My Extinction
Josh Appignanesi’s latest and deeply personal documentary deals with climate change and Extinction Rebellion.
This is the third of Josh Appignanesi’s feature films to be described as a documentary. The first two were made jointly by him and his wife Devorah Baum and I saw the second of them, Husband. It was a work in which both appeared as themselves but it featured scenes that were dramatised in a way which suggested that an element of fiction was consciously incorporated (indeed the term "autofiction" was used in some of the publicity). Devorah is again seen in My Extinction but this time around Josh Appignanesi takes sole directorial credit. The fact that this latest work is concerned with climate change and the need to take action about it might lead one to expect that this new documentary would be far more conventional in style. Indeed, in essence it is. Nevertheless, Josh is very much the central figure and, in contrast to, say, Michael Moore or Nicholas Broomfield, this is not because he is seen interviewing people or leading some investigation. Although both Josh and Devorah were central in Husband, I felt that regardless of the title Josh hogged the film far too much and I now feel the same here.
However much Josh Appignanesi gives the impression that he adores being the centre of attention, he is even so always ready to be self-critical on screen. In My Extinction he presents himself initially as a man concerned about climate change but one ready to claim that he is too busy to do much more than sympathise. However, he does start to attend meetings and in the latter part of the film he appears to be the organiser of a protest by Writers Rebel set up outside 55 Tufton Street in Westminster which is the headquarters of a climate-sceptic group. More recently Just Oil protested in the very same place but Writers Rebel were there in September 2020 as I discovered when I checked it out (the film oddly enough includes a number of actions by them yet generally fails to give precise details regarding the year, the month or the day).
But, if Josh Appignanesi’s increasing involvement might be seen as a focus for the film, the only real benefit of a piece like this lies in the possibility of winning over new supporters for the cause. The London setting means that, although well photographed, My Extinction contains no images of devastation due to climate change which might draw converts. There is no commentary either, so what we get are bits and pieces including home footage of Josh, Devorah and their children that lead into short comments from those involved in Writers Rebel (some of their names are listed in the credits below). However, only in the Tufton Street scenes do we get longer extracts from the speeches and My Extinction gives the impression of speaking to the converted rather than containing anything likely to influence others.
The emphasis on Appignanesi himself does become more justified when he discusses turning down an offer to film a commercial for Esso because of what the company stands for, but the film would have been far more effective if the focus had been on Writers Rebel as such. Apparently the group consists of people who believe that words can and should be used to ensure a fairer and safer future for the world and it exists as part of Extinction Rebellion. But I wouldn't have learnt that from the film or indeed exactly how it came about even though several co-founders appear from time to time. Had the approach for this film been to tell the story of Writers Rebel it would easily have found authors ready to explain how it started and what it means to them - and that in words more detailed and informative than the extracts from their street comments featured here. Indeed, in that event the film might have encouraged fresh thought and attitudes, not least among those who, fearful of facing the reality of climate change, might yet be encouraged to confront it. But in the form adopted by this film I doubt that it will have any such impact.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Featuring Josh Appignanesi, Devorah Baum, Jessica Townsend, Chloe Aridjis, Peter Pomerantsev, Simon McBurney, Mark Rylance, Esther Stanford-Xosei, Ali Smith, Susie Orbach, A.L. Kennedy, Simon Schama, Zadie Smith, George Monbiot, Juliet Stevenson, Caroline Lucas.
Dir Josh Appignanesi, Pro Josh Appignanesi and Devorah Baum, Ph Josh Appignanesi, Courtney Andrews, Rich Felgate, Leon Friend and others, Ed Josh Appignanesi and Martin Macdonald, Music Orlando Weeks.
Minotaur Film-Dartmouth Films.
80 mins. UK. 2023. UK Rel: 30 June 2023. Cert. 15.
