Anthropocene documentary explores human impact on Earth

The documentary 'Antropocene – l'epoca umana', conceived over four years ago by the Canadian team of photographer Edward Burtynsky and filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier, concludes a trilogy that began with 'Manufactured Landscapes' (2006) and continued with 'Watermark' (2013). The film is structured in chapters covering terraforming processes to extinction risks, presenting high-definition imagery that challenges viewers to find beauty in distressing content. Its aesthetic draws from 'Koyaanisqatsi' (Godfrey Reggio) and 'Samsara' (Ron Fricke, 2011). The documentary was distributed in Italy on September 19 by Fondazione Stensen and Valmyn, with support from Fridays for Future Italia, Extinction Rebellion Italia, Greenpeace, Associazione Italiana Giovani Unesco, #Unite4Earth, and Mymovies.it. The Italian edition features narration by Alba Rohrwacher. The term 'Anthropocene' refers to a geological epoch dominated by human activity, popularized by biologist Eugene F. Stoermer and Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen, though some trace its origins to the Industrial Revolution, as noted by Italian scholar Antonio Stoppani in the 1870s. The film provides a concise overview of phenomena like plastic pollution, ocean acidification, deforestation, and extinction, but its 90-minute runtime limits depth on some topics. Notable sequences include the opening ceremony of the Gotthard Base Tunnel and potash mines in the Russian Urals.