As oil companies see the Arctic as their next “El Dorado” for oil revenues and prepare to start drilling, a First Nations people, the Inuit, watch as their livelihood and safety disappear through extreme climate change. The vast lands of Greenland are rapidly melting, affecting the land and the people who live there. Avgeropoulos spends a period of time in the communities in Greenland filming the disappearing life of these traditional hunters and fishermen who search for ways to survive in their evolving landscape. This stark and icy world mixes their personal stories and the reality of what is going on around them. www.smallplanet.gr

Three stories. Three regions. Three harsh realities linked to our dependence on water. In Bangladesh, a small community struggles to adjust to the rain and severe flooding they endure yearly. Both men and women must come together and protect their living space during this testing period. In Kazakhstan hundreds of kilometres of the Aral Sea has dried up and the aridness is causing tremendous hardship to the population. The stern image of a gigantic ship planted on solid land, is a clear depiction of this sad reality. In Kabala, access to clean drinking water is not something given to all and is considered a luxury. People must travel to the nearest city and the carry heavy containers filled with overpriced water. We see firsthand, through these remarkable characters’ stories the hardship they must endure everyday of their lives. Whether it’s through flooding, dryness, or access to drinking water, this sober and beautifully shot cinematic experience will leave no one indifferent. www.ueberwasser.at

From early plastic like bakelite, now a collectible, to plastic water bottles, the use of plastic is pervasive. “The cheapest, strongest, most ubiquitous material ever invented, that might be quietly poisoning us,” states Connacher in this point-of-view documentary that takes him to 12 countries, five continents and to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. Through interviews and expert views, he offers possible solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradation. At the forefront of Addicted to Plastic is how we might rethink future consumption and production of plastic. A wake-up call becomes a call for change for the rest of us. www.crypticmoth.com

A poetic evocation on the alchemy of bread brings the act of baking the most basic of staples, into a high art form. Here nature and human culture collude. Hands pounding, mixing, kneading and stretching, reveal the choreographed rhythms and movements of bread making. Alchemy is a beautifully executed and lyrical film about an activity once ubiquitous in almost every household.

Since 1989 the local Turkish community living in Bergama, Turkey have resisted an Australian and Canadian joint venture to mine gold with a cyanide leaching process. They have won several legal struggles yet the mine continues to operate. This insightful documentary is a tale of resistance and struggle from 1996 to the present.

An astonishing look at a vocation nearing extinction and the last few men and women that remain faithful to it. In a remote and forgotten valley of the Portuguese mountains, live the last and truly genuine shepherds of Serra da Estrela Mountain Range. They work and live in a place deprived of electricity, proper utilities, asphalt roads, and most importantly, human contact. The elders are moving to retirement homes in nearby villages, while a few resist and hold the fort, until death comes and gets them. The younger generation does not wish to pursue this solitary and demanding lifestyle and are leaving the flock. Herminio, 27, is the youngest shepherd living in this valley. He roams the mountain with his portable radio listening to Quim Barreiros’ music, a popular Portuguese singer. With wonderfully quirky and memorable characters, this film is a true testament to what it means to be a shepherd in these modern times.

There are two threats to a tiny island paradise in the heart of Polynesia—the slowly rising sea and the desire to modernize. Atlantis Approaching is a fascinating look at the effects of global warming and sustainability through the colourful lens of Tuvalu, a small island world. How does a community deal with the garbage washing up on their shores and the junk food that is making their children obese, all while the sea is rising and closing-in on their tiny paradise?

Belay and Zemu are among the thousands of beggars found in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Hailing from the village of Kajima in Northern Ethiopia, traditionally reliant on subsistence and cattle farming, hunger and poverty force the women to leave their families behind, for months at a time. Drought and climate change have hardened their lives and made them fall into even more extreme poverty. In the streets of the capital, the women rely on the mercy off strangers where they are prey to theft, violence and abuse. When they return to their village they experience even more surprises. This film poignantly personalizes the stories of millions facing hunger and displacement in the developing world.