Earth Day 2022 Celebration
JOIN US WEDNESDAY, 4/20!
Earth Day 2022 is coming up to remind us all to protect our planet!
Cinema Verde will celebrate by presenting a curated selection of our Award Winning Films to the Gainesville, Florida community. Lounge among friends while you enjoy a beverage from Cypress and Grove Brewery.
This is an outdoor event and free for all to join. We look forward to seeing you there!
When: April 20, 2022 7pm-10pm. (Films begin at 8)
Where: Cypress and Grove Brewery, 1001 NE 4th Street (enter off 10th Avenue)
Featured Presentations
I Went on a Date With a Polar Bear
Jenny goes out for a drink with a polar bear, and they hit it off. But can they solve the bigger problems the world faces?
Crisis
The state of water in the world is critical, but the relationship between a man and a fish that are in story is more critical.
My Journey Across the Ocean
A short animated film about crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a small sailboat and discovering that even where humans have not yet explored, trash usually finds a way of getting there first—even in the middle of the ocean.
Let's talk about it! (International Politics is NOT a child's play)
The effects of the Human impact in the World can't be resolved through conflicts and wars. We need to talk about it!
Cracked
A little girl lives in a village with her mother where water sources are dwindling by day. Drought effects her imagination, even her doodles and drawings. Not only people but the nature struggles with the unrelenting aridness. This little girl though, never loses hope. She tries to do as best she can, sacrificing from herself for her beloved nature.
We Are Nature
We made this short film under lockdown conditions throughout the pandemic of Covid-19. The film argues that policies are not enough to prevent a future outbreak. We need a paradigm shift in how we view nature and the rest of life on this planet. The film was made remotely via zoom, a fact made clear in the style of the film. Our speakers appear on screens, which we filmed from inside our homes. Each speaker offers a different perspective on the origins of the pandemic in the ways we see and value nature. If humans can’t escape their connection to the natural world, it’s time for a better one. The health of us and the planet depends on it.
Contrasts
Contrasts is a declaration of principles on freedom from captivity of marine species. It arises at the beginning of the pandemic, with the aim of generating empathy in the viewer about life in confinement. All living beings have the right to freedom, and humans cannot claim the right to take freedom from other species or use them for business and human entertainment, and this is what Contrasts tries to sensitize people about.
Red Bean
An individual who is suffering from the obsessive-compulsive disorder and forced to migrate to outer space, he misses his mother and homeland. However, the only response to his calling his mother is an endless busy tone.
The Big Green
Jeanne's last cutting tree site has been destroyed by environmental activists. While she tries to save some equipment, she ends up stuck on the first branch of a 30 meters high, centuries-old tree. Her only hope: to climb higher to find some network and call for help.
Shaba
In the mountains of northern Kenya, a Samburu community is doing something that has never been done before. They’ve built a sanctuary for orphaned elephants to try to rehabilitate them back to the wild. The project is not just changing local attitudes about elephants, it's changing attitudes about women too because the secret to Reteti’s success is all because of the special bond between a group of local women keepers and one special elephant named Shaba. Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first-ever indigenous community-owned and run sanctuary in all of Africa, where rescued orphaned elephants are looked after by local keepers from the Samburu community. They are rehabilitated and raised and then reintroduced back into the wild. The sanctuary is empowering young Samburu women to be the first-ever indigenous women elephant keepers in all of Africa. At first, the community didn’t think there was a place for women in the workplace. Now, the success of these women elephant keepers is unlocking new possibilities and setting a powerful example for young girls, hoping to pursue their dreams. What’s happening there, without fanfare, is nothing less than the beginnings of a transformation in the way the Samburu people relate to wild animals. This oasis where orphans grow up, learning to be wild so that one day they can rejoin their herds, is as much about people as it is about elephants. This is a personal story about a group of women and an elephant named Shaba who changed each other's lives. This film is a powerful reminder that we are a part of a complex world created over millions of years, and the survival of all species is intertwined with our own. Reteti began in partnership with Conservation International who provided critical operational support and work to scale the Reteti community-centered model to create lasting impacts worldwide.
GEORGE FLOYD: SAY THEIR NAMES
When will the ""last"" time be the LAST time? Chris Oledude's single ""George Floyd"" has now been re-presented in the powerful video, ""George Floyd: Say Their Names."" America's struggle for equality and fairness throughout law enforcement parallels those struggles faced by minority groups in every society where the majority feels empowered to disregard civil and human rights. The powerful protests that erupted worldwide after George Floyd's murder in May, 2020, are celebrated here. The enduring power of Black women as determined healers of a torn community is celebrated here. The victims had names. We honor their lives by saying their names. The pressure for change must continue. No justice? No peace!
Vanishing Springs
The Florida you know is a lie. In contrast to what Americans have been told, Florida’s magic is not found in the giant mouse, the rolling green golf courses, or in the beachside palaces. The beauty and uniqueness of Florida is under our feet - the aquifer. This pure, crystal clear water is the life blood of our state and without it, life as we know it in the sunshine state would not exist. This life sustaining force is only seen where it bubbles up to the surface through Florida’s collection of 1,000 springs. These springs were originally what drew society to this land. Wealthy tourists in the 1900’s flooded the Florida springs seeking medicinal cures from its pristine waters. As springs became a popular tourist destination, spring houses were built around these pools of water. When this development began, the springs began flowing less and some eventually stopped altogether. People assumed this was the natural order of this wonder and moved on. Theme parks, golf courses and resorts were erected to entice tourists to visit Florida, the natural beauty of the state soon faded out of our memory. The springs of Florida now silently suffer from the effects of continued development in Florida. The current strain we are placing on the fragile ecosystem is choking the life out of our state. Overdevelopment is one of the leading forces that is damaging the springs. The once pure sources of water no longer boil up like a fountain the way they have for centuries. The water that the springs do produce is polluted by nitrates. This pollution fuels the growth of toxic algae blooms, which are taking over springs and the rivers they feed, thus putting our health at risk. Over 90% of our drinking water gushes out of these sapphire pools. These glorious reservoirs have begun to shrink. If something is not done soon, the springs will simply become part of Florida history. In southern Florida they already have. Springs once bubbled up all across the state. They were wiped out in South Florida decades ago by the ditching and draining of the landscape as well as over-pumping of the aquifer. This water was then sprayed on suburban lawns and farmers' fields, run through showers and flushed down toilets, turned into steam to crank turbines for electricity, or siphoned into plastic bottles for sale around the country. Because of poor use and neglect of our greatest resource, we will soon be without this supply of fresh water. Floridians regard their water supply as abundant and cheap, when the fact is it's neither. Until this attitude changes, the springs will not be rescued.
I Am Ocean - PT Hirschfield
This short film showcases the inspirational story of PT Hirschfield, who's successful 11-year battle with endometrial cancer has been fueled by her passion for scuba diving, a deep connection with the underwater world, and a mission to save the heavily persecuted wildlife at her local dive sites. The film was created for Ocean Media Institute as part of its 'I am Ocean' series documenting powerful human connections with the ocean from around the world.
Wild Florida's Vanishing Call
A moving, powerful inside look at what has happened to the wild, rarely seen, real Florida. A compelling, emotional soundtrack carries the viewer through the past destruction of wild Florida habitats, to beautiful scenes of Florida's rarely seen native wild animals, including the most endangered cat in North America, the Florida Panther, and ends with a positive message encouraging the viewer to work to protect Florida's wildlife and habitat before it is too late.