WITH HIS INSPIRING NEW DOCUMENTARY ‘2040’, DAMON
GAMEAU USES THE CREATIVITY OF CINEMA TO HELP US
ENVISION – AND WORK TOWARDS – A BETTER FUTURE.DAMON GAMEAU f ilmmaker
Why were you driven to create ‘2040’?
I am a father who’s deeply concerned about the future my
daughter will inherit. I was determined to find solutions to some
of our biggest ecological and societal threats and try to mobilise
people into action by visioning a better world we could all create.What is it about film that makes it an effective medium for
communicating these types of ideas?
Images have always played a pivotal role in shaping cultural norms
and behaviours: a landmark moment for the abolitionists was when an
image of a slave ship ‘went viral’ and alerted the public to the appalling
conditions on those ships. The US military have given resources and
financial support to films like Transformers, as they understand the
importance of storytelling. In an age of increased separation, cinemas
also provide an opportunity for shared experiences. The best part of
making 2040 has been the public screenings and hearing questions
from impassioned communities and children.What technologies do you believe could help drive change?
They are technologies that have been around for billions of years.
Some, like soil regeneration, are literally right under our feet. There
is a natural cycle of carbon that moves from soil to the atmosphere
to the oceans to living things to fossil fuels under the ground. We’ve
disturbed that cycle, but ‘technologies’ exist to rectify this. Whether
that’s regenerative farming practices, which take carbon from the
atmosphere and put it back into the soil to improve food quality and
water retention, or regenerating giant seaweed forests in the ocean
that also sequester carbon while creating thriving ecosystems for
fish populations to return. At the same time, there are also man-
made technologies that could have a revolutionary impact on the
way we distribute clean energy or reduce the number of vehicles in
our cities to make them more amenable to humans, and thus create
connected communities.Who were some of the inspirational people you met while
creating the film? Was there an overarching message?
Everyone I met was very realistic about the predicament we’re in.
They are honest about it and embrace any emotion that arises. This
acknowledgement allows them to free up space to move forward andfocus on solutions. Most were optimistic about our ability to turn
things around; whether we do it or not is the big question. It’s impor-
tant for people to know that it’s possible though.
Why do you think it’s so important for people to hear a positive
climate message?
An environmental psychologist explained to me that we don’t pro-
cess information very well when it comes loaded with fear, guilt or
anxiety. It can actually shut down the part of our brain that problem
solves and thinks creatively. We know things are bad. Our newsfeeds
and social media are flooded with that narrative. I think it’s important
to balance that with visions of the better world we can create; with
solutions and stories about the wonderful people enacting them.What role do the arts have to play in educating and
communicating the reality of the climate crisis?
Enormous. We’ve left it to the scientists to communicate our eco-
logical dilemmas; most of them have done a wonderful job, but they
need assistance. The language they use can alienate some people
and be difficult to grasp. I think we desperately need all artists, sto-
rytellers, songwriters, poets and creatives to get involved and start
communicating what’s happening to our planet in order to ignite the
public’s imagination about the type of new world we want to inhabit.Do you think radical change really can happen by 2040?
I really do. I didn’t think so three years ago, but I didn’t know where to
look. When you spend three years deeply immersed in the solutions
and the movements that are springing up around the world, it’s hard
not to get excited and feel hopeful: there are climate strikes, Extinc-
tion Rebellion, the Green New Deal debates, governments declar-
ing climate emergencies, the rapid rise of regenerative agriculture,
plummeting prices of renewable energy and batteries, coal power
stations closing, electric car implementation... I could list hundreds
more things. Sadly, our mainstream media is still fixated on doom
and gloom, or the royal baby! But when you go into the shadows,
away from the main stage, you can’t help but feel more positive.”
“
An environmental psychologist explained to
me that we don’t process information very well
when it comes loaded with fear, guilt or anxiety