Let’s get the jokes out of the way first: “Who farted?” premiering Sunday on documentary channel, is a gas. Check it out, toot suite. Finally: Have you seen the award-winning new documentary “Who Farted?” It stinks!
OK, everybody feel better? Now, time to clear the air about a serious topic: the world is farting itself out of existence.
Filmmakers Albert Nerenberg (“You Are What You Act”) and Nik Sheehan (“FLicKeR”) are, yes, “behind” this examination of all kinds of human emissions. The documentary came about after Nerenberg — a McGill grad who has made documentaries about everything from laughter to stupidity — watched his 12-year-old daughter present a science project in school. Under discussion was how cow farts play an outsized role in greenhouse gas generation. The deadly part, it was explained, was how the methane in the bovine farts combine with CO2 pouring out of factories, automobiles and airplanes. One young girl in the classroom, in a quivering voice, asks, “Are we all going to die because of cow farts?”
Well, not exactly, but this film — which won the Spirit of the Festival prize at the 2019 Red Rock film festival — may help you think twice about chomping into another quarter-pounder.
Or ordering a filet of fish. Climate change’s terrible toll on oceans and lakes is also chronicled.
The doc features many experts, including best-selling author Guilia Enders (Gut), climate scientist Dr. Mojib Latif (Climate Change: the Point of No Return), human extinction predictor Guy McPherson (Going Dark) and climate change crusader and usual suspect in these discussions, former US vice president Al Gore.
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Then there’s Mathew Silver, billed as a fart liberationist. Some say he’s full of hot air.
Not featured, for some odd reason, is my friend from high school, Dave Kerwin. We’ve been identifying him as a fart liberationalist since 1973. The film does end with a visit to the World Farting Championships in Northern Finland. where we meet the world’s most flatulent man, Britain’s Mr. Methane. Plans are underway to raise funds to send Kerwin there next year; look for our upcoming Kickfarter campaign.
Fact is, everybody farts. I do and you do. Turns out there are real climate change consequenses. Get wind of it all by watching “Who Farted?”premiering Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on documentary channel.
