20 Films + Documentaries Every Conscious Creative Should Watch
Art and design is all around us. Today, creative practitioners are using their practice for good more than ever, leading to a growing recognition of the importance of conscious narrative and decision-making for artists, designers, and creatives alike. Conscious practice, marked by mindful and intentional creation, offers a pathway for us to use our creativity as agents of positive systemic change. Documenting and sharing these stories is key to how we develop, learn, and grow.
©Edward Burtynsky, Manufactured Landscapes (2008)
Here is a list of 20 films and documentaries you must watch, each documenting a unique story to share. From exploring the impact of globalisation and mass production to understanding the origins of indigenous crafts and the very real effects our decisions have on the climate crisis, these documentaries and films provide insight for anyone looking to make a positive impact through their creative work.
01. Tomorrow (2015)
"Tomorrow" is a 2015 French documentary film directed by Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent. Instead of succumbing to a bleak outlook on the future, the film tackles pressing environmental and social concerns with optimism. It highlights successful initiatives from ten countries, showcasing them as viable solutions to the challenges of the 21st century in areas such as agriculture, energy, economy, education, and governance. The documentary garnered widespread acclaim, surpassing a million viewers in France alone. It received the prestigious 2016 César Award for Best Documentary Film and was subsequently distributed in 27 countries worldwide.
Why we recommend… The documentary's emphasis on practical solutions makes it particularly relevant and inspiring. It offers a roadmap for creating positive change in our communities and beyond. The cinematography and soundtrack are also great.
02. Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (2016)
Directed by Matt D'Avella, the documentary tracks the journeys of individuals striving for simplicity in a world inundated with excess. Its primary aim is to enlighten audiences about the abundance of waste and unnecessary possessions prevalent in modern society.
The film is the creation of Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn, renowned authors and podcast hosts who have embraced minimalism for years. While Nicodemus and Millburn feature prominently, the documentary also sheds light on the experiences of various individuals, including artists, architects, and even a former Wall Street broker. Through their stories, viewers gain insight into the rewards and challenges of living with fewer material possessions. Watch above.
03. Manufactured Landscapes (2008)
Renowned for his captivating large-scale photographs depicting nature altered by human industry, Edward Burtynsky takes centre stage in "Manufactured Landscapes." Directed by the acclaimed Jennifer Baichwal, this documentary transports viewers to China, where Burtynsky's lens captures the profound effects of the nation's monumental industrial transformation during the 2000s. Through beautiful imagery and thoughtful narration, the film contemplates the nature of human endeavour and its far-reaching consequences for our planet. Watch above.
Why we recommend… mesmerising visuals and extremely thought provoking.
04. No Impact Man (2009)
"No Impact Man" is an American documentary released in 2009, directed by Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein, adapted from Colin Beavan's book. Premiering on September 4, 2009, the film chronicles Colin Beavan and his family's year-long endeavor to live with zero impact on the environment. Set primarily in New York City, the documentary offers an intimate look into their environmental experiment.
Why we recommend… While some practices may seem extreme, they shed light on reducing environmental impact. It's a must-watch.
05. The True Cost (2015)
"The True Cost" is a documentary that delves into the narrative of fashion, examining not just the garments we don but also the lives of those who create them, and the environmental and social repercussions of the industry. Despite the falling prices of clothing, the costs to humanity and nature have escalated sharply. This film reveals the lesser-known aspects of fashion, urging viewers to reflect on the true cost of their apparel. Shot across various global locales, from glamorous fashion shows to impoverished areas, and featuring insights from prominent figures such as Orsola de Castro, Stella McCartney, and Vandana Shiva, "The True Cost" is a pioneering effort that takes us through a compelling global journey, highlighting the stories of people and places that stitch together our wardrobes. Watch above.
Why we recommend… Trash Club Member Orsola de Castro is in this!
06. Climate Artists Series (2020)
This PBS five-part series production in partnership with ALL ARTS channel travels from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to the Arctic, offering a powerful, even hopeful, message on climate change. Follow poets, an arctic composer, garden dancers, ice painters, and a deep-sea sculptor in a cinematic series that tells the story of climate change while engaging the senses and sparking urgency and compassion on a uniquely human level. Presented by ALL ARTS and Peril and Promise, in partnership with The Climate Museum.
07. UDITA (Arise) (2015)
Diected by Hannan Majid and Richard York, covering five years in Bangladesh sweatshops, UDITA is a documentary that reveals the challenges female garment workers face as they fight for freedom, against industry oppression, and for a better life for themselves and the generations to come. This film showcases stories of hope and strength but also a very real look behind the scenes at what it means to be a Bangladeshi woman trying to survive and leave their village a better place for their children. Watch above.
08. Olafur Eliasson: Space is Process (2010)
The filmmakers Henrik Lundø and Jacob Jørgensen follow artist Olafur Eliasson for five years. What is it that makes a space productive? What makes it challenging? Exiting? Including? Tolerant? Olafur Eliasson: Seeing Space is a portrait of one of the biggest and most influential artists of our time. The film follows the both speed-talking academician and shy artist from 2004 - 2009 trying to understand the implications of Olafur and his mission: creating installations that changes the space around us and thereby the mindset in us. Watch above.
09. Twist - Climate Change (2023)
This is a short documentary produced by Arte. The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident in Europe, with devastating fires, melting glaciers, and floods. Artists across the continent are responding to the unfolding crisis by addressing environmental concerns in their work. Watch above.
