Youth V Gov
Youth V Gov
Directed by Christi CooperPremiered at DOCNYC film festival on November 11th, 2020
Photo credit: Robin Loznak
YOUTH v GOV is the story of America’s youth taking on the world’s most powerful government. Since 2015, twenty-one plaintiffs, ages 11 to 22, have been suing the U.S. government over their constitutional rights to a safe climate system. Their case shines a light on over 50 years of direct government action, including knowing about the extreme dangers of climate change to future generations, locking us into a fossil fuel-based national energy system, and prioritizing corporate profit over its citizens. They are armed with a wealth of evidence from experts, whistleblowers, and their own testimonies of climate impacts. YOUTH v GOV follows these plaintiffs’ personal journeys as they demand a recovery plan designed to stabilize the climate system by 2100 and the government takes extraordinary measures to get the case dismissed.
Legal experts call this case the “most important lawsuit on the planet," but it's more than just a legal battle. This is a revolution designed to hold those in power accountable for the past and responsible for a sustainable future. And many of the movement’s leaders aren’t even old enough to vote. (Yet.)
Executive Producers: Linda A. and David J. Cornfield