The Green Film is the environmental equivalent of Tristram Shandy: its humour is derived from characters so preoccupied with minor details that they never get around to telling the story. A five-minute Candian-produced short currently touring festivals, The Green Film follows the behind-the-scenes exploit of a movie production determined to be the most environmentally-friendly shoot ever. The film makes pointed fun not at the science of global warming, but rather at the wrongheaded way some people approach it.

“The food’s organic, it’s locally grown,” proudly states The Director (Jonathon Young). “All the lightbulbs are CFLF, cosmetics are totally cruelty free… Every one of [the crew] has been supplied with a water bottle so they hit the tap, none of that disposable crap.” He gets snippy towards his leading lady for being driven to the set in a non-hybrid car. Later, we find that he is using a medieval village set as a substitute for a hospital set (“To build a new set in the modern day and age is morally reprehensible”) before being confronted by the actress in a very funny monologue about the full environmental ramifications of the filmmaking process.

Written by Mark Leiren-Young, (winner of a Stephen Leacock Memorial Award for humour) and directed by Andrew Williamson, The Green Film has, in the words of an e-mail from its PR company, “kept racking up honours.” It was recently selected as one of three finalists for the “Best Mini Short” award at the 2009 California Independent Film Festival, and will be one of only five shorts screened at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival. It’s not hard to see why: the film is clever and funny, and it has a lot to say about the shallow self-centredness with which many approach a crisis.

Global warming is serious business, but I saw an interview with Jackie Chan not long ago where he was explaining the various ways he was trying to save the environment. Chan said quite earnestly that he encouraged his stuntmen not to flush the toilets until the end of the day, and also revealed that he washes his underwear while he showers. Sheryl Crow, meanwhile, reportedly said that she’s doing her thing for Mother Nature by only using one square of toilet paper on each bathroom visit. I hope they both see The Green Film.

The Green Film can be viewed at www.thegreenfilm.com.