RiverBlue: Can Fashion Save the Planet?

RiverBlue: Can Fashion Save the Planet is a thought-provoking and compelling 2017 documentary directed by David McIlvride and Roger Williams. This 95-minute film can be described as an eye-opening voyage around the world, linking first-world consumption to third-world environmental destruction catalyzed by the fashion industry. With activist and celebrated river conservationist Mark Angelo as its guide and narrative trailblazer, the viewer embarks on a journey that asks a strident question, "Can Fashion Save the Planet?".

Featuring well-known personalities such as actor Jason Priestley and fashion designer Orsola De Castro as some of the film’s principal voices, the documentary builds through its insightful remarks and extensive expertise. The movie blends investigative journalism with a detailed exposé, unearthing disturbing practices common within the mainstream clothing industry. Its wider intention is to create a conversation around the holistic impact this far-reaching industry has on the world's rivers, whilst encouraging viewers to question their own consumer habits.

The narrative of RiverBlue spins around Mark Angelo's travels across several countries that include Bangladesh, India, China, Indonesia, Zambia, the UK, and the USA. These countries have been selected with implications far beyond the geographical, disclosing the dramatic and often hazardous repercussions of denim production and leather tanning on world rivers. The movie provides an incisive look into one of the world's most polluting industries, fashion, and how its cavalier attitude towards dumping toxic waste into rivers is turning them into lifeless entities, severely damaging the human health, wildlife populations and ecosystem retroactively.

The film refuses to shy away from the grisly picture of the destructive impact of fast fashion. This includes the skin-burning chemicals used to treat leather, the detrimental climate impact of cotton farming, and the hazardous blue effluent from jean wrangling flowing freely into the waterways. The in-depth focus on these issues helps to illuminate the dire need for change and provide a hard look at how our demand for fast and cheap clothing has dramatic global implications.

However, it isn’t all doom and gloom. RiverBlue offers a glimmer of hope; it points out the potential fashion industry to become an instrument of powerful change. It showcases the possibility of reversing the damage done and mitigates future damages by adopting cleaner, environmentally friendly production processes. The film draws this optimism from a string of individuals, brands, and innovators who are championing the concept of 'eco fashion'. They are the living example that the industry can in fact function whilst keeping both the environment and human health in check via innovative processes such as waterless dye technology, closed-loop production, sustainable fabrics, and fair labor practices.

One of the major strengths of this film, in addition to its deep, investigative insight, is its stunning visuals. The cinematography is a seamless blend of awe-inspiring yet heartbreaking visuals, perfectly capturing the majestic beauty of the world’s rivers juxtaposed against the shocking treatment they are currently suffering. From the vibrant indigo rivers in China to the ominously grey water streams in India, the influence of the fashion industry is painted in a poignant, visual narrative that leaves a lasting impact.

Featuring conversations with experts of diverse backgrounds, including fashion designers, environmentalists, historians, and factory workers, lends the movie a 360-degree perspective. The film attempts to strike a balanced perspective by promoting dialogue and action, rather than simply pointing fingers.

In essence, RiverBlue is a chilling exposé on the environmentally destructive practices of the fashion industry, whilst simultaneously providing hope for a more sustainable and ethical future. It serves as an emphatic call to action for consumers and industry alike, urging viewers to question their apparel choices and demand change. The film operates under the premise that we have the capacity and responsibility to make a difference, channeling a powerful wake-up call to the world, begging the question: Can fashion save the planet? Well, RiverBlue would argue – it most certainly needs to.