How Films Change the Climate Story | Adam Leipzig on Storytelling for Climate Action

Описание: Imagine if everyone left the movie theater not only inspired, but connected to one another, the planet, and ready to make a difference.

In this episode of Imagine If, we sit down with acclaimed film director Adam Leipzig, former president of National Geographic Films and creative force behind March of the Penguins and A Plastic Ocean, to explore how powerful storytelling can move people from climate overwhelm to meaningful action.

Adam shares how films can balance urgency with optimism, why emotion drives climate action more effectively than data alone, and how stories on screen can ripple outward into real world change. From reusable cups in campus cafés to plastic bans and rights of nature laws around the world, this conversation explores how impact is measured far beyond the box office.

Together, we discuss how filmmakers shape narratives that inspire hope, how micro actions add up to systemic change, and why today’s creatives are being asked not only to tell stories, but to build community around them.

In this episode, we explore:

Why big issues like the climate crisis can feel hopeless, and why that feeling is wrong

How March of the Penguins evolved from a nature film into a story about family, humanity, and a warming planet

The ripple effect of A Plastic Ocean, including its role in plastic related laws and global advocacy

What PFAS “forever chemicals” are, and the story behind the short film Sludge

How filmmakers measure impact, from policy change to personal behavior shifts

Why emotional connection is the foundation for lasting climate action

How Adam stays hopeful while telling hard environmental stories

Micro actions you can take after listening:

Swap one single use item in your daily routine for a reusable option

Host a screening of an environmental documentary and invite local conversation

Learn whether your city, state, or country has rights of nature provisions

Support filmmakers and organizations using storytelling as a catalyst for climate progress

About Adam Leipzig
Adam Leipzig is a director, filmmaker, and former president of National Geographic Films. A former senior vice president at Walt Disney Studios, he oversaw films including Dead Poets Society and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. He has helped bring more than 35 films to life, including the Oscar winning March of the Penguins and the influential documentary A Plastic Ocean.

His recent and forthcoming projects include Sludge, a short film on PFAS and contaminated farmland, Nature’s Guardians, a documentary on the rights of nature, and a forthcoming sea lion centered film set in the Galápagos. Adam is also the author of an upcoming book, Fearless Persistence, focused on sustaining creative work and impact over time.

About Imagine If
Imagine If is a podcast from Bluedot Living spotlighting the people, ideas, and actions creating real momentum for our planet. Each episode brings you into conversation with changemakers turning climate anxiety into climate action, from micro decisions at home to macro shifts in law, culture, and industry.

👉 Subscribe for more hopeful climate stories and practical ways to make a difference wherever you live.

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