Anne Pruvost Talks About Her Passion For The Planet And Her Pledge To Raise Awareness

Director and filmmaker Anne Pruvost gives us an insight to what makes her mind tick and why she is so passionate about saving the planet!

Hi Anne, it's great to catch up with you again. Let’s talk about one of your other passions, saving the earth and taking care of the planet. Have you always had this same passion and do you feel like this has grown more and more over the years, after seeing how dire the situation is? 

 

Being a hyper sensitive person means that you are by definition deeply in touch with your feelings and the ones of others and of what surrounds you. I definitely am hyper sensitive and I grew up with a dad who’s always been mindful of how he would consume and aware of the ecological issues we were facing. So yes, I always have been very tuned into the environmental problem and the terrible problems and harm we as a species, are causing. But I think I didn’t always know how to take action and do my share of the work to try and get people to realize how dangerous our behaviors are. But over the last decade, I’ve been really feeling the urge to act and be more responsible. Obviously, social media and instant knowledge access has pushed me to be better informed and really understand what we’re up against. It definitely pushed me away from my advertising work as a producer, since I believe changing the way we consume - or rather over-consume - is key to saving our species and our planet.

 

We are bombarded by commercials, and they are a constant encouragement to abide by our over consumerism state of mind, in which the need to get and accumulate more goods is all that seems to matter. Commercials push us to keep buying, to keep consuming. And the nonsensical simplicity we’ve been given to get anything we want, anytime we want it, thanks to the internet, seems to be the only way to find happiness in our day and age. I find it absurd, and definitely non sustainable. So, to be the voice of consumerism as a producer for commercials, is the polar opposite of what I now believe in. We need to change the way we picture ourselves and add in to the picture our relationship to our planet. We are guests of the earth, and cannot think of ourselves as free from its rules. Resources are getting more and more scarce and without them, our society as we know it, will implode. I think there are other ways to consume, that are less frantic and more in tune with the ways of nature.

  

You also collaborated with Chloe Trujillo, who is also equally as passionate about the planet. What have you guys worked on together so far? And what is the message? 

 

Chloe and I are collaborating on her first album, Mothers of a New Nation, and as the title suggests it, she sings for change, and she writes to denounce some of the problems we face. As the director of her music videos, we found each other on a common ground, and it was immediately natural for both of us to collaborate. Music is a powerful medium to express feelings and thoughts, and songs are nowadays too polished, too politically correct it seems. titles like Propaganda or Corporation are clearly a cry to denunciate a system that has become uncontrollable--and in which the race to more riches and higher standards of living is now hurting us. And through us, it is hurting our planet, also. Titles like Tide or Here We Are are more of a reflection on how we see ourselves, introspective thoughts that push us to rethink on a personal level the way we act, the way one perceive ourselves. A gentle nudge to try and let ourselves see things differently, and not act as a mindless mass. So very evidently, Chloe's message and my efforts, my own convictions are linked, and we are trying to express our worries and feelings through music and film. Those have the power of touching souls often more profoundly than written words. It’s a different medium but no less powerful, and definitely as essential.  

 

Are you working on any other ventures right now to raise awareness for the planet? I understand you would love to also collaborate somehow with Global Green? 

 

I decided to do a partnership between my production company Open House and Ecomindset, a company that offers eco friendly and waste free solutions for any type of shoots in LA. All the waste that comes with catering on set is taken care of, recycled or composted and the food waste is given to food banks so as to reduce the ecological impact from the entertainment industry. I am also partnering as a producer with an eco friendly and waste free company whose goal is to encourage people to rethink the way they consume beauty and household products--and get them to understand that plastic is deadly for our entire eco system.

 

We propose alternative solutions to chemicals, and try to reconnect our customers with the smells of nature and the benefits of pure and organic ingredients. Those are obviously small endeavors, the scale of which I am aware won’t necessarily change things right away, but I am an optimist who believes in the butterfly effect--and if these kinds of efforts can inspire others, then at least it is worth pursuing them. I think only a change in our habits can alter the course of where things are going, and if we are to succeed, we have to really kick ourselves now. What Global Green is doing is an amazing source of inspiration for me and for millions of others. I am in awe of the effort and the reach it is having. It would be a dream to collaborate with such an organization and spread the word of wisdom that we need urgent action.