Where do we stand on climate change, and what can we do to counter it? These questions gave rise to Before the flood (Punto di non ritorno), a documentary produced and presented by Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Fisher Stevens (producer of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove). The Hollywood star's environmental commitment is by now well established: having produced Cowspiracy, a documentary on the impact of livestock farming, and having donated millions of dollars to environmental protection, DiCaprio has made a film about the dramatic consequences of climate change.

The effects of a changing climate, on display

The film, shown above in full, illustrates the terrible and tangible effects of rising global temperatures, and DiCaprio addresses the issue by meeting some of the most influential people on the planet, including US president Barack Obama, Pope Francis and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors. The documentary, enriched by music composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, was broadcast on 30 October free of charge in 171 countries and translated into 45 languages thanks to National Geographic. "The world is watching you, we ask you to protect it," was the appeal DiCaprio made at the 2014 Climate Summit in New York, in his capacity as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. With Before the flood, DiCaprio renews that appeal, stressing the need for "leaders who believe in the science of climate change and who have the courage to take a stand for our planet."