CALL OF LIFE is a documentary film that explores the mass extinction, its six main causes, the cultural myths and values that drive it, the psychology that underpins it, and the latest insights into natural systems that could help us turn back the tide. The mass extinction is the cumulative result of many causes, all of which are related to human activity. In interviews with eminent scientists and field biologists, we present the facts and evidence of the shocking decline as we consider the six primary drivers of extinction.
In interviews with leading psychologists, historians and anthropologists we examine the inextricable links between the extinction crisis and our social and economic problems, and explore the ways in which culture and psychology have conspired to determine our collective and individual response to this situation.
The film bridges disciplines to weave science, psychology, and cultural history into a clear and accessible story of our changing world. The audience is taken into the depths of the human psyche, through the toughest problems of our times and into the cutting edge of what nature has to teach us. The mass extinction is possibly the greatest threat that humanity has ever faced, and it is those of us alive today who have been given the responsibility - and great opportunity - of stopping it.
The feature length documentary film CALL OF LIFE is being submitted to major festivals and will be made available for theatrical distribution. Comprehensive press packages, including DVD's, CD graphics and photographs, reviews, and feature story possibilities, are being distributed to national and regional newspapers, media trade periodicals, news magazines, wire services, and syndicates as well as to broadcast and online news outlets.
Beyond the theatrical release of the film, we are undertaking an extensive outreach campaign. Partnerships with large- and small-scale environmental organizations, socially conscious businesses, and educational establishments will form the basis of this program. The program materials will include a booklet with a powerful dialogue and deliberation model that will provide people with tools to address the material introduced in the film and actively work toward creating solutions. We will be working with a leading dialogue organization, Study Circles, to hold multi-stakeholder dialogues that will include members from industry, environmental circles, civic organizers and people of all political persuasions. Building on the house party model established by MoveOn.org and MeetUp.org we will make the film and discussion booklet available to self-organizing groups nationwide. The Species Alliance website will utilize advanced internet technologies for communication and social networking with features such as forums, support groups, and action networks.
A critical component of our project is the development of an innovative and creative biodiversity education curriculum that will enhance students' understanding of natural systems. Our curriculum will be balanced, scientifically accurate, and correlated to national education standards. Arts and media will be used as tools to inspire students to personalize and invest in the subjects. A classroom version of the educational film will be made available for use by teachers in classrooms. The Species Alliance website will be a portal to comprehensive information and resources relating to the mass extinction. Data will be presented in visually compelling, interactive forms such as content adjustable maps and graphs.