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2020 Sarasota Film Festival

Microplastic Madness

1 hr 15 minUnited StatesEnglish

About this film

“​Microplastic Madness - Brooklyn kids take on plastic pollution” is an inspirational and optimistic take on the local and global plastic pollution crisis as told through a refreshing urban youth point of view with a powerful take action message.

Fifth graders from PS 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn - a community on the frontline of Climate Change that was severely impacted by Superstorm Sandy- spent 2 years investigating plastic pollution. Taking on the roles of citizen scientists, community leaders, and advocates, these 10-11 year olds collect local data, lead community outreach, and use their impressive data to inform policy, testifying and rallying at City Hall. They take the deep dive into the root causes of plastic pollution, bridging the connection between plastic, climate change, and environmental justice before turning their focus back to school. There they take action to rid their cafeteria of all single-use plastic, driving forward city-wide action and a scalable, youth-led plastic-free movement.

With stop-motion animation, heartfelt kid commentary, and interviews of experts and renowned scientists who are engaged in the most cutting edge research on the harmful effects of microplastics, this alarming, yet charming narrative, conveys an urgent message in user-friendly terms with a take action message to spark youth-led plastic free action in schools everywhere.

Credits

Director
Atsuko Quirk, Debby Lee Cohen
Producer
Debby Lee Cohen, Atsuko Quirk
Screenwriter
Atsuko Quirk, Debby Lee Cohen
Cast
5th grade students from PS 15 in Red Hook. Brooklyn, Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Dr. Chelsea Rochman, Judith Enck
Main SlateDocumentary (Feature)Environmental

Trailer

Microplastic Madness
Microplastic Madness — production still