Grief

Thirty years ago, Czechoslovak grief over a devastated landscape and lack of care for the environment was one of the propelling forces of the Velvet Revolution. Soon the country took a deep breath of not only freedom, but also cleaner air. Three decades later, however, grief over the climate situation is growing, clashing with ignorance and again becoming a rebellion. Various movements have recently changed the climate game by sending out strong emotions. And suddenly, things were set into motion.

Grief is about emotions rather than statistics or degrees Celsius. It openly explores the feelings experienced when we see the balance between the planet and human beings threatened by imminent collapse. It is mainly about women: director Andrea Culková finds that it is often women who perceive and experience climate change in a more immediate, pressing way.

The first film in the documentary series “Love & Rage” is mostly about members of Extinction Rebellion. It reveals the depth of climate grief in a very personal way and shows its role in climate awakenings and activism. There is a lot of sadness in the film, along with the deep relief of laughter and profound moments of joy, but also the experience of one’s own mortality.

This is the nature of climate grief, which must be shared, shouted out into the world, sung, or stifled. The film offers a way to share the emotions of Czech rebels who managed to transform their tears into active climate rebellion.