Can a documentary change the world, or is it just a warning of ruin?
In short: Leonardo DiCaprio spent three years traveling the globe to document the climate crisis for the 2016 film Before the Flood. By blending personal reflection with interviews from world leaders and scientists, the documentary aims to move beyond simple awareness, demanding urgent political and economic action before humanity reaches a breaking point.
Directed by Fisher Stevens and produced by a team including Martin Scorsese, Before the Flood serves as both a travelogue of environmental devastation and a critique of climate change denial. DiCaprio narrates the journey, frequently drawing parallels between the modern climate crisis and the final panel of Hieronymus Bosch’s 15th-century triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights, which hung above his childhood crib. The film argues that the world is at an urgent tipping point, and it explicitly calls for systemic changes, such as implementing a carbon tax to shift capitalist investment away from fossil fuel subsidies.
The production itself sought to model the behavior it advocates, paying a voluntary carbon tax to offset its own emissions. The documentary features a wide array of influential figures, including Barack Obama, Pope Francis, Elon Musk, and John Kerry. One of the most poignant segments features NASA astronaut Piers Sellers, who continued his work to publicize the dangers of global warming even while battling stage IV pancreatic cancer. Sellers passed away on December 23, 2016, shortly after the film’s release.
Released in October 2016, the film was made widely available for free across multiple platforms, reaching an estimated 60 million viewers within weeks. This massive distribution strategy, supported by the National Geographic Channel, aimed to maximize its impact ahead of the 2016 US election. While critics offered generally positive reviews, praising its sincerity and educational value, the film’s ultimate success remains tied to its ability to influence public opinion and political leadership. By focusing on empirical truths and the scientific method, the filmmakers hope to counter the influence of lobbyists who they claim represent only a tiny fraction of the scientific community.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Before the Flood (film)
- Also: Wikidata — Before the Flood · CC0
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