A Statement — NYFF Review

In 1980, a group of environmental activists, scientists, policymakers, lawyers, and other professionals gathered in St. Petersburg, Florida, for a conference with a mandate from Congress to draft a statement on how to address the effects of carbon dioxide emissions on the climate. This conference is one microcosm of Nathaniel Rich’s 2019 non-fiction book, Losing Earth, but it’s the focus of Tom McCarthy’s new film, A Statement. Based on Rich’s book and the meeting transcripts, McCarthy penned the screenplay with Thomas Bidegain and Noé Debré. What’s ironic, however, is that although the film takes its title from the meeting’s objective, A Statement itself feels much more like a dialogue. Furthermore, its urgent subject matter is likely to spark conversations among moviegoers.