RiverBlue is a powerful documentary that examines how unsustainable practices within the textile industry impact the world. The host of the film, conservationist Mark Angelo, investigates chemical waste in the world’s rivers, traveling to places like Bangladesh, India, and China. The film shows the effect this pollution has on natural environments and the communities surrounding them.
The film shows toxic practices in the textile industry by focusing on the manufacturing of blue jeans. RiverBlue examines this sector of the textile industry from several angles. It addresses historical events that led to the production of garments moving outside of the United States and how the rise of fast fashion has made production become more and more unsustainable. RiverBlue exposes details like the astounding amount of water required to produce a single pair of jeans, and how carcinogens in dyes used to stonewash jeans affect wildlife.
RiverBlue highlights the importance of seeing the evidence of contamination. Mark Angelo thoroughly explores the rivers he travels to, exposing details like the smell of sewage and industrial pollution in the Buriganga River in Bangladesh and the black viscous water present at some rivers throughout China. The film also portrays the effects of chemical waste on human life, which can manifest in physical ways such as rashes, boils, limb numbness, and cancer.
RiverBlue is a valuable teaching tool that can educate and inspire viewers to take action against the unsustainability of fast fashion. Although the effects of pollution can be upsetting to view, the film is not without hope, as it also examines the importance of activism, conservationism, and new sustainable practices. RiverBlue explains that the massive global impact of chemical waste is hidden from the public, underscoring the importance of the details exposed in this documentary.
What academic library shelves would this title be on?
This educational documentary would be especially impactful to students and library patrons interested in topics like political science, geography, global studies, public policy, environmental studies, and sustainable fashion.
How does this film contribute to a discussion of environmental or climate justice, and/or environmental literacy?
RiverBlue contributes to discussions of environmental literacy by showing viewers firsthand accounts of the effects of contamination. The film inspires both discussion and action against climate change.
Can this film be used in a library education program?
The film is available in both a 95-minute theatrical version and a 53-minute broadcast version, making it an ideal choice for a library education program.
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Teacher's Guide
Curator | Rajashree Ghosh
Affiliated Scholar, Women’s Studies Research Center, Brandeis University
Why I selected this film
RiverBlue documents the profound impact of textile factories serving the fashion industry in Western countries on the rivers in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, UK, USA, and Zambia. The film connects the consumer appetite for cheap and trendy garments with a rapid increase in the profitable but unsustainable production of disposable clothing. The film visits communities that rely on their waterways for food, livestock, and sustenance, and it chronicles the devastating effects of untreated wastewater from the factories. The polluted water harms the local aquatic life, contaminates crops, and eventually reaches the ocean to spread around the globe.
Overall, the film educates the viewer on the issues of environmental degradation, global trade agreements, workers’ rights, and hazardous working conditions. As a teaching tool, the film is more than a critique of the fashion industry; it also explores alternative and responsible manufacturing processes that can help resolve this global problem.
Please see the teacher's guide for maps, background information, suggested subjects, questions and activities.
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