The documentary An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power arrives in Italian cinemas on 30 and 31 October. Al Gore's personal story forms the backdrop to the fight to save the Earth from global warming.
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power is the follow-up to the 2007 Oscar-winning documentary, picking up the story of former United States Vice President Al Gore and his commitment to combating climate change and global warming. In Italian cinemas on 30 and 31 October, the new film is directed by Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen and produced by Paramount Pictures, which has promised to make further environmentalist documentaries in the future.
In 2007, the documentary An Inconvenient Truth — based on the presentation Gore used during his climate change awareness campaign — won the Oscar for best documentary and best original song (I Need to Wake Up, by Melissa Etheridge), earned the former Vice President the Nobel Peace Prize, and for the first time brought the issue of global warming to the attention of the general public. In the years that followed, it would become one of the most hotly debated topics in global politics and economics.
What has happened over these ten years? Where did we start, where are we now, and where are we heading? What role did Al Gore play in reaching the Paris Agreement? These are the questions the film sets out to answer. Once again, the central figure is the former American Vice President who, after stepping back from politics following his electoral defeat in 2000 against Republican candidate George W. Bush, has spent the last ten years continuing to inform and train experts around the world on the climate issue.
The film follows him behind the scenes of his presentations and public appearances, from Greenland to China, through to his invaluable contributions at Cop 21, the Paris climate change conference held in 2015.
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, already screened in competition at this year's Biografilm Festival in Bologna, clearly traces and maps out the light and shadow of recent years: from the positive energy initially generated by An Inconvenient Truth — a powerful driver for a renewed environmental awareness — through to the most recent moments of crisis, the Trump administration's climate change denial and the consequent scrapping of Obama's clean energy plan, as well as the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. This time, the soundtrack is provided by OneRepublic.
Perhaps it is precisely because of this renewed challenge to our planet that Gore has decided to return to the big screen: to shout to the world that the commitment is not over, and that grassroots movements must work together — now more than ever — to influence international energy policies.
According to Gore, our time must contend with a serious crisis of democracy, even before confronting the environmental crisis. But the future scenario need not inspire only fear, and the positive side of the story is the new frontier of renewable energy.
Now more than ever, we are on the cusp of a genuine revolution in the energy systems currently in use: innovation has ensured that these technologies can today be obtained at ever-lower prices. This means that poor developing countries (such as India) can make use of new forms of energy that are not the highly polluting ones of carbon power stations. The film therefore ends with a call to action: the Earth still needs everyone, because: climate changes, truth does not.
The film opens in many Italian cinemas on 31 October and 1 November. To find out in advance which cinemas will be showing it and to purchase tickets, simply visit the event website and register. The hashtag for sharing thoughts and opinions about the film on social media is #UnaScomodaVerità2.