2040 - A film of hope for our future

In the documentary feature film 2040, director Damon Gameau embarks on a journey to explore the potential future of his daughter, 4 year old Velvet. In the film he imagines what this future could look like if we embraced the best possible solutions for our planet, solutions that have already been developed and are readily available to us. The film is a visual diary, a love letter to his daughter and it feels personal, genuine and inspiring. The solutions are practical and while some involved infrastructural change, others are simple and human and you finish the film with a feeling that there is actually a lot that you can do individually to change the future of the planet.

The film examines renewable energy solutions like micro-grids connected to rooftop solar panels that allow communities to produce and trade energy. It also addresses the idea of shared resources – particularly driverless cars and green spaces. The film discusses the role of agriculture in our future and how a shift towards regenerative agricultural practices could mean that we are actually removing carbon from the atmosphere rather than emitting it, something that can be done with simple, but wise, crop choices.  

2040 looks at the many ways we could be healing our damaged oceans and highlights seaweed and marine permaculture can enable not only the sequestering of carbon, but also food for fish, food for humans and an overall decrease in the acidity of the ocean.

Perhaps the most fascinating notion that the film explores is the idea that the empowerment of women is the key to the future. The social benefits of educating women include a future where population growth is considered and managed thoughtfully and women will also have greater control over their own lives as a result.

At the end of the film, viewers are invited to join the movement and create an action plan for themselves to keep them accountable to their goals. There is a detailed interview which asks what you are able to contribute in terms of resources and then a plan is tailored directly to your requirements. It feels possible and it feels real. The website also maintains a count of the work done by the 2040 community so far and at the time of writing this post, included over $1.5 million dollars raised for solutions, 21 thousand trees planted and tens of thousands of plans activated and in place with individuals around the world. One very simple thing anyone can do instantly is to switch their search engine to Ecosia, a search engine that uses all revenue to plant trees (they have planted over 100 million trees so far and the counter ticks over constantly).

You can rent the film on Youtube or via the website https://whatsyour2040.com/and afterwards you can join the movement, like we have, to become a part of the plan to make 2040 a brilliant and exciting future.