On Saturday afternoon, I attended the screening of The Plastic Bag Store, one of the events at the DC Environmental Film Festival. The film tells a distinctive tale of the past and future of "plastic". I was deeply impressed by its seamless integration of drama, puppetry, shadow puppetry, cardboard art, as well as real-life characters. A particular scene depicted a quintessential NYC subway setting, complete with iconic ads on top of the seats. It evoked a smile from me, knowing the scene too well. The ocean scene was quite beautifully made, and I wish that part could be longer in duration.
Following the screening, Director Robin Frohardt remarked that artists like her should be free to concentrate on their craft while advocates can dedicate to creating real-world impacts. Sometimes the mundane and didactic documentaries aren't very compelling (although I must admit that My Octopus Teacher is an exceptional film in all categories). But people would love to see touching dramas with strong storytelling abilities that transcend the environmental field and appeal to a much wider audience.
