Damon Gameau explains why children are at the heart of 2040, his film about tackling the climate emergency – and why they’re its key audience, too
The eco documentary 2040 is a gentle antidote to environmental anxiety. Directed by Damon Gameau, it imagines a world 20 years from now, free from the climate crisis that’s gobbling up our globe. Committed to changing the nihilistic narrative surrounding climate change, Gameau takes his audience on a search for solutions and offers up a message of hope.
As 2040 is released, however, the doom and gloom of the climate crisis Gameau’s documentary takes pains to avoid is inescapable. Australia is ablaze. New South Wales, where he lives with his wife and two children, is experiencing the worst bushfires the country has ever seen. His daughter, to whom 2040 is dedicated, is unable to attend school. For Gameau, the irony of this tragedy stings. “Thousand of school kids were derided for protesting against the very thing that’s now forcing them to miss school,” he says. “People are so frustrated. They’re overwhelmed. They’re angry. Our government is still denying that the fires are climate related. The cognitive dissonance is remarkable.”