How can a feature-film be sustainable?

Abstract

As an art existing since the end of the 19th century, cinema has evolved multiple times throughout history; the way that we make and consume it has changed, and will change again, because cinema is in constant dialogue with society and the issues related to its time. Nowadays, one of the biggest issues that concerns most of our societies is the question of sustainability. Most societies right now have gained consciousness about issues related to sustainability, the most obvious one being ecology and the concerns regarding global warming. Since cinema is an evolving art, and a reflection of the state of our societies, then consequently it is evolving towards a more sustainable goal, both as an industry and as a content medium. We can see that some efforts are being made by producing and distributing companies trying to emit less carbon emissions; and by directors putting social issues into the spotlight in their movies. But as an industry, cinema remains first and foremost a source of pollution. Producing a movie results in a lot of carbon emissions for a lot of different reasons. Distributing movies, even if it is less easy to tell, is a polluting phenomenon as well. Furthermore, as an industry, cinema exists as an entity that has an impact on people and on the economy. The theoretical framework of this thesis is based on a large number of researches that were made more precisely on different subjects, such as how can we define sustainability, and how to be more ecologically friendly during the production phase. However, in the middle of all of those researches and studies, one question remains : what can be considered as a sustainable film exactly? A film, as a finished result, contains a lot of processes for it to arrive in front of the consumer’s eyes. But in the end, how can a film be sustainable? We will try in this thesis to understand the outcomes of those issues, and to reflect upon the notion of sustainability as a whole in the movie industry.