Environmental Terrorists (Development or Destruction?) - A proposal for a 40 minute documentary.

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Environmental Terrorists

(Development or Destruction?)

A proposal for a 40 minute documentary

After decades of methodical environmental damage, it has become apparent that our vital life support system (Mother earth) is getting worse and in a general state of decline. One question on the minds of many people is: What happens at the end of this decline?

We are often told that we can adapt to the present state of the environment. But this assumption is increasingly being shown up to be false, as we observe the effects of  global warming, the pollution of the eco-systems, potential changes in the food supply, ocean currents, costly weather changes, the destruction of raw materials (such as timber) and much more.

In any effort to educate the public and politicians towards action concerning the environment, three questions must be answered honestly and convincingly:

● Are we heading for a collapse of the world’s ecosystems that sustain   us?

● What are the effects of man made environmental damage on local and global communities?

●Can we restore the environment and work alongside Nature instead of against Her?

For some, the answers to these questions are fundamental to their very existence. How long are we prepared to wait and watch as the environment rebels and fights back against Nature’s ‘terrorists’; whilst people, communities and populations are destroyed by mankind’s insistence on taking more than we are willing to put back?

In this verity documentary my team and myself, will focus and examine  the devastating effects environmental neglect and over consumption of raw materials has had on a small village on an Indonesian Island named Bukit Lawang.

Background

On the 2nd November 2003, a flood hit Bukit Lawang, North Sumatra.

Approximately 300 people have been killed, with 1400 made homeless. The village was a popular tourist destination, close to Sumatra’s main town, Medan, known for a relaxing friendly atmosphere, and famous for the orangutan rehabilitation centre. The flood hit in the evening, around 10pm, while many people were asleep prior to their 4am awakening for Ramadan.

The rain had been falling for a couple of weeks, and the river was already high. However on the evening of Sunday 2nd November the waters began to rise sharply, giving some people precious seconds to get onto higher grounds. For most people, however, there was no time to escape. A torrent of water came flooding down mixed with debris and uprooted trees from the constant illegal logging in the jungle, leaving the village in ruins.

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Bukit Lawang is now unrecognizable. The entire bank of the river has been destroyed, simply washed away, along with many of the inhabitants, and tourists unfortunate enough to be caught up in it all. It has been commonly reported that the flood was the direct result of illegal logging, in an area were people rely on the river to provide their drinking water, bathing and sewage system.

Film

I would like to shoot the film using classic verity style, with the use of interview (interpreter required), narration voiceover and music (where relevant).

Our aims are to educate the ...

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