When you hear the name Greta Thunberg the image of a school age girl protesting outside of her government. The small fifteen year old activist captivated the world as she gave up days of school to try to make adults listen to her cause. Since then, her activism has taken her all over the world and on the world stage.
Often misunderstood, Greta Thunberg started her activism at a young age. And a new documentary on Hulu, I am Greta spends over an hour and a half giving viewers a bit of a background on Greta. From her childhood to her activism later. What lead her to where she is now, still a teenager but an international name.
What I am Greta is trying to do is to do is humanize and to bring some attention to who Greta is as a person. To break down the snapshots we see in the news. But the documentary instead just expands those moments in time. It shows you more about Greta and at times the moments they chose are abrasive and possible go against what we thought the film was trying to do. Often judgemental, with outbursts, I am Greta shows a side that may make her seem even more abrasive to many people.
Even focusing on her cause, I am Greta seems to pit the person and cause against each other. Making you choose which one you want to focus on. And while it is interesting to see more about the activist who seems to be a powerhouse on her own, the film doesn’t do her any favors with her public image. It instead focuses on the things that her critics already pick at and use to tear her down.
While interesting to see Greta’s journey and what changes she’s been able to do in the last few years. It will be interesting to see how the movie is received and if Greta gets more people to support her cause or not.
Overall Rating:
About I am Greta
The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen footage in this intimate documentary from Swedish director Nathan Grossman. Starting with her one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, Grossman follows Greta—a shy student with Asperger’s—in her rise to prominence and her galvanizing global impact as she sparks school strikes around the world. The film culminates with her extraordinary wind-powered voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City.