Story
Future Council, directed by Damon Gameau, follows 8 inspiring young environmental activists from around the world on a powerful journey across Europe.
Invited by Gameau, the children (Ruby Rodgers, Skye Neville, Hiva Tuki Grube, Joseph Chudasama-Wijaya, Karla Alberg, Clemence "CC" Currie, Joaquin Minana and Aurvi Jain) join Gameau in a European forest before setting off together in a biofuel bus to confront powerful and influential business leaders and politicians about some of the greatest environmental challenges we face today.
The children are given a chance to speak directly with the heads of major multinational polluters – asking them questions, confronting them with difficult facts, and offering creative solutions.
The children also visit organisations that are leading the way in placing nature at the heart of their corporate policies, showing that real change is possible.
It’s an emotional but ultimately powerful journey as the children go from feeling overwhelmed and helpless to becoming a united team – forming a ‘Future Council’ where their concerns are taken seriously, their ideas are respected and sometimes put into play, and they can work with thousands of other like-minded individuals from around the world, ensuring that Nature gets a vote and that big corporations remember to take the future into consideration.
This heartfelt and hopeful documentary shows the children as changemakers, bringing moral clarity, emotional integrity, and creative ingenuity into a space too long dominated by insatiable greed. Armed with courage and compassion, they show that even the biggest companies can be inspired to think differently and act responsibly. Future Council is a powerful reminder that the future belongs to the next generation – and they are ready to lead.
Themes
Climate change; Endangered animals; Overwhelming powerlessness; Environmental catastrophes; Overconsumption; Corporate indifference and culpability.
Violence
There is no violence in Future Council.
Sexual references
There are no sexual references in Future Council.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
There’s no substance use in Future Council.
Nudity and sexual activity
There’s no nudity and sexual activity in Future Council.
Product placement
Future Council has some product placement. For example:
- Coco-Cola, Pepsi and Nestle are mentioned as the biggest polluters of the planet.
- The Future Council is able to meet with representatives of both Nestle and the banking corporation ING.
- The Future Council visits with the founders of Panachland, Decathlon, and Faith in Nature.
Coarse language
Future Council has some coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Future Council is a powerful and encouraging documentary directed by Damon Gameau, director and writer of renowned movies That Sugar Film and 2040. The movie provides powerful insights, beautiful moments and clever solutions to some of the most pressing problems plaguing the world right now. It’s best suited to viewers aged 8 and older.
These are the main messages from Future Council:
- Believe in yourself, stand up for what’s right, and share your knowledge and wisdom with others.
- There’s hope for the future. By working together, powerful changes can be made and we can undo some of the damage that’s been done.
Values in Future Council that you could reinforce with your children include courage, responsibility, integrity, empathy, perseverance and creativity.
Future Council could also give you the chance to talk with your children about the real-life consequences of things like these:
- Fast fashion and excessive consumerism.
- Refusing to take responsibility for our actions or choices
- Making unethical decisions based around money or greed.
- Believing that what we do doesn’t matter or won’t make a difference in the bigger scheme of things, instead of realising that every choice we make has repercussions that effect much more than just ourselves.