This year there seems to be a very deliberate focus on making cutting edge green related documentaries. Here is another great one which was released this year. It focuses on the history of fuel consumption, our present predicament and presents a solution to our dependence on foreign oil.
FUEL is an amazing, in-depth, personal journey of oil use and abuse as it examines wide-ranging energy solutions other than oil, the faltering US auto and petroleum industries, and the latest stirrings of the American mindset toward alternative energy.
Josh Tickell’s stirring, radical and multi-award winning FUEL may be known by some as the “little energy documentary,” but in truth, it’s a powerful portrait of America’s overwhelming addiction to, and reliance on, oil. Having been born and raised in one of the USA’s most oil producing regions, he saw first hand how the industry controls, deceives and damages the country, its people and the environment, and after one too many people he knew became sick, Tickell knew he just couldn’t idly stand by any longer. He decided to make a film, focusing both on the knowledge and insight he discovered, but also giving hope that solutions are at reach. A ‘regular guy’ who felt he could make a difference, he spent 11 years making his movie, showing himself – and others – that an individual can indeed make a difference.
As first time director and narrator of the film, Tickell offers a virtual tour guide through the drama of fuel, the history, the politics, the mess that the world is in and the fascinating alternatives for a way out. In the movie, he interviews politicians, historians, professors and a sprinkling of activist celebrities, all of whom have their own take on one of the most important and pressing concerns of the modern era. Interviews with a wide range of environmentalists, policy makers and educators, along with such “green” celebrities as Woody Harrelson, Sheryl Crow and Larry Hagman offer serious fuel for thought.
FUEL encourages the discussion about the consequences of abusing our oil resources. Especially now, during this moment of “Change” going on in our country, it is extremely important to examine all the factors that have contributed to not only the economic meltdown, but also the environmental crisis and this country’s position in the world. And now as Americans look for answers and seek accountability, FUEL can help break the discussion wide open as it exposes the
shocking connections between the auto industry, the oil industry and government, while exploring alternative energies such as solar wind, electricity and non-food based biofuels.
FUEL is an example of the social movement that is going on in the country. As our government seeks to bail out the auto industry and our new President speaks of investing in alternative energies as the way of our future and creating green industries, FUEL challenges the audience to make a change and seek accountability, reinforcing the idea that the power of every individual can and will make a difference.
“Fuel is a vital, superbly assembled documentary…doesn’t dwell on muckraking, however; it’s more focused on broadly inspiring viewers than preaching to the converted….Smartly animated interstitials, memorable archival material and a lively soundtrack round out the fast-paced proceedings.”
-LOS ANGELES TIMES
