Saving the planet in Cannes

Closing title from Penguins director.

by Richard Mowe

Luc Jacquet’s Ice And The Sky, the closing film of this year’s 68th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
Luc Jacquet’s Ice And The Sky, the closing film of this year’s 68th edition of the Cannes Film Festival

After the announcement of a documentary prize, the Cannes Film Festival shows its further commitment to the art of the documentary in the choice of its closing title Ice And The Sky, directed by Luc Jacquet who won an Oscar for March Of The Penguins.

The new film has über-green credentials, dealing with the life of scientist Claude Lorius (82), who in 1957 studied the Antarctic ice and was the first to come up with the theory of global warming. Lorius aims to raise the consciousness of Governments all over the world to the damage that Man is inflicting on the environment. He is quoted as saying optimistically that he believes that Man eventually will see sense and adopt a different behaviour towards the state of the planet.

Cannes, of course, is hardly the most green of events, rife with examples of conspicuous consumption, but the organisers said they were happy to be engaged in the cause by programming the film as a prelude to a Climate Change Conference in Paris in late November. The film, as revealed today (30 April) will screen as part of the closing ceremony of the 68th edition on Sunday 24 May.

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