In 1971, a small group of activists, led by my father Robert Hunter, set sail from Vancouver, Canada in an old fishing boat to stop President Nixon’s atomic bomb tests off the coast of Alaska.
And it was this act of courage that was the beginning of a movement that shaped the world.
Chronicling the untold story behind the modern environmental movement, the award-winning documentary “How to Change the World” looks at the very early days of the modern eco-movement, evoking the message of ‘ordinary people can do the extraordinary.’
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and the recent winner of the Environmental Award at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2015, “How To Change The World” utilizes a mixture of never before seen footage from Greenpeace archives, cut with recent interviews with some of the key figures present during those early days. With actor Barry Pepper providing the voiceover by reading from the writings of my father, the documentary escapade into the humble beginnings of Greenpeace to its global expansion is compelling and inspiring.
As heroic as this story sounds, it’s not entirely unique to my father and Greenpeace alone. It’s a story of our human capacity for change and our desire for a better world that is being repeated today and in more ways than seemingly possible.
Growing up, my parents often told me the stories of the founding of Greenpeace and the “mind bomb” moments that helped to shape the modern-day environmental movement. One of my father’s dreams was to share those stories in a film so that the larger public would become inspired themselves to take action. That dream is now a reality.
I hope you are able to come and share this very special evening with Greenpeace friends and allies across the U.S. on September 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for “How to Change the World” can be purchased online by visiting the Fathom Events site and entering your zip code to see where the film is showing near you.
Also, if you’re interested in connecting with other Greenpeace supporters in your community to watch the film—or create your own event to host a viewing party—you can find out more about that on Greenwire, an online community for environmental organizers and activists.
