11th Hour, The (ATOM Study Guide)

The 11th Hour is a broad scale warning of the desperate ecological situation that humanity has achieved. It is a last ditch attempt to encourage behavioural change before we reach a 'tipping point' past which, no shift in our behaviour will arrest the decline in the natural, ecological systems that support our existence on the planet.

This is a most unusual documentary. It deals with the potential extinction of life on this planet – not all the cute and cuddly animals, but us. The possible end of human domination of the planet. There are dramatic and compelling images of the destruction of nature and its consequences but these merely act as the glue that hold the ideas together. Those ideas are expressed by some of the leading environmental and political leaders of our time. These men and women speak directly to the camera and so directly to us, explaining the facts, offering the evidence and expressing their alarm in a calm and logical tone. It is narrated by an unusually terse and worried Leonardo DiCaprio, who also co-produced the film and collaborated on the writing. His involvement is part of his ongoing commitment to environmental issues and is sure to widen the appeal of the movie beyond those with an existing interest in green issues.