At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, filmmakers Emma Wall and Betsy Hershey (“Guerrilla Javeas”) jumped on a life-changing Zoom call organized by an acclaimed host, Oscar-winning director Adam McKay. Taking the helm of Don’t Look Up will have a direct influence on the duo’s debut feature, respectfully titled Just Look Up, inspired by the work and influence of American activist group Climate Defiance.
The documentary, which had its world premiere at CPH:DOX and went straight to Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, centers on Michael Greenberg, founder of Climate Defiance. The young man started the organization in 2023 with the goal of ending fossil fuel extraction on U.S. federal lands and waters and pushing climate change into the top three political issues in U.S. politics. To draw attention to their cause, Climate Defiance often disrupts public events and directly confronts key figures at Big Oil and the politicians who enable them. The video of their confrontation racked up millions of views online.
Mr Hershey recalls that the McKay Lecture, organized in partnership with the Climate Emergency Fund and attended by a number of scientists and researchers, provided participants with valuable insight into the theory of how change happens. According to data presented at the time, continued disruption by just 3.5% of the population almost always results in a change of government. “Even though these things weren’t popular at the time, hearing that they were proven to be effective was a compelling motivator for us,” the director told Variety.
Wall points out that despite having access to a wide range of experts through their initial gathering, she and Hershey had no interest in the classic topical style, evidence-based writing. “We were just interested in truth, observation, and style of investigation.”
With this in mind, the duo set out to find the perfect subject to explore this grand idea, and arrived at Climate Defiance when the group was still in its early stages. Both directors wanted to tackle the tough subject of climate change in a light and humorous way. When they met Greenberg, a passionate leader and stand-up comedian, they knew they had their hero.
Once the ball got rolling, McKay joined the project as an executive producer, as did two-time Oscar-nominated director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing). During editing, the directors sent clips to both veteran filmmakers, who were “very supportive.” “They were supportive of the cuts they saw, but they also gave us real editorial freedom in respecting the story. They’re both our heroes, and I think this is the ultimate wish-fulfillment and a testament to their concern about this issue,” Wall says.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence “Don’t Look Up” (Netflix/Courtesy of Everett Collection)
©Netflix/Courtesy of Everett Collection
As for paying homage to McKay’s star-studded 2021 environmental satire “Don’t Look Up” in the film’s title, Wall said he was thrilled to have the director’s support, but also to directly identify with the dry humor the American director has become known for. “I was also inspired by the way Adam uses humor to talk about really serious issues,” she says. “Michael is a stand-up comedian. It’s a dream come true. Adam’s great film spoke to this denial that we’re talking about and how powerful humor can be when telling the stories we need right now. That’s one thing Betsy and I always said: We weren’t interested in making a slideshow about the climate crisis. Nobody wants that.”
Filming with Climate Defiance meant accompanying activists into volatile and dangerous situations, including high-profile dinners and galas targeting highly guarded figures such as Bill Gates, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, and current U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. When asked about the practicalities of such productions, filmmakers said they were flexible and agile, often capturing footage with cell phones. Another important element of production is having ironclad legal support.
“We worked closely with an amazing First Amendment rights attorney from the beginning, and she was an integral part of making this film,” said Hershey. “Every time we were in chaos, she knew where we were going and who was going to be there. In this day and age, it’s more and more dangerous in this country. We’re being robbed of the right to protest, and activists are being killed in the streets. It couldn’t be more important to see people continue to take action during this time when people are doing a really good job of creating horrible things.”
While environmental documentaries once dominated documentary festivals and streaming platforms, war documentaries now occupy a lot of space when we talk about timely and urgent films. Last week’s US invasion of Iran sparked a wave of social media memes about how it feels pointless to “drink through a paper straw” at a time when world leaders are leaning heavily toward militarization and mass violence. When asked about the importance of continuing to talk about climate during times like these, Hershey said, “It’s understandable that our focus continues to shift to each of the terrible events that are going on.”
“It’s no coincidence that the countries[the United States]is invading, whether it’s Venezuela or Iran, are big oil producers,” he added. “A lot of this geopolitical war and migration crisis stems from the climate crisis. These are some of these kinds of wars that are being waged over fossil fuels.”
Hershey emphasizes that she also believes it is important for people outside the United States to know that “we are not giving up.” “People sometimes contact me and ask, ‘Hey, are you okay over there?’ I think it’s important for the rest of the world to understand that we’re not giving up our right to protest. We’re just going to keep resisting.”
“Just Look Up” was produced by Signe Bilge Sørensen, four-time Oscar nominee for Final Cut for Real, in collaboration with Natja Rozner of Guesthouse Productions. Final Cut For Real will be responsible for international sales.
