CIN 111 - Documentary Film & Climate Truths

3 credit(s)
Documentary Film & Climate Truths explores how documentary filmmakers are actively engaging with climate change. This course examines how such documentaries tell stories that include not just human experiences, but also the perspective of plants, animals, and ecosystems affected by climate change. We’ll investigate how filmmakers are finding new ways to demonstrate our interconnectedness with all life on Earth and take responsibility for our climate futures. While documentaries feel real because they show actual people and places, they are also carefully constructed stories, which raises important questions about the construction of truth. Today, when notions of truth are constantly under question due to the development of AI and the proliferation of fake news, the documentary form needs to be re-evaluated accordingly. Students will analyze how Earth itself becomes a form of media, communicating through environmental changes that documentaries often capture and interpret. Through film analysis and research projects, you’ll develop critical thinking skills while exploring how documentary film can help us better understand our planet’s changing climate and our role in shaping its future.
Laboratory fee.

Click here for Spring 2026 course scheduling information.

Click here for Fall 2026 course scheduling information.