Narrated by Peter Coyote, this understated but alarming documentary from filmmaker Monte Thompson explores the causes and likely impact of the mass extinction that is occurring all over the world, as species disappear at a rate unmatched since the dying off of the dinosaurs. Scientists, ecologists, and others interviewed here agree that the culprit is not a natural disaster—such as the asteroid crashing into Earth that may have led to the demise of T. rex and others—but rather human activity, which results in pollution, overpopulation, climate change, and habitat loss through mineral exploitation, road building, and the introduction of invasive species, among other things. This loss of biodiversity matters, because at a certain point, the interruption of the complex interaction of life could trigger a collapse of the biosphere that may ultimately wipe out humanity. The situation is dire but not a forgone conclusion according to interviewees here, but it's hard to see how the world's consumer culture could change fast enough to avert catastrophe, and harder to place much faith in those policymakers who harbor unrealistic expectations that technology alone can fix the problems. Well-produced, informative, compelling, and disturbing, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner)
Call of Life: Facing the Mass Extinction
(2010) 60 min. DVD: $89: highs schools & public libraries; $195: colleges & universities. Species Alliance (dist. by The Video Project). PPR. Volume 26, Issue 2
Call of Life: Facing the Mass Extinction
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: