Climate change has been a topic addressed in many newspaper articles, magazines, and blogs, but on-screen representation has reached new heights in the past decade.
From Disney movies to documentaries, climate change has found relevance in all ages. Climate change on screen has created a family-friendly way to address threatening issues in our world.
For example, in the Disney movie Moana, the main characters Moana and Maui adventure through the ocean to find the lost heart of Te Fiti since the removal of the stone has led to environmental degradation. Even though this plot is interesting for children, environmental degradation can be drawn to real-life problems.
The majority of the plot can be connected to real-world issues. For example, the ecological damage at the beginning of the movie was due to the heart of Ti Fiti being stolen because of human greed. This can be connected to the environmental damage we cause for industrial profit.
In addition, global warming has been addressed in 20th Century Fox’s “Ice Age.” Though more evident than Moana, this movie highlights the glacial melting and its impacts on animal life.
In this movie, many animals that were alive during the ice age, like the mammoth and the saber tooth tiger running from their home since it is no longer hospitable. They embark on a journey to find their home and create new friends along the way.
Movies like these expose children to real-world problems. Furthering the idea that media is a representation of the real world. Films like Moana and Ice Age showcase issues to kids in a fun, intuitive way.
Works Cited
Herman, Doug. “How the Story of “Moana” and Maui Holds up against Cultural Truths.” Smithsonian, Smithsonian.com, 2 Dec. 2016, www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-story-moana-and-maui-holds-against-cultural-truths-180961258/.
Johnson, Rachel. “Best Movies about Climate Change, Ranked.” MovieWeb, 6 Jan. 2022, movieweb.com/best-movies-about-climate-change-ranked/.
McKinnon, Mika. “The 8 Best Movies about Apocalyptic Climate Change.” Gizmodo, 10 Dec. 2015, gizmodo.com/the-8-best-movies-about-apocalyptic-climate-change-1747018787. Accessed 5 Feb. 2023.
Musical, Shrek The. “Disney’s Moana: A Feel-Good Movie about Climate Change.” All about Shrek, 30 Oct. 2022, www.shrekthemusical.co.uk/disneys-moana-a-feel-good-movie-about-climate-change/#:~:text=The%20film%2C%20which%20portrays%20a. Accessed 5 Feb. 2023.
Warren, Alice. “ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN.” Picturehouse London Education Screenings Office, 2007, phoenixcinema.co.uk/PhoenixCinema/files/PDFs/ICE-AGE-THE-MELTDOWN-teacher-notes-Alice.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0v7hnNYFUpdDS4tsKnLgHZ2zwazQXv3d1DUCJno_FaMc643kibcZbbDU0.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect nor represent the Earth Chronicles and its editorial board.
