry, no combustion engines, no plastics. They are the first victims of global warming.
4- Human migrations, particularly those from Africa, often have their origins in this climate disruption, bringing with them a great deal of suffering and horror.
5- Plastics: we eat them, we breathe them in, everywhere, every day - surprisingly, microplastic particles have invaded our atmosphere and our oceans.
Facing this existential threat, there are still reasons for hope provided we act by developing a collective mindset with different approaches and creating reparative or preventive technologies. We can always remember that these incredible moments we are experiencing are turning points; it is up to us all to take the right turn.
Earth Protectors is a true marine and terrestrial epic where beauty meets devastation, and life intersects with death, reflecting human nature. Anne de Carbuccia's documentary is not about activism; it is about the art of seeing things as they are, the best and worst of humanity. Will we be the next Earth Protectors?
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