I Am Greta Review – Balanced and Impartial Coverage of The Teen Activist

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Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film

Published on Wednesday, 28 October 2020 14:19

Written by Janet Walker

I Am Greta, from Hulu, presents Greta Thunberg, the girl behind the global environmental movement that galvanized the world's youth unifying them into a single voice forcing governments to listen, and energized them into activism to demand change.

The film begins with a collage of environmental images, with voice overs of leaders each calling climate change a hoax, and attacking the extreme weather changes, wildfires, and rising temperature of the earth as a money-making venture.

Then it is 2018, and we meet Greta Thunberg, fifteen years old, who decides to hold a school strike outside the Swedish Parliament. With what many believe is the pivotal moment of change, she is prepared with flyers and a "School Strike for the Climate" sign. She sits, alone.

Soon she is joined, as time moves forward others equally concerned also join her. Then the media shows up and this pint-sized, activist, becomes nationally known.

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I Am Greta also introduces the audience to Greta's life. Following her through her home, the most telling shot of the differences in great and her sister are the two bedrooms, in the same frame. Greta sister's a typical teen with wallpapered shots of every teen idol and Greta's room, sedate, and studious. It also highlights the freedom the parents, Swedish actress Malena Ernman and Svante Thunberg, give each of the daughters to pursue their own ideas and lives.

Greta, as we come to find out, at one time in her life, was extremely ill and didn't speak for three years. It seems odd, for someone so vocal to have had that time of extreme mutism. And to hear her describe that season it doesn't seem odd. She also deals with her diagnosed Asperger's Syndrome.

The film chronicles the rise as she and her father receive the first call from the United Nations Environmental Summit in Poland where she delivers what will be the first of many powerhouse speeches, which categorically assess blame for the out of control environmental issues on the political leaders of the day.

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Her demands are clear, every nation must align itself with the Paris Accord. She doesn't deliver a list of measures each government must address, she doesn't provide the blueprint, nor does she single out one nation to lead this charge.

Essentially what she is saying is each nation agreed to the Paris Accord now stick with it. She, and as we see, millions of youth worldwide are simply tired of the pollical lies propagated by politicians who agree to make changes, take a nice photo, and walk away leaving all the agreements behind.

Her ability to galvanize the European nations does not go well with many. The documentary also includes the detractors who from American News Media Fox to European television she is call brash, "a turd." Her parents are vilified as publicity hounds, accused of furthering their own careers while pushing their daughter to the forefront and riding the back of the climate change movement to the ATM.

The film, shot in the fly on the wall perspective and captures the ups and downs of the sudden non-stop European travel which has Greta meeting French President Macron, meeting other activists in Belgium, holding a rally to the tune of Queen's, "We Will Rock You," attending governmental meetings where they witness the inability of leaders to grasp the urgency of the movement.

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Finally, she is invited to New York to speak at UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. For Greta, who is passionate about living a life of sustainability refuses to fly, which only leaves one option. Supported by HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, she and her father begin the fearful and arduous journey across the Atlantic.

The two-week journey, the fear of the unknown, no matter the brave face, has her scared and it is noticeable. Finally, they can see the New York Harbor, where she is met with crowds, three and four deep, chanting her name.

Today, her #FridaysForFuture movement has organized climate strikes on every continent except Antarctica. As she tells the UN, "The world is waking up, and change is coming whether you like it or not.

I Am Greta, is deeply insightful and in addition to introducing the world to someone who will certainly become even more of a world changer, shows the dedication, determination and drive of a generation to finally put an end to the old ways, the old policies and create lasting change.

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This film is presented by Rise Above Colorado and is currently playing at the (#DFF) Denver Film Festival. It can be seen via this link.

RUNTIME - 97 minutes

LANGUAGE - English, Swedish

DIRECTOR - Nathan Grossman

PRODUCER - Fredrik Heinig, Cecilia Nessen

CAST - Greta Thunberg, Svante Thunberg, Emmanuel Macron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Antoino Guterres, Malena Ernman

CINEMATOGRAPHER - Nathan Grossman

EDITOR - Charlotte Landelius, Hanna Lejonqvist, Magnus Svensson