In a new drama-documentary, opening in New Zealand this week, celebrated British actor Peter Postlethwaite plays an archivist looking back from a dangerously warmer and much-damaged future in 2055. He reviews documentary evidence from 2008 and asks: "why didn't we stop climate change while we had the chance?"

The film's title describes our own times seen later, with hindsight ,as 'The Age of Stupid'. It opens at cinemas in Auckland on 19 August, and on the 20th in Wellington, Petone, Christchurch and Dunedin; also at Tauranga on the 21st. Details at http://www.ageofstupid.net/screenings/country/newzealand

The low-carbon-footprint movie premiere events held in Sydney and Auckland on Wednesday 19th from 8.30pm are being linked by satellite broadcast to Hoyts Sylvia Park cinema in Auckland, open to the public at $25, as well as to cinemas in several Australian cities.

See trailer at http://www.ageofstupid.net/news/Australia_NZ_premiere_19_August 

Sustainable Living Education Trust welcomes the arrival of this movie in NZ: "It offers a public wake up call and a challenge for us to reach beyond changing lightbulbs at home, useful though such action is," says Rhys Taylor, SLET National Coordinator, who will be among speakers at his local Christchurch launch of the movie. 

"We help households across New Zealand to take effective action on what they can influence by everyday choices, which can certainly cut their carbon footprint. But tackling the barriers to further change, such as emissions from agriculture, coal-burning for power generation and lack of public transport infrastructure will require concerted action through and between governments. This movie challenges policy-makers to set bolder targets for reducing carbon emissions and do this urgently. I shall encourage our tutors and course participants to see and discuss it." says Mr Taylor.