This Film Shows Us How

“Riki Ott has worked, like so many activists before her, to protect us from allegedly ‘safe’ chemicals and ‘harmless’ environmental issues pushed by corporate interests and enabled by weak government oversight. But today, with our political system increasingly stripped of its democratic underpinnings and beholden to wealth, the need to address the links between ecological threats and economic/political ones has never been more pressing. This film shows us how to take that battle forward.”

DATE May 7, 2019 CATEGORY

BO BOUDART PRODUCTIONS presents DR. RIKI OTT & ULTIMATE CIVICS in "A CONCERNED CITIZEN: CIVICS IN ACTION" written by SUSAN UTELL & BO BOUDART videography by BO BOUDART music by MALCOLM PAYNE edited by SUSAN UTELL animation BILL GROSHELLE & ADAM PALMER distributed by BULLFROG FILMS digital strategy by NICOLE C. SCOTT directed by BO BOUDART

Reviews
Excellent
“Excellent… Dr. Riki Ott’s sense of the future follows a vector that leans toward those who will celebrate Earth Day in 2101. That vector is civics. It gives permission for youth to argue that their inheritance trumps short term gain because Ultimate Civics teaches them to give themselves permission to shape now what only they will live to see in 2101.”
Don Bunger, retired teacher
Highline High School
This Is a Clarion Call
“A Concerned Citizen presents complex ecological problems and troubling trends. This is a clarion call for people to get savvy and reclaim democracy by speaking out. See this film; be dedicated, persevere, and be the change. We’ll all be healthier if you do, including the planet.”
Rob Moir, President and Executive Director
Ocean River Institute
Viewers Walk Away Inspired
“A Concerned Citizen beautifully captures the sights and sounds of the places and people that Riki has dedicated her life to protecting and educating. We see the ecosystems in peril and hear the concern of citizens, and then experience Riki’s approach to empowering communities through knowledge and the confidence to act. Through testimonials and her own insights, viewers walk away inspired by her life’s work and catalyzed to take action.”
Jenny Wiedower, Senior Manager, K-12 Education
U.S. Green Building Council
Highly Recommended!
“Dr. Ott has used her voice as a scientist, activist, and citizen of the world to bring attention to the dangers of our fossil fueled society and the disproportionate health and environmental impacts experienced by people of color and low income communities. The reason why this film is powerful is because this story doesn’t end with telling us about the problems we face. Instead, it provides the viewer with both a history of how we got into this environmental mess, as well as a roadmap for how to move forward…Best of all, we learn about ways that we all can get involved in creating authentic democracy. Highly recommended!”
Anne Miller, Coordinator
South Seattle Climate Action Network
A Must See
“A must see video for anyone who wonders what he/she can do to change the world and needs a spark of inspiration. Like Riki Ott, we may begin to question one social problem (such as oil spills) and find that it leads us down a path to addressing an even bigger problem (decline of democracy), in ways that we never even imagined.”
Dr. Lisa A. Eargle, Professor and Chair of Sociology and Editor of Black Beaches and Bayous
Black Beaches and Bayous: The BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster
Inspiring Film
“Riki Ott is a tireless scientist/activist/educator who has devoted her life helping people and communities across the country take back their destiny fighting corporate greed and government regulatory failure. This inspiring film captures her indefatigable spirit and passion for democracy and a sustainable planet. Let it inspire others to take up the cause she so ably champions.”
David Donnenfield, Educational Technology/Filmmaker
David Donnenfield Productions
Couldn’t Be More Timely or Informative
“A Concerned Citizen is terrific, especially at the time of the Youth Climate Strike. This film documents the movement to curb the accumulating disaster of the fossil fuel economy and revitalize our democracy. It ranges from an eloquent scientist-activist to the accelerating student protest movement. It couldn’t be more timely or informative, and is inspiring for a wide range of audiences.”
Richard Tucker, Adjunct Professor, Natural Resources and Environment,
University of Michigan
This Film is Not Just About Oil Spills
“This film is not just about oil spills and environmental activism. It is about the critical link between the concentration of economic power, and how that has led to the concentration of political power. Every citizen, regardless of where they are in the political spectrum, needs to understand how political polarization is driven by wealth polarization. We can have a more responsive democracy by learning the lessons offered in this film.”
Daniel Craig McCool, Professor Emeritus, Political Science, University of Utah
Author, River Republic: The Rise and Fall of America's Rivers
Riki Will Inspire More Heroes and Activists
“Riki is one of the everyday citizens who will inspire more grassroots heroes and activists in America. They are sorely needed in this day and age.”
Hugh Kaufman, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This Film Shows Us How
“Riki Ott has worked, like so many activists before her, to protect us from allegedly ‘safe’ chemicals and ‘harmless’ environmental issues pushed by corporate interests and enabled by weak government oversight. But today, with our political system increasingly stripped of its democratic underpinnings and beholden to wealth, the need to address the links between ecological threats and economic/political ones has never been more pressing. This film shows us how to take that battle forward.”
Brian Allen Drake, Author
Loving Nature, Fearing the State: Environmentalism and Antigovernment Politics before Reagan
Beautifully Shot Film
“This beautifully shot film uses one woman’s story to give a powerful message about the link between threats to democracy and threats to the environment. It reminds us that each individual has a role to play and that ‘science and civics…go hand in hand.'”
Susan Clayton, Professor of Psychology and Environmental Studies
College of Wooster