Thom Yorke and Gillian Anderson at "The Age of Stupid"
Back in May, I managed to catch a screening of the Pete Postlethwaite-starring sci-fi documentary The Age of Stupid with director Franny Armstrong in attendance (you can read all about it here). Despite its brazen strong-arm lecturing, it is still a doc well-worth looking at, tackling first and foremost the callousness in people's treatment of the environment, striping away excuses and self-justification in order to show the dire effects of such an attitude.
On September 21st/22nd, they will do something pretty special by having a "Global Premiere" that packages the film with a panel discussion and a performance by Radiohead's Thom Yorke LIVE via satellite in participating theaters.
Prior to the film, you'll see a Live simulcast of the Green Carpet, in which guests arrive by low-carbon methods like bicycle, solar car, rickshaw, chip fat car and... sailboats?
This (biggest solar-powered) premiere is timed to be the day before the UN Climate Change Summit in New York where 80 Heads of State will gather in a "working dinner" hosted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Director Franny Armstrong will host a panel after the film focusing on the effects, consequences and ways to reverse climate change; featuring former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, outspoken fan Gillian Anderson, star Pete Postlethwaite and other celebrities, leading thinkers and political figures coming together to share their thoughts on a global problem.
Also—and this might be the reason to see the event—several satellite links to remote places will be established. We'll hear from explorer Eric Phillips in the Arctic, as well as Greenpeace members in the Himalayas and Indonesian rain forest. In addition, a group of children will speak from Copenhagen, in the same conference room that will establish a new climate protocol this December.
To cap off the evening, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke will perform an acoustic performance of the film's title track, "The Age of Stupid," written by Alfie Thomas, Jamie Kelsey and Louise Kleboe. Remember, though, that Thom Yorke is supposed to release a new song called "The Hollow Earth" on September 22nd. The song was speculated to be his contribution to the New Moon soundtrack, but it seems more likely that he'll debut it on this live event.
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I've seen the film, but I still can't wait to attend this event, if only just to see the sure-to-be fascinating panel (and Thom Yorke, ahem). Tickets are already on sale now. For a list of participating theaters and more information on the film or climate change, head over to TheAgeofStupid.net. The site also says that if you live in a country that doesn't have a theatrical screening, you can watch the event online.
Here is the list of theaters showing the event in the US, from Fathom Events. The showtimes are: 7:30 PM ET/ 6:30 PM CT / 5:30 PM MT / tape delayed 8PM PT.
