MIFF: The Future Council will see you now

A new documentary suggests the future of the climate change debate -- and the planet -- is in good hands. Sarah Rose looks at a film that dares to dream of a better world.

Next week often seems impossible in these ever-trying times -- let alone the next millennia.

Still, in the latest documentary feature by eminent Australian filmmaker,Damon Gameau (That Sugar Film and 2040), we are shown that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not so far away.

Future Council follows Gameau gather eight remarkable children from across the globe for the field trip of a lifetime: to confront climate anxieties head-on and tell the adults to “clean up their shit.”

With Gameau behind the wheel of a small yellow school bus, this small but mighty crew trek the European continent. Learning brilliantly innovative new ways to look after the planet on the way, they wrestle their way into the head offices of some of the world’s largest multinationals to talk some sense into the grown-ups.

CC and Aurvi, Karla and Joaquin, Hiva and Joseph, and Ruby and Skye are all so eloquently insightful and wise beyond their years.

Try to think back to what your life was like at age 11.

What were your hobbies? How did you spend your free time? What were you worried about?

Chances are you weren’t campaigning for supermarkets to discontinue their use of plastic packaging around magazines (Skye). You probably weren’t picking up litter on your local beaches every day after school with your friends (CC). Small business ventures like making products out of recycled plastic using cookie-cutters and a sandwich press, the profits you use to send other kids to school, probably weren’t on your agenda (Joseph).

Armed with a fire for protest (and the grit to prove it too), this future council takes on a host of CEOs and multinational corporations, including a senior executive of Nestle -- one of the largest contributors to global plastic waste.

Nothing gets past these quick-witted kids. They stand up for what they believe in and show proof to their claims; and Skye’s speech delineating the incredulity felt by a generation who have had enough of being talked down to while a climate crisis wages had the entire theatre cheering them on.

And the response from Nestle? "I’m sorry you think that.”

Joaquin Minana, Ruby Rodgers, Aurvi Jain, Joseph Wijaya, Karla Albjerg, Clemence ‘CC’ Currie, Hiva Tuki Grube, Skye Neville, and Damon Gameau at the post-screening QandA, 14th of August. Photo: Sarah Rose

But it’s not all fire and festivities; the documentary perfectly captures the emotion of confronting what might be described as the slow death of the planet too. “Each child carried a persistent fear about the state of the planet”, Gameau narrates whilst the group talks and reflects within the picturesque landscape of a Swiss reservoir. 

Ruby, comparing herself to her Future Council peers, says that at times she hasn’t felt smart enough and feels the pressure to do more to help counteract the damage caused by climate change. CC, in particular, becomes quite distraught as a result of the dialogue, which is difficult to watch; someone so young feeling so burdened with what must feel, in this context, the literal weight of the world. As Gameau acutely clarifies, “Our inaction is stealing their future, but our actions are stealing their present.”

Unfortunately, climate anxiety among young people is nothing new -- but neither is them speaking up about it.

In 2018, then-15-year-old Greta Thunberg began skipping school in protest of the rapidly worsening climate crisis and would become a household name for her wide condemnation of the lack of action by those in power to address climate change. By 2022 nearly 10 million people across 260 countries had participated in a strike, with the local faction in Australia known as School Strike 4 Climate.

But the film doesn’t let you forget that they are children, such as when it comes to the very important decision of what to name the bright yellow school bus: 

“Busy McBusface!” suggests Skye.

 “Jerry!” Joseph proclaims proudly.

They laugh and giggle, they frolic through forests (not just for b-roll), they play games and sing songs, forming a unique bond with each other and Damon. This childlike spirit in the face of adversity, this unbridled joy and optimism combined with a perspective on life so pure, is revealed to be exactly what we as a society might need to propel us forward in combating the climate crisis.

How will you tame GROTH – the mythical and quite sweet-looking creature representing the toll industrialisation has had on the environment and our natural resources?

There's a subtle power that comes from when the squad challenge some megacorp on their crap, like when Joaquin says to the CEO of ING Bank: "I'm not saying take a jump off a cliff risk, just a roll down a hill risk."

I’m reminded of a comment Gameau made in one of his previous films, 2040; that the more he learned about the ravages of the climate emergency and the scale of effort it may take to undo it, he realised “how hard it actually is to do the right thing… it’s tempting to just shut down and switch off.”

Change can be hard, but as Karla effortlessly states: “taking small steps is hard but it’s better than nothing.”

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“It’s been an amazing week,” reflects Gameau following the standing ovation from only the third audience ever to have seen Future Council.

After an equally delightful and informative Q and A, Gameau and the kids -- who have all been flown into Melbourne for the premiere -- spill out into the foyer of the Kino among buzzing audience members who are eager to impart gratitude and congratulations to the Future Council.

Joseph passes through the crowd barefoot; He remarks on how cold it is.

I’m with a friend who cites Gameau and his 2019 feature, 2040, as big inspirations for her own career and passion for documentary filmmaking -- but she’s nervous to go and speak to him. Ever the wise and straightforward Joaquin, standing near us, calls her out on her ‘silliness’:

“Why? Damon’s a great guy! You should go and speak to him. [He’s] one of the best directors ever, even better than David Attenborough. I can go introduce you if you’d like?” he says.

It’s a genuine offer too, which only further speaks to how endearingly thoughtful this collective of kids is, and reassures me that our future is in good hands if people like Joaquin are going to be calling the shots.

My friend and I do end up speaking to Damon Gameau, albeit very starstruck. But our babbling is imbued with much praise and awe for a truly terrific film with impressive storytelling from undoubtedly one of the best documentarians of today.

I mention a Ted Talk he gave in Sydney a few years ago, how beautiful, insightful and rousing I thought it was.

Gameau explains how Future Council feels like an extension of that talk, evidenced by the narration in the documentary which straddles a sense of urgency and optimism in addressing the climate crisis. He noted during the Q and A how without the incorporation of these fantastical elements--visible, sparkling oxygen molecules, or a mythic creature named GROTH that represents the detrimental amalgamation of industrialisation--ecological storytelling “lacks lightness.”

It’s yet another sign that we need to release our inner child to reframe the critical mindsets relating to how we treat the environment as well as actualise the myriad of potential solutions being developed worldwide to heal and look after Mother Earth.

Gameau has to rush off--it’s been a crazy four days and the kids need to get back to their accommodation -- but before he does, he hugs my friend and tells her sincerely: “One day we’ll be here to watch your documentary.”

It would seem he is a man always looking ahead to the bright and assuredly promising tomorrow.

Future Council is a story of hope, but it’s also so much more than that.

It’s about perseverance and daring to dream; it’s proof that the smallest changes in your life can make a difference on a much larger scale; and it is a shining example of powerful storytelling that undoubtedly can redirect societal attitudes toward caring for the planet. As Hiva says, “Without nature we wouldn’t be here. There’s no separating it, we are nature.”

You can catch Future Council at Cinefest Oz Film Festival in Western Australia, running until September 8, and keep an eye on social media for any updates on where it may be screened next. You can stream Gameau’s other work, That Sugar Film and 2040, on Apple TV and DocPlay.