END:CIV Resist Or Die is a powerful and provocative documentary that grips one's consciousness and pushes us to question the current systems governing humanity and the very essence of our relationship with nature. Directed by Franklin López, this movie stands as an uncensored eye-opening–experience meant to challenge our accustomed ways of thinking and incite reflection, awareness, and eventual action.

At the core of END:CIV Resist Or Die lies the best-selling author of Endgame, Derrick Jensen’s philosophy. Jensen's writings have defined the premises of deep ecology through his thought-provoking proposition that industrial civilisation is not and can never be sustainable. This documentary explores these profoundly intriguing perspectives through a series of enlightening interviews, leveraged by powerful images and footage. The topics covered, including environmental movements, anarchism, human rights, politics, sustainability, and civilization critique, are extensive and hard-hitting.

While Derrick Jensen’s perspective largely shapes the narrative's framework, the documentary brings together a comprehensive assembly of intellectuals, environmental activists, and Indigenous rights proponents. Each contributor provides a unique yet collectively cohesive perspective in the fight against the earth's continuous devastation. Notable figures include Paul Watson, a renowned marine wildlife conservationist known for his hands-on approach to saving marine life. Waziyatawin is a Dakota writer, teacher, and activist who infuses the narrative with Indigenous takes on colonization and resource exploitation. Another voice featured in the documentary is Gord Hill, an artist and socio-political commentator known for his graphic novels that critique the impacts of colonialism on Indigenous peoples.

Alongside this, critics of civilization, such as Peter Gelderloos, Lierre Keith, John Zerzan, and James Howard Kunstler, weigh in. The documentary also features activists like Michael Becker, Stephanie McMillan, Rod Coronado, as well as Nuxalk Nation hereditary chief Qwatsinas (Ed Moody). Others contributors include Aric McBay, author and co-founder of the now-defunct Deep Green Resistance, and George Poitras, a former Chief of the Mikisew Cree First Nation. Each participant contributes to the project’s intellectual depth while illuminating the severity of humanity’s current trajectory.

The film follows these voices through a critical analysis of our society’s problems and deliberates possible solutions. From questioning our reliance on technology and capitalist systems to examining the social inequities and environmental degradation created by these systems, the documentary presents a multifaceted examination of our current realities.

The potent imagery used throughout END:CIV Resist Or Die serves as an essential tool in expressing these concepts. Viewers are presented with striking illustrations, powerful animations, and real-world footage that seamlessly blend into a visually compelling narrative that stirs emotions. The film also displays and discusses examples of resistance tactics - from non-violent protest to direct action. It brings to the surface the critical question of what it would genuinely take to usher in a sustainable living culture.

López's craft as a filmmaker shines in END:CIV Resist Or Die as he meticulously balances the narrative between poignant, strident calls-to-action and meticulously dissected, complex issues. The film employs a radical approach, using civil resistance and confrontation with civilization itself, to emphasize the severity of the Earth's ongoing ecological crisis and the pressing need for change. For some, the propositions suggested by the contributors may seem extreme, even anarchistic. However, the filmmakers intended to map out this 'radical' territory clearly and unapologetically.

All in all, END:CIV Resist Or Die is a film that does more than just inform; it motivates its viewers to rethink, question, and ultimately engage with the brutal realities of industrial civilization and its impacts on our planet.

Whether you associate strongly with environmentalism, or are open to challenging your worldview, this film presents invaluable perspectives that beckon us to question civilization as we know it and explore alternative ways of co-existing with our planet. END:CIV Resist Or Die is a call to arms, one that asks: how far are you willing to go to defend the Earth?