Directed by Nils Bökamp • Documentary • 2020 • 43 minutes

Day Zero is portraying climate change in a different way - by immersing the viewer in nature’s bounty and by listening to stories told by local people. Filmmaker Nils Bökamp has identified unique spots around the world where nature’s pristine wilderness and beauty are threatened to be lost by the effects of climate change. 

Episode 3: Austria and Bhutan - A Glimpse Into the Future

This episode stands for reflection. What can each individual do to perserve nature and our planet? Does our consumerist behaviour have a future? How can we learn to look differently at what we buy and at what we really need? 

These questions lead Nils to Bhutan, a small country with the Himalaya in the north and India to its south. Whereas Europe has already faced the limits of growth in the 70's, Bhutan has nearly been left untouched by any industrial revolution. People have been living as farmers and in balance with nature. Bhutan has been brave in turning their agriculture to purly organic by 2020. They have exchanged the GDP for GNH – Gross National Happiness. Nils meets Dr. Julia Kim, Head of the GNH Centre, in Thimphu. What can we learn from the Bhutanese philosphy and how can we transport their ideas into our daily lives?

Back in Europe, Nils hikes to Pasterze Glacier in Austria. Also in the Alps, the retreat of these icy giants is enormous. The art installation For Forest in the football stadium in Klagenfurt, Austria, asks what is around the corner if we don't change our behaviour. What if this is what our future would look like?