The Story of Stuff, premiered at the IGF Triple Threat Teach-In at American University in Washington, DC as an 18 minute presentation on the connection between consumerism and environmental degradation. Ann Leonard introduced the film by saying that it wasn't often that she would shut up and sit down for most of a presentation but would (and did) at this time. At the end of the video the entire audience, nearly a thousand of us, stood up and applauded.
On December 4th it was released to the public free of charge in a slightly longer version (20 minutes). A masterpiece of low-budget film-making by Annie and Free Range Studios, it is fast becoming the latest poster-child for viral marketing. The website, where you can watch and download the film, www.storyofstuff.com, had a half-million hits in the first two weeks after its release.
The Story of Stuff is a short but powerful film about the environmental and social impacts of our current production and consumption systems. The film intends to raise awareness about the often hidden impacts of production and consumption, to highlight the connections between a wide range of issues, and to spark discussion about both the systemic nature of the problem and effective strategies to address them.
The Story of Stuff is a fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns, with a special focus on the United States. It exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues and calls for all of us coming together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something. It'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
The ECLA PA has done five very successful presentations with the film in different settings. Merely describing the film is usually enough to gain a booking, and those in doubt have only to spend a few minutes watching it to offer approval. It has proved to be a valuable tool for introducing concepts of relocalization to varied groups. Sessions with the video are
very productive and numerous questions arise that connect well with the answers offered by Relocalization.
Ralph Nader said "the film is a model of clarity and motivation". John Passacantando, Greenpeace's Executive Director, called it a "mega-hit on three levels". Kevin Hansen, of PierreTerre Productions, predicts that the film will win an Academy Award. I predict that there are many awards waiting for this little jewel of an educational documentary on the effects of the western lifestyle on this fragile planet.
Funding for the Story of Stuff came from The Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption and the Tides Foundation. Annie Leonard is the coordinator of the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption.
