SDG MOVIE LIST
The SDGs (Sustainable development goals) are today one of the leading frameworks for sustainability development (to know more about them check the link). The SDGs are not only concerned with environmental issues but also with social and economic problems, making this goal a holistic approach to society. The SDGs objectives are also an important component of the road map that the UT is following for the program shaping2030, however, even if the SDGs are so important, in daily life, not a lot is said about them, and not a lot of awareness surrounds them. For this reason, we at Green Hub have decided to create the Green Blog and share movies, books and other content related to SDGs.
The idea of the following list is to start to engage and learn about the SDGs in a fun and cultural way. Movies and art are powerful tools that can tell incredible stories, for these reasons, the movies that we have selected for the list cover all three main aspects of the SDG topic, economic differences in society, social inequalities, and the relationship with the environment. We also tried to make the movies as heterogeneous as possible but still accessible to everyone. Therefore, we have new and classical ones, as well as different types of cinematographic expression and different productions. The list takes into account geographical and cultural differences as well, having movies from Asia, Europe, and Africa. The movie list, as the SDGs, tries to link global narratives to local spectators. We hope that you enjoy it!
1. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
SDGs: 11, 13, 5, 15
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a movie written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and it is considered one of the first produced by Studio Ghibli.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which a toxic jungle lived by giant mutant insects covers almost all of the Earth's surface, making it difficult for the human community to survive. The kingdom of The Valley of the Wind is one of the last places that resemble the pace and aspects of the ancient world. Nausicaä is the young princess of this kingdom, and she has developed a particularly sensitive relationship with the world around her. One day, the Torumekia empire decides to attack the kingdom of The Valley of the Wind, and it will be Nausicaä with her deep understanding of the world around her to save the situation.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is the first of a series of movies that Miyazaki and Ghibli will develop around the relationship between humans and nature. Other similar movies are Princess Mononoke, Only Yesterday, and Castle in the Sky.
2. Persepolis (2007)
SDGs: 5, 10, 16
Persepolis is an adult animated biographical drama based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographic novel of the same name. The story is based on Satrapi’s personal life in pre and post-revolutionary Iran and then in Europe. The film traces Satrapi’s growth from a child to a rebellious, punk-loving teenager in Iran. In the background are the growing tensions of the political climate in Iran in the ‘70s and ‘80s, with members of her liberal-learning family detained and then executed, and with the shadow of the disastrous Iran/Iraq war always present.
Persepolis is a powerful story that not only testify the difficulties of a country and its historical period but also a story that narrates the condition of women and inequalities that has to make us think of the world today.
3. Flee (2021)
SDGs: 1, 5, 16, 17
Flee is the story of a journey and a painful secret. Amin Nawabi, the protagonist of the movie, is ready to get married to his companion, however, the secret skeletons of his past will not make things easy. Flee shows the journey of Amin as a refugee from Afghanistan to Denmark. An incredible story that should make us think of the realities that are around us, and of the battles that whole have fought during life. The story is brilliantly represented by the filmmaker Joans P. Rasmussen, who by using an evocatively animated style, emotionally visible carries the spectator inside a story with deep emotions and interiority.
4. My octopus teacher (2020)
SDGs: 14
If you always asked yourself what an octopus can teach to a human, well this movie has the answer for you. My octopus teacher won the Oscar in 2020 as the best documentary, and it is the story of a filmmaker that begins diving in a kelp forest off the coast of South Africa and meets a female octopus who casts a spell on him. The documentary shows the beauty of simplicity that is hidden inside our oceans, but even more, it shows what we can learn from nature once we accept to start seeing again.
5. Shoplifters (2018)
SDGs: 1, 10, 11, 8
Shoplifters are the story of a dysfunctional band of outsiders that are united by fierce loyalty. Set on the margins of Tokyo, this unusual family has pity wickedness and a penchant for petty theft. When the young son is arrested, secrets are exposed that used their tenuous, below-the-radar existence. The story, directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, emerges as the spectator in the extravagant life of this unusual family, spotlighting social inequalities and the threat that poverty is still in advanced economies for a lot of people, but that often is hidden from daily eyes.