I AM GRETA FILM -SAILBOAT CROSSING TO N.Y. & STRIKES WORLWIDE

by Marina Orhei

MONACO. I Am Greta is a 2020 internationally co-produced documentary film directed by Nathan Grossman, following climate change activist Greta Thunberg. The film had its world premiere at the 77th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2020. It is set to be released on Hulu on 13 November 2020. It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2020 and at the Filmfest Hamburg on 3 October 2020. The film is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom and Germany on 16 October 2020 by Dogwoof and Filmwelt.

It is scheduled to be released in the United States on 13 November 2020. I Am Greta has been given a weighed average rating of 3.2/10 on IMDb based on 538 reviews. It holds a 82% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 reviews, with a weighted average of 6.88/10. On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 66 out of 100, based on 6 critics. On 20 August 2018, the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, then in the ninth grade, decided to not attend school until the 2018 Sweden general election on 9 September after heat waves and wildfires in Sweden. Thunberg protested by sitting outside the Riksdag every day during school hours with a sign that read “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (“school strike for climate”). Among her demands were that the Swedish government reduce carbon emissions per the Paris Agreement. On 7 September, just before the general elections, she announced that she would continue to strike every Friday until Sweden aligns with the Paris Agreement. She coined the slogan FridaysForFuture, which gained worldwide attention. She inspired school students across the globe to take part in student strikes. In Germany, more than 300000 pupils demonstrated in 230 cities with more than 25000 in Berlin alone. In Italy more than 200000 students demonstrated (100000 in Milan according to the organisers). In Montreal more than 150000 attended; Stockholm 15000 to 20000, Melbourne 30000, Brussels 30000, and Munich 8000. Other cities included Paris, London, Washington, Reykjavík, Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Tokyo.

In Antarctica, at least seven scientists held a supportive rally at the Neumayer-Station III of Alfred Wegener Institute. To continue calling attention to the work needed to address the climate crisis Thunberg travelled to New York City on a two-week journey by the racing sailboat IMOCA 60 Malizia II that the Yacht Club de Monaco Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi made available for the 3,000 nautical mile crossing. The boat, designed for racing, faced complex weather conditions but Malizia demonstrated her potential, reaching speeds up to 30 knots. “I am full of praise for Greta’s courage and determination; her attitude on board Malizia II was exemplary despite the extreme living conditions. I would like to thank everyone in the Malizia team and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation It was a very emotional moment sailing past the Statue of Liberty, and I thank everyone for all the support we received during this amazing adventure crossing the Atlantic,” said Pierre Casiraghi, on his arrival in New York. The entire transatlantic crossing has been under sail, the engine not being used at all, in line with Greta’s as well as the Malizia Team’s message of sustainability and environmental protection. “Just at the start and finish, we had Torqeedo RIBs powered by electric engines to assist us during docking manoeuvres as well as to tow Malizia out of and back into port. The engine on Malizia II had eden officially sealed before we set off. Although the engine stayed turned off, it was ready to use at any moment in the event of an emergency, in compliance with the IMOCA Class Rule. Safety of crew and boat is always a priority for us,” explained the German skipper Boris Herrmann. Malizia is equipped with a state-of-the-art solar system of 1.3kW and two hydro-generators which are permanently installed on the stern of the boat and were specifically designed for IMOCA 60 racing yachts.

After the two weeks Atlantic crossing Greta Thunberg participated in school strikes being planned in the U.S on 20 September, and soon after she spoke at the UN Climate Summit on 23 September 2019, in New York City. On 29 November 2019, three days before the start of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, demonstrations took place in 2,400 cities across 157 countries to protest government inaction on the climate crisis. The organizers estimated the number of participants at 2 million, including about 630000 people in Germany. On September 25 2020, a global climate strike took place. Strikes were scheduled in thousands of locations around the globe.