The Suzuki Diaries: Future City 2012, 2013
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by Hadlee Obodiac, Tina Verma for CBC's "The Nature of Things"
Directed by Hadlee Obodiac
DVD , color, 45 min.
Jr. High - General Adult
Agriculture, Area Studies, Environmentalism, Sustainable Living, Urban Agriculture. Urban and Regional Planning
Date Entered: 01/16/2014
Reviewed by Carrie M. Macfarlane, Head of Research and Instruction, Library and Information Services, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VTThe Suzuki Diaries: Future City takes the viewer across the lower half of Canada, exploring urban solutions for sustainable living. The hosts of the show, David Suzuki and Sarika Cullis-Suzuki, are a father-daughter team. They travel in a compact Airstream trailer and stop at four major cities. Their conversations with engineers, designers, agriculturalists and home-owners are always informative and often intriguing. However, for some viewers, these conversations might be too brief to be compelling.
It could be helpful to understand the background of this film. It is one episode of a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) television series called The Suzuki Diaries. David Suzuki is the host of a long-running television series called The Nature of Things. The Suzuki Diaries provides a personal look at the world from the perspective of this well-liked public figure.
In each of the four cities, David and Sarika focus on a different approach to green living. In Montreal, it’s urban agriculture, while in Toronto it’s urban revitalization. In Edmonton, we see how a city’s waste crisis can be turned into a recycling success story. In Vancouver, the greenest city in Canada, the spotlight is placed on sustainable design and smart city building.
Perhaps because The Suzuki Diaries: Future City has only forty-five minutes to tell its story, and perhaps because its hosts are already well-known, this film doesn’t attempt to tug at the heartstrings as much as other environmental films. Rather, it surveys options for greener urban living while skimming the surface of a seemingly rich father-daughter relationship. The story is complete, but it probably feels richer to an audience that already appreciates its background.
Classroom use would be entirely appropriate for this film. Students who are learning about urban recycling, agriculture, public transit, green design, or revitalization programs will find many useful interviews and case studies. Viewers who sit down to the film for an evening’s entertainment may be slightly disappointed if they are not already fans of the host. Recommended with reservations for junior high school through adult audiences.