Husband-and-wife filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell follow up on their earlier Fuel (VL-5/10)—which bemoaned society's addiction to oil and promoted crop-based derivative ethanol as an alternative—with this passionate update examining the ensuing backlash against ethanol. Josh, who grew up in Louisiana's “Cancer Alley,” located in the delta-area site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, is shocked to see the incipient energy revolution being derailed by environmentalists, as “green” protestors blame ethanol for global warming, deforestation, and famine. The Tickells accuse a PR firm and paid shills representing the Standard Oil/Rockefeller dynasty for seeding misinformation to maintain petroleum's lock on American life. To make their case for ethanol, the pair travel to Brazil, where it has been successfully adopted without apocalypse, and they present powerful allies on the big-business front (including NASCAR, which is adopting an ethanol mix), along with conservative-establishment politicos, who defy the expected pro-multinational-capitalist image to favor the kinder, gentler fuel, especially as a way to reduce the flow of billions of U.S. dollars to foreign cartels. Along with assorted talking-head experts, the rollout of guests includes Newt Gingrich, Deepak Chopra, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, and actors Ed Begley Jr., Michelle Rodriguez, and Amy Smart. Despite the possible overselling of the product (ethanol doesn't work as an aviation fuel or a diesel substitute), the strong emphasis here on a solution rather than simply rehashing the problem makes this a persuasive advocacy piece. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)
Freedom
(2011) 85 min. DVD: $19.95. Green Planet Productions (avail from www.thefreedomfilm.com). Volume 26, Issue 6
Freedom
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