The inner life of climate scientists, now on film
In a godforsaken hotel by the highway, seven climate scientists partake in group therapy to confront a previously unknown field of study: their own emotions.
Image courtesy of filmmaker
New this week: a groundbreaking documentary screening for Unthinkable readers and a bonus with the filmmaker for paid subscribers
I often encounter activists, psychologists and readers of this newsletter who ask me what I know about the mental health and wellbeing of climate scientists. Studying such a heavy topic, how do they feel given what they know, and what strategies do they use to cope?
This is the same question that director Nathan Grossman (who made the great documentary I Am Greta about the one and only Ms Thunberg) has often been asked about youth climate justice activists, since he had up close exposure to their emotional disposition while making his last film.
In 2022, Grossman began reaching out to climate scientists to ask this question, probing what they felt, not thought, about climate change. He quickly discovered that it was hard for many to answer him; they had rarely received the question framed this way.
From this surprising set of encounters, “Climate in Therapy” was born – a new documentary about a group of climate scientists trying (and for some, enduring) group therapy for the first time. The film has been touring festivals all over the world, won a prestigious award at HotDocs, and now we at Unthinkable will be the first to distribute it online with an exclusive offer for our subscribers!
Unthinkable readers get to access the film on Kinema from Thursday, November 13 at 7 pm CET to Friday, November 21 at 7 pm CET.
Tickets are bought at this link. You pay $3.99 USD to view it on your own device.
Bonus for paid subscribers to this newsletter:
Nathan Grossman, director of Climate in Therapy will be joining me here for a live Substack chat for paid subscribers to Unthinkable on Thurs November 20th at 2 pm EST/8pm CET. We’ll discuss the film, mental health and coping strategies among climate scientists, as well as other insights he’s gained from screening the film at this very strange time for climate science. Apparently a screening at the Potsdam Institute got very heated, so don’t miss this cool opportunity to talk directly with him!
Let me know what you think of the film in the comments if you screen it. And for paid subscribers (existing or new), I hope to see you at my Substack Live with the director next week (feel free to send questions for him to me in advance by replying to this email).
I hope you enjoy this film offering from Unthinkable and B-Reel films!
In community,
Britt
I remember hearing about this film a few weeks ago and looking forward to watching it. There have been a wave of similar therapy films on the festival circuit -- one focused on comedians dealing with anxiety, another focused on youth climate activists. There's a lot of power behind these unfiltered conversations that I think more people need to see.
I have just seen a premier of this brilliant film in Stockholm, Sweden. Nathan Grossmann (the director) and Richard Beck (the therapist) were there. As a scientist working on climate, I found the film brilliant and terrifying. The empty chair on which a child from the future is sitting is a powerful visualisation that will stay with me forever. I strongly recommend watching the film and it is wonderful that you, Britt Wray, have made it possible for your subscribers to meet Nathan. This is a fantastic opportunity, which I warmly recommend. Best wishes, Alasdair (from https://takingontheclimatecrisis.substack.com/).