Climate change is an unavoidable topic in 2020. Many of us are becoming more aware of the fact that if we don’t take urgent action the world could potentially be unlivable in many of our or our children’s, lifetimes. However not everyone is aware of this, or they choose not to be aware. If these people, who continuously try to avoid the matter, see “I Am Greta,” their mindset would almost definitely change. This eye-opening, heart wrenching documentary, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival this year, follows Greta Thunberg, the face of the Fridays for Future campaign, in which students from all across the globe took the day off school to strike in support of taking action to stop climate change. I was one of these students, and if it wasn’t for Greta, I don’t think I would’ve been half as aware or interested in the topic as I am today.
The documentary originated when film student Nathan Grossman took interest in Greta in the early days of her strikes and began filming her from, the first day she bunked off school, with no idea of where it would take him. Little did either of them know the enormous journey they would then embark on.
We begin seeing Greta on her very first strike, sitting alone with her iconic “skolstrejk för klimatet” sign in a bright yellow jacket. The image that started it all. Many people take interest and speak to Greta, with both positive and negative things to say. Slowly others join her in the strike, sitting and listening to Greta speak about her mission. It’s a peaceful beginning to a very chaotic and large scale story. It’s the calm before the storm.
A scene from the documentary “I Am Greta” (B-Reel Films, 2020).
What this film does particularly well is show the balance between the Greta we see in the media—the inspirational speaker, the face of a movement—and the real Greta: a normal teenage girl, reserved and vulnerable. She is thrown into a world filled with naïve men who only want her near to show that they are politically correct, yet she always holds her own and never gives up. Her main enemies are shown to be the politicians and world leaders whose impact matters most. No matter how passionate she is, the only way for real, large scale change is through getting leaders to take action. This is shown to be rather difficult when people like Donald Trump don’t believe in the very issue she is trying to change.
The moment that is most memorable, for me, was Greta’s transatlantic boat trip to New York. Since she refuses to fly, Greta and her father alongside the expert crew of the ‘Catamaran La Vagabonde’ sail for two weeks through treacherous conditions. It is on this journey that we see Greta at her most vulnerable. Through tears and amongst the crashing waves that have flooded into the boat, she records a voice message telling her fears and doubts about her mission and questioning why she, a fifteen-year-old girl, has so much responsibility in the campaign. It’s one long and painful shot that filled me with genuine grief and fear; this young girl has lost some of her teenage years in an attempt to save the world with a massive weight on her shoulders.
“I Am Greta” is an extremely relevant documentary that can not only be used as an educational tool to learn more about climate change but is also an insight into the life of an inspirational teenage girl with a big dream. There has been a lot of debate around Greta and how genuine she actually is; however, I believe this documentary almost confirms her authenticity. She really is just a quiet, passionate teenage girl, so why should we criticise her for simply wanting the world to be a better place?
