Movie spotlights community action

Ordinary Timaruvians got to feel like stars at the world premiere of a film about environmental issues.

The green carpet was rolled out at Movie Max last night for the world premiere of In Transition, a documentary about the burgeoning "Transition Town" movement.

Scores of people attended the sold-out screening, which Transition Timaru organisers hoped would raise awareness about the movement.

The Timaru premiere was one of eight simultaneous screenings held across the country.

The Transition movement was started in Ireland in 2005. The movement hoped to address climate change and peak oil issues through community-based initiatives.

More than 1000 cities worldwide are registered Transition Towns, with Timaru the eighth New Zealand town to receive official accreditation.

Transition Timaru committee member Bob Calkin said the time had come for communities to bind together to solve environmental issues.

He said the film was inspiring.

"I'm a retired sociologist so I follow these issues with great interest, and what intrigued me was that during the Great Depression, society by and large didn't fall apart," Mr Calkin said.

"I think it shows the importance of community resilience.

"Even if you don't think that climate change and peak oil is a threat, no-one can deny that we would all be better off by turning our bright ideas into solutions."

Mr Calkin said the Transition Timaru's initiatives would include a farmers' market, tree-pruning demonstrations, composting lessons and workshops on renewable energy.

Fellow committee member Steve Earnshaw said more than 300 people had joined the Transition Timaru mailing list since May.

"It's a way of addressing serious environmental issues in a positive manner without making it seem too depressing or hard," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News