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  • 2019
  • Kino Lorber
  • 1 h 27 m
  • 2019
  • Kino Lorber
  • 1 h 27 m

Summary After nearly 10 years of research, the Anthropocene Working Group, an international body of scientists, argue that the Holocene Epoch gave way to the Anthropocene Epoch in the mid-twentieth century as a result of profound and lasting human changes to the Earth. From concrete seawalls in China that now cover 60% of the mainland coast, to...

Directed By: Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky, Nicholas de Pencier

Written By: Jennifer Baichwal

  • 2019
  • Kino Lorber
  • 1 h 27 m
  • 2019
  • Kino Lorber
  • 1 h 27 m

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews
71
User Score Generally Unfavorable
3.3
My Score
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Where to Watch

Summary After nearly 10 years of research, the Anthropocene Working Group, an international body of scientists, argue that the Holocene Epoch gave way to the Anthropocene Epoch in the mid-twentieth century as a result of profound and lasting human changes to the Earth. From concrete seawalls in China that now cover 60% of the mainland coast, to...

Directed By: Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky, Nicholas de Pencier

Written By: Jennifer Baichwal

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews
71
86% Positive
6 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
14% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 7 Critic Reviews
71
86% Positive
6 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
14% Negative
1 Review

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Sep 26, 2019
Both shocking and beautiful, the film impresses itself on the viewer with the awesome scale of the imagery – and with the urgency behind it. We have entered an epoch in which human activity is shaping the planet more than any natural force. Anthropocene bears witness that something’s got to give.
By Kate Taylor FULL REVIEW
78
Oct 2, 2019
Be forewarned: Anthropocene is often an overwhelming experience. The human accountability on display can be tough to swallow.
By Steve Davis FULL REVIEW
75
Sep 17, 2019
Yes, we’ve filled the atmosphere with levels of carbon dioxide not seen in 66 million years of geologic time. But at least we get our own “epoch,” the Anthropocene, named after us. And there’s a smidgen of cautious hope underscoring much of what we see here.
By Roger Moore FULL REVIEW
70
Sep 26, 2019
De Pencier’s cinematography has a good eye for the beauty and horror of man-made or -altered landscapes, and it is hard to deny that the film benefits from being seen on as large a screen as possible, as impressive crane or drone shots fill the screen. But like with Burtynsky’s photographs, it is also hard to deny that the beauty of these shots stands in stark contrast to their purported message.
By Boyd van Hoeij FULL REVIEW
70
Sep 26, 2019
The film isn’t the most cohesive look at startling global transformation. It’s strongest, however, as a dizzying, dimensional tour of scale and time, forcing us to wonder how a sense of earth-centric balance can be restored.
By Robert Abele FULL REVIEW
70
Sep 25, 2019
As a work of cinema, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch can seem a bit torn in its approach, caught between a desire to spread a message to mainstream viewers and more cryptic, artistic aims. At times, more information would be preferable; in other scenes, images speak volumes without words. But as advocacy, the movie is potent and frequently terrifying.
By Ben Kenigsberg FULL REVIEW
20
Sep 2, 2021
It purports to be a “cinematic meditation” on the havoc humans have wreaked on the environment, yet the style-over-substance approach reduces these eco-conscious contemplations to a mere exercise in aesthetics, without any social or political context.
By Phuong Le FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Unfavorable Based on 4 User Ratings
3.3
0% Positive
0 Ratings
50% Mixed
2 Ratings
50% Negative
2 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Unfavorable Based on 4 User Ratings
3.3
0% Positive
0 Ratings
50% Mixed
2 Ratings
50% Negative
2 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Mercury Films, Seville International
Release Date Sep 25, 2019
Duration 1 h 27 m
Genres
Website https://theanthropocene.org/film/
View All Details

Awards

Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
• 3 Nominations
Canadian Screen Awards, CA
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

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