Greenlit

How green is the film industry? Producer Miranda Bailey (The Squid and the Whale) puts herself center stage in her attempts to answer this pertinent question, with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to trying to keep her own film as environmentally friendly as possible (although the end result is not carbon neutral), she follows the production of The River Why, starring Zach Gilford in the lead role. The producers of this film have called in a "green consultant" to keep the set as green as possible. This involves using recycled paper, double-sided printing, separating waste and not drinking water from disposable bottles, but from a barrel with a tap. Not everyone on the set is happy with these measures. Bailey records it all in a lighthearted way, using visual jokes and an overly dramatic reenactment of an act of eco-terrorism on the set. Nonetheless, the lightness of the tone does not detract from the seriousness of her message. She calculates that almost 900 films were made in 2008, which means that the film industry alone consumes 5.4 million bottles of water a year. There must be another way, as Bailey herself now firmly believes. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)