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Sunday, January 12, 2014

Winter Movies 2014: Dirt! The Movie

We’re in the grip of winter, here in the Bay Area, and that can mean an unseasonable hot streak, crisp clear days, or life-giving rains. Whatever the weather, January is a fine time to hunker down with hot cocoa and a good movie, and wait for the warmer days of spring in the garden. This year’s theme for our winter movies is documentaries with movie star plants. These films entertain us, enlighten us, horrify us, and make us smarter!

Dirt! The Movie

I first heard about Dirt! The Movie (2008) when I was taking a Soil Management class, at Merritt College, from Dr. Ed Brennan. This documentary by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow is a celebration of dirt, informing us about the living skin of soil that encircles the earth, and cautioning us about the continual mistreatment of soil by humans. The film is based on the book, Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, by Bill Logan, and narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis.


The film introduces the idea that earth is surrounded with a thin covering of soil that is teaming with life (bacteria, fungi, and nematodes to name a few), making it a very unique planet. The film includes an entertaining summary of the origin of soil, and establishes how interconnected the planet’s processes are. Humans have disrupted the ecosystem through greed and ignorance, leaving a wake of destruction, deserts, and disaster. Over the last 100 years we have lost 1/3 of the topsoil. Fortunately, the earth is capable of healing itself, through its own processes, if we would only stop our destructive ways and adopt earth-friendly practices.
Many experts, from a wide variety of backgrounds and from all over the world, were interviewed in this film. The ideas are both sobering and hopeful. I especially liked learning about how dirt is used as a viable building material in many parts of the world. Vandana Shiva expressed interesting ideas about sustainable agriculture in India, and explained how traditional houses are plastered almost daily with a mixture of dirt and cow dung. The mixture keeps houses cool in summer and warm in winter; and the cow dung acts as an antiseptic. I also appreciated hearing many experts stress the importance of building and maintaining healthy soil to ensure our survival on earth. Humus-rich soil holds moisture, prevents erosion, and supports crops and forests. Take a look at the trailer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1243971/
 
 

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