More than a decade after An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore and husband-and-wife duo Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk have released a sequel to the Academy Award-winning documentary.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gore discussed the long road to the sequel, the continuing threats of climate change, and his hope for the new administration.
The original documentary 11 years ago set a high bar for the sequel, but the positive reception to An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power may be a sign that it, too, will make just as big an impact.
The sequel was received by audiences at the Sundance 2017 with a standing ovation when it premiered on Jan. 19, followed by a line of excellent reviews.
A Decade In The Making
While 10 years may seem like a long time to follow up with a sequel, the former vice president reveals that talks about a sequel began five years ago but launched just roughly two years prior to the premiere.
In the two years that passed, the production team followed Gore in his talks with world leaders and in his leadership trainings.
The sequel follows the format of the original documentary, but Truth to Power culminates at the historic Paris Agreement where world leaders pledged to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the following years. The goal is to have net-zero emissions by the turn of the century.
Gore believes that, in the decade following An Inconvenient Truth, he has seen many deniers change their tone about the issue. He admits that many have been educated on climate change and more have stepped up to take action.
But there are aggressive deniers who push hard to dismantle the scientific basis of man-made climate change.
Gore's Politics And Why He's Hopeful For Trump
In light of the recent elections, the former VP also discussed his sentiments over the defeat of Democratic presidential bet Hillary Clinton. She lost the election despite winning the popular vote just like Gore did in the 2000 presidential election against George W. Bush.
The timing of An Inconvenient Sequel couldn't be any more opportune as it came just a day before the inauguration of a new president, whose previous statements about climate change seem to echo a denial.
In the interview, Gore described President Donald Trump's demeanor during their meeting as "receptive." The climate advocate is confident that he can turn the new president around despite the many known climate change deniers seeking a position in his cabinet.
Interestingly, Gore admires the new president's purported ally, Vladimir Putin, and his progressive views on climate change. He praised Putin's admirable speech at the Paris Climate Conference
Amid high hopes that the Trump administration will take part in the international agreement, Gore is still ready to fight should the need arise.
"I and others are ready to do battle if that's necessary, and I have a feeling that to some degree, it will be," Gore shared in the interview.