10. The Island Dweller (2023)
A 50-year-old man has swapped his corporate job for an off-grid island in Leicester - yet his dream is at risk of collapse. Can he defy the odds, or will he be evicted from his sustainable haven? Saul upped sticks and bought an island four years ago. With his two dogs, Bonnie and Mika, the 50-year-old is on a mid-life journey to lead by example, living an off-grid lifestyle without spending the earth. But when an eviction notice rocks Saul’s world, his dream is at risk of collapse. Can he defy the odds and beat the authorities? Or will they curtail Saul’s attempts to simply live greener?
Why we recommend… Trash Club member Louisa Bilton recommended this!
11. Footprint Modulation (2015)
A film by Kooj Chuhan brings to life the groundbreaking exhibition of art and interventions exploring Climate Change, Global Justice and Migration when it was first shown in Durham, UK, June-July 2015. The exhibition culminated in a landmark international conference at Durham University titled 'Human Migration and the Environment: Futures, Politics, Invention'. Watch above.
12. Historjá – Stitches For Sápmi (2023)
Directed by Thomas Jackson, this documentary film follows Artist Britta Marakatt-Labba, who has for decades depicted the indigenous Samí people's mythology in relation to nature and political struggle. Now she is facing one last fight; the battle for her culture against the threats of climate change.
13. SLAY (2023)
SLAY is a feature documentary film exploring the interwoven harms caused by fashion’s use of fur, leather, and wool. It follows investigative filmmaker Rebecca Cappelli as she travels the world uncovering some of fashion’s best-kept secrets. A harrowing story of greenwashing, environmental destruction, unjust treatment of workers, and animal exploitation unravels. SLAY asks an important question to the public and the fashion industry itself: Is it acceptable to kill animals for fashion?
Why we recommend… everyone needs to watch this—gruesome and thought-provoking.
14. Dead White Man’s Clothes (2022)
A documentary short produced by ABC Australia. The dark side of the world’s fashion addiction. Many of our old clothes, donated to charities, end up in rotting textile mountains in West Africa. This is a story about how our waste is creating an environmental disaster. Have you ever thought about what happens to your old clothes after you drop them off at the op shop? It might be time to start because these goodwill gestures are helping to fuel an environmental catastrophe on the other side of the world. Watch above.
15. A Plastic Ocean (2021)
A Plastic Ocean is an adventure documentary shot in over 20 locations over the past four years. Explorers Craig Leeson and Tanya Streeter and a team of international scientists reveal the causes and consequences of plastic pollution and share solutions. This documentary shows the gigantic accumulation of floating plastic debris in the oceans and highlights the consequences of this pollution on the marine environment. Watch above.
16. We Are History: Race, Colonialism and Climate Change (2022)
A short film produced by Somerset House. Commissioned in response to We Are History, an exhibition at Somerset House, 2021. Curated by Ekow Eshun. Film produced by Rob Akin as part of the Creators in Residence programme, supported by The Rothschild Foundation. Featuring extracts from interviews with artists Louis Henderson Malala Andrialavidrazana, Carolina Caycedo, Mazenett Quiroga. Watch above.
17. Belonging: A Journey of Inclusion and Nature (2023)
Belonging is a short documentary exploring the transformative experiences of BIPOC students in nature. Follow Dalorian, a returning student, and his classmates in GCST 1970, an innovative program designed to immerse urban youth in nature-based education and environmental justice. As the group discovers the great outdoors, from the serene lakes to the Bois Forte Museum's enlightening exhibits on native tribes, the film uses Dalorian's authentic reflections to grapple with a thought-provoking question: What does it mean to belong in nature? With its blend of raw and poetic visual storytelling, the film captures the splendour of the natural world and the beauty of a community finding its place within it. 'Belonging' isn't just a film—it's an evocative exploration of identity, nature, and the spaces where the two intertwine.
18. Thomas Deininger: Trash Artist (2019)
Directed by Gnarly Bay, this documentary short follows the artist Thomas Deininger as he welcomes the directors into his world and shares his perspectives on how his anxieties and fears about human consumption and plastic waste create the foundation of his medium for artistic expression. Tom Deininger’s art has so many layers of social commentary and with a super futuristic macro probe lens we were able to enter these microcosmic hot-glued havens of hedonism in order to confront this perverse plastic waste challenge that humanity needs to stop ignoring.
19. Dance for Change (2021)
A celebration of the Dance Crews of Dzaleka Refugee camp, who are transforming their community through creative expression.This story follows the journey of four different dance crews, The Fighters, The Dreamers, The Vision Girls and Salama Africa. What started as one dance group has grown to inspire an entire generation at Dzaleka and beyond, leading to the emergence of more groups that share the same passion and enable young individuals to use dance as a tool to share their language and re-cultivate their identity. Watch above.
20. Weaving the Path (2021)
For centuries, weaving has formed an integral part of the Coast Salish communities' culture. Around 82 years passed while the tradition of weaving lay dormant. Debra Sparrow, Chief Janice George and Angela George, among other Coast Salish weavers, have since revived these lost traditions. This film explores Debra Sparrow's life together with the cultural and spiritual meaning that weaving has had in her life and the Coast Salish communities. Her last mural project, "Cathedral Square: Blanketing The City", represents the coming together of indigenous weavers from the three local indigenous nations in what is today called "Vancouver BC." Recent discoveries of students' remains buried at Canada's Residential Schools made this project take an important turn. For Debra, "this is not art as you know it, but a way of life as we know it".