fiscal sponsorship
CG-17
TYPE: Documentary Feature
GENRE: Documentary
STATUS: Production
LOGLINE
A groundbreaking yet simple approach for implementing 100% renewable power production and utilization, without dwelling on the doom & gloom.
SYNOPSIS
We need 1 good reason, not 50, to power our world fully with renewables: All oil, gas, uranium and coal resources will be gone before the end of this century. Solely using technologies existing today while applying ingenious strategies, we explore the ease of achieving a renewable power present, 24/7/365.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
We like crystallizing United Nations’ long list of global issues down to just two groups. Second is political & economic inequality (wars, human rights, poverty, health, migration). First grouping is climate change & water. For our film we choose to focus on climate change. More specifically we just concentrate on one of the most important factors in resolving climate change: renewable power production, while keeping to the following principles.
1. Non-depressing. In exploring 100% renewable power production, our goal is to make a documentary that is not depressing. Rather than dwelling on problems we explore solutions. We use a witty and fun tone, while keeping our message positive. We craft quick chapters to match the short attention spans of our times, mimicking powerful Super Bowl commercials.
2. Not preaching to the choir. We target the right audience to create maximum change. There is no point in wasting time patting ourselves in the back or stating the obvious to the interested groups. Our approach is carefully crafted to affect those that might be resisting change: power companies, grid operators, policymakers, bankers, journalists and others. Within the film, we stay away from (dirty) words that are overused and not well-received outside the choir, as in: green, environment, clean, eco-friendly, climate, Earth. Instead of dwelling on overdone inferno scenarios, we focus on renewables as the cheapest solution, a strategy that works really well in our society.
3. Science. We inspire awe with the science behind our visualizations. Although we are excited about new technologies that are in development, we present and only focus on comprehensive solutions ready to go today! Fusion might be a great solution in a few decades, however waiting is not the smartest approach. We simply draw attention to the best fusion reactor available today -- our sun, the driving force behind solar, wind and hydro power.
4. Skipping the myths. We are extremely careful to not even mention any challenges or myths, as that mere act can confuse the audience, often ending up being the only thing stuck in the mind and remembered from the film. We focus on and stay focused on positive facts (often the answer to the myths), keeping the message clear. We cut through the clutter of misinformation, and in parallel provide a fact-checked online presence.
5. The only antagonist in our film is inaction. We don’t target oil companies, energy producers, grid operators or any political groups for the sake of creating drama. All of the above are needed as colleagues to make the transformation to better power solutions. Instead of cheap drama for the sake of easy movie ratings we seek a paradigm shift, where we provide realistic action steps.
6. Psychology of action. We challenge and counter the psychological factors that are hindering progress in the viewers’ minds. Not waiting for the once-a-year Earth Day, we aspire to change the everyday living, encouraging big thinking and small actions.
KEY CREW
Kaya Sanan - Writer/Producer/Director
After receiving his B.A. degree and the Harvard University Creative Arts Award, at the onset of the MIT Media Lab, Kaya Sanan became a multimedia pioneer addressing the Earth and the decisions of its inhabitants. At 4 World Trade Center, facing the 9/11 Memorial, he created three 8-meter-tall permanent installations, immersing the visitors in nature, light and tranquility. At the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, Sanan crystallized the intricate workings of DNA to create “the best genomics film ever” according to NIH leaders. Question Power, a film where finite power sources are shown to only last till 2090s transformed how the power industry viewed renewable sources, earning him one of his AAM Muse Awards. Watt Wall was the world’s first media wall installation with live counters showing power demand in global, national and state levels, matched with finite and renewable sources feeding that demand. Sanan’s trilogy of Paradigm Shift, 14510, Small Steps revealed how a tiny upstate New York town transformed the state and the country with its decision to go solar. Most recently, Batteries Included documented New York City Government becoming the greenest in the country, utilizing a fleet of police cars, garbage trucks and school buses that are all electric.
Richard Perez - Executive Producer/Writer
After an extensive tenure spearheading solar energy research at the University at Albany’s Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, Richard Perez now serves as Consulting Scientist for Clean Power Research where he leads a task force focused on firm renewable power generation under the aegis of International Energy Agency. Perez has written over 300 journal articles, served on the boards of American Solar Energy Society and the GW University Solar Institute and holds patents in energy storage and load management. His solar resource models, integrated into many engineering and data simulation platforms, have played a pivotal role in designing a substantial portion of global solar power plants. In addition to his international recognitions, a US Department of Energy's Certificate for Outstanding Research, the American Solar Energy Society’s Charles Greeley Abbot Award, and a Solar Champion Award from the New York Solar Energy Industry Association acknowledge his foundational research in advancing solar energy.
Don Kleszy - Consulting Editor
Don Kleszy is an award-winning film editor whose recent work includes Nazi Town USA, for American Experience; Downfall: The Case Against Boeing for Netflix; and Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation, also for American Experience. He was the recipient of the 2014 IDA Award for Best Editing, honoring his work on Last Days in Vietnam, Rory Kennedy’s Academy Award nominated feature documentary. Don also received a 2016 Emmy nod, for Outstanding Editing – Documentary and Long Form, for his work on Last Days in Vietnam. In addition, many of the docs he has edited have received Emmy nominations, including Makers: Women in War, The Poisoner’s Handbook, Oswald’s Ghost, and Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst. Films with recent honors include Drop Dead City, the winner of the 2023 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film.
Connect With The Filmmakers:
ACCOLADES
Help promote my fundraising campaign
Put our donation widget on your website
The Gotham Film & Media Institute is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding, developing and celebrating the people and projects that shape the future of story.