Watch Project Wild Thing
- NR
- 2013
- 1 hr 23 min
-
6.7 (131)
Project Wild Thing is a 2013 British documentary film that explores the increasing disconnection between children and the natural world in today's society. The film, directed by David Bond, follows Bond himself as he embarks on a mission to get his own daughter and other children in the UK to spend more time outdoors and less time indoors with screens.
The movie begins with Bond's own personal quest to get his daughter away from screens and into nature. As a concerned parent, he starts to question how children's lives have changed in recent decades and how their disconnection from nature is impacting their health and well-being. Bond decides to dive headfirst into this issue and create a marketing campaign to get more children to spend time in nature and connect with wildlife. He takes on the persona of "the Wild Thing" and creates various marketing materials to promote outdoor play, such as posters and TV commercials.
Throughout the film, Bond speaks with a variety of experts, including environmentalists, child psychologists, and neuroscientists, to learn more about the benefits that nature has on children's physical and mental health. He also shares his own personal experiences growing up in the UK, where he spent much of his time outdoors, and contrasts that with the experiences of his daughter and her peers, who spend the majority of their time indoors with screens.
The conversations with the experts highlight the negative impact that screens can have on children, from inhibiting imagination and creativity to contributing to obesity and behavioral issues. Bond also visits schools to talk to children about nature and the importance of outdoor play, highlighting the connection between nature and creativity.
The movie also delves into the issue of "nature deficit disorder," a term coined by author Richard Louv, which describes the negative effects that a lack of exposure to nature can have on children. Bond speaks to Louv himself about this issue and how it relates to the UK specifically.
In addition to the experts and children, Bond also speaks to various organizations and businesses that are attempting to get more children to connect with nature. He visits a forest school, where children learn about nature and wildlife in an outdoor setting, and speaks with representatives from the National Trust and other organizations. He also meets with representatives from the British Retail Consortium to discuss the impact that advertising has on children's perceptions of nature.
Throughout the film, Bond's own personal journey to get his daughter and other children to connect with nature is interwoven with interviews, statistics, and facts about the state of nature in the UK and the impact that a lack of connection to nature is having on children. With humor and insight, Project Wild Thing ultimately makes a compelling case for the importance of spending time in nature and the impact that it can have on children's lives and the world around them.
Overall, Project Wild Thing is an engaging and thought-provoking documentary that raises important questions about the relationship between children and nature. The film skillfully weaves together various perspectives and experiences to make a compelling case for the importance of outdoor play and the urgent need to reconnect children with the natural world.
Project Wild Thing is a 2013 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 23 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7.