The Age of Stupid is the new movie from Director Franny Armstrong (McLibel) and producer John Battsek (One Day In September). Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated future world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

Click here to view the embedded video.

I must admit I wanted to come home from the screening feeling solidarity, selfishly I suppose, with all the other people who are doing ‘their bit’ for the planet and pat myself on the back. Instead I came home feeling terrified and near speechless. It’s weird coming out feeling like you’ve seen a horror movie but knowing that what you’ve witnessed isn’t fiction, but stark reality.

Containing real life documentary footage filmed by Director Franny Armstrong in locations ranging from the Niger Delta to the French Alps, we follow five narratives, some paradoxical within themselves – from a Shell employee to Windfarm Developer.

There are plenty of reviews on the website so I won’t attempt to out write them. Instead I will agree with Caroline Lucas (Leader, Green Party) who said on seeing the film ‘I defy anyone to come out and not feel like they’ve got to make a difference’;

And so instead i’ll make a pledge…

* To pass the DVD on to as many people as I can (Apparently it’s on sale on 19th Oct 2009)
* To ramp up personal efforts to reduce my carbon emissions (thinking cap on – watch this space!)
* To campaign harder (e.g.The Wave, 5 Dec, London)

This film will change your life (if climate change doesn’t first) – don’t take it from me, watch it for yourself!

Click here for a list of upcoming screenings or organise your own!

Related posts: Can Artists Save the World?

Directing a movie

The guys are in to movie making, and act out scenes of street fights, meetings in dark grafitti covered underpasses, money exchanging hands, high speed chases on foot. Of course, as with every good movie, in the concluding scene the protagonists change their ways and a resolution is found between gangs.

When it comes to music, thanks to the project, i’ve discovered a little gem, the Young Disciples recording studio, tucked away above a shop on Lozells Road. Packed full of state of the art macs and recording equipment it’s a great place to find young local talent sweating out the beats over an open mic session. Each young guy projecting a natural air of ‘cool’ in the fast and furious atmosphere of the breathless, dimly lit studio.

MC'ing in the recording studio

The girls are pretty hot on street dance, each one watching their moves reflected in the mirrors in the dance studio above Gerrard St Methodist Church. They barely get to the end of a track before they fall about laughing when one of the group misses a beat, forgets the step or complains that the track is too fast. Their faces start to become familiar to me as the girls return at the next session to perfect what they started.

Street Dance

If that’s anything to go by, who knows, maybe Lozells is growing young talent today that we’ll see on our TV screens tomorrow.

Watch this space!

I scroll down the article (online) to see that it’s peppered with the names of influential, highly and internationally renowned artists – Anya Gallaccio, Joseph Beuys, Guztav Metzger – the list goes on. Jane Baker? Greensnapper Photography? – i’m not on the artist celeb list. But  not so long ago neither were film maker Franny Armstrong (The Age of Stupid), ‘green’ minded architect Ted Cullinan, Music Industry carbon conscience Alison Tickell (Julie’s Bicycle) and more – all moving up the ranks.

It’s great to see that the many ethically minded and highly dedicated, but relatively unknown creatives, are making their mark too – dedicated to the environment, chipping away in their sphere of influence and making a difference, whether or not the big fish catch on.

A sign of what's to come? Franny Armstrong's film The Age of Stupid

It gives me hope that – although working as a photographer in a less commercial specialism brings less financial reward – telling the stories of people living in poverty or promoting an environmental issue or helping to correct public misconceptions about HIV are all contributing to making our world a better place.

Can Artist’s Save the World?

Maybe that’s going a little too far – but at least we are trying to do our bit, and hopefully little by little it will make a difference.

Read the Guardian Article: Can Artists Save the World?

Brap is an equality and human rights charity based in Birmingham who have launched their very own magazine called Speak Out. Under the strapline ‘Same City, Different Lives . This is Birmingham…’ the magazine invites contibutors and readers to share opinions and consider what it’s like to live in one of the country’s most ‘diverse’ cities.

So that’s why I thought i’d make my own contibution with the feature article:

High Rise to Power (Speak Out, Issue 4: pages 2, 8 – 10). It’s about single mums, Lynsey, 23, and Carina, 21, who took their chance to speak out in Parliament about their experiences living on a council estate in Birmingham.

There are very few magazines like Speak Out that give an opportunity to profile stories of people in Birmingham that might otherwise go unheard.

Lets hope those that can bring about change listen up!

Refugee Week (15 – 21 June 2009)

At the moment i’m pretty obsessed by Twitter. You can find me on there as @greensnapper. Yesterday I discovered a fantastic way of showing support for a British Red Cross campaign using Twitter:

‘Refugee Week celebrates the important contribution of refugees to UK society. This year we’re asking you to look look beyond labels to the true identity of the refugee in modern Britain. Only by looking beyond the status and label of ‘refugee’, can we overcome prejudice and help people restore their sense of identity and belonging. Show your support‘ (Look Beyond the Label – British Red Cross).

So i’ve changed my status on Twitter and my new photo looks like this.

Best get back to the photography now!

Lynsey, 23, at the bus stop with her daughter Keeley, aged 5. Birmingham, UK (from High Rise to Power series).

Copyright © 2009 – Greensnapper Photography – All Rights Reserved