I Am Greta
huluIn a time of global self-awareness when it comes to the toxic effects humanity has had on the planet, no other voice has captivated audiences quite as much as 15-year old Greta Thunberg. Starting with a personal school strike for the climate, Thunberg quickly gained worldwide attention becoming a leading voice for societal reform to hopefully save the climate which humanity is killing at a terrifying rate. In his feature directorial debut, I Am Greta, filmmaker Nathan Grossman follows Thunberg on this journey, capturing her path from regular teenager to global phenomenon.
The most powerful moments within I Am Greta come from the natural material itself. In a time where many feel hopeless and frustrated, seeing someone use their voice and truly make a difference is effortlessly inspiring and moving. The film has an incredible amount of insight into Thunberg's journey, truly giving the audience an insider look at nearly every stage of development within Thunberg's path. The largest tool for the film, however, is Thunberg herself. There is a conviction and power to how she speaks and the film wisely allows her the room to speak her mind and be honest. Not only does the film feature some truly powerhouse speeches from Thunberg, but it also brings her to life as a normal teenager. From following her to school to seeing her deal with the nerves before a speech and figuring out what to wear, the film takes the time to humanise Thunberg in a way that enhances the power of what she is able to accomplish.
However, if there was one thing lacking from the project, it would be ambition. Whilst the film has impressive access to Thunberg's life, it in no way tries to elevate the material past what is naturally found on this journey. Whether the film would have tried to show the impact of Thunberg's words, seeking out interviews or facts that show the change she has made to focusing on the actual ways the earth has suffered from global warming, there are obvious paths to find a deeper thesis but it never does. Though there is still power within the film, it does feel like there was obvious room for that to connect on a deeper level but the film refuses to even attempt to elevate its message. In this sense, I Am Greta can feel like a disappointingly hollow experience. Past the moments where the film humanises Thunberg, any power or takeaways could be achieved by searching the speeches and interviews Thunberg has conducted and it would take a quarter of the time. I Am Greta ultimately fails to justify its runtime as a feature and provide a truly unique thesis that would stick with audiences.
I Am Greta is far from a bad feature and there are clearly moving moments, but overall, the film feels like a good start rather than a captivating final product. The film had the access and filmmaking ability to find a truly unique look at Greta Thunberg but never actually makes an effort to find depth beyond when it naturally appeared for the film. Whilst the fly on the wall approach to documentary filmmaking can sometimes reveal deeper nuances, it is clear that I Am Greta is lacking this ability and ultimately it is hard to justify sitting through the films 97-minute runtime when the same experience can be found in 20-minutes of searching on Youtube.
