AN INTERSECTION IN THE ECOLOGICAL PARADIGM: ECOLOGIST CINEMA

We have witnessed the rise of ecologist movements since the second half of 20. Century when it is understood that the mankind has exploited and polluted the world he/ she lives on as far as the world will be exterminated by the mankind. This rise has sometimes been concrete with the acts of an organization that is environmental protector; has come into existence with the basic thesis of green parties that contains ecologist policies or has been one of the basic arguments of international politics. As a consequence of this, environmental awareness and protectionist approach have been mentioned from national policy documents and green party programs to international/ supranational agreements and acts of environmentalist activists in the academic studies in a broad framework. Moreover, a lot of ecological based philosophical trend like deep ecology, eco-socialism, eco-feminism, etc. has emerged in this process. In the period in question, a sector has also adopted the environmental awareness as a subject; but this sector’s activities haven’t been mentioned so much in academic studies. Mentioned sector is cinema; in other words, it is American and European based film industry. American based Holywood is the center that made the first production in this sense. Starting from 1970’s, lots of films have been begun to play under the main topic of disaster movie. European film industry has started to use this theme as of 2000’s yet. First produced films were fictionalized via disaster scenarios which arise depending on a singular problem. In this frame, lots of factors like an earthquake, flood, a disease that a virus appears suddenly creates were thought as the initiator of disaster. The solutions found for singular problem are usually the solutions found depending on the work of a person or a small group of professionals. In time, we can see that the themes change into global ecological disasters which affect the world in general, dystopias or ecotopias in some films (like avatar). With reference to the basic thesis which is that the environmentalist approach in the sector of cinema improves appropriately to basic ecological paradigms; this study aims to trace ecological approach in this sector. Within the frame of this objective, films which have important role in the history of the cinema (chosen films have 6 points and above in IMDB lists) and reflect environmental awareness have been tried to be analyzed as part of common themes in the study. The source of environmental problems (of pollution), found solution and source of solution, mass movements in the solution process, action manners and convenience of film’s release date to the progress line of ecological movements constitute the fundamental points of analysis.