Can shopping endanger our planet? It’s a question that has never crossed our minds when purchasing things that are necessary or gifts for loved ones.
The question is the subject of a short film Boxing Day Blues produced by London-based poet, artist, and model, Wilson Oryema, about how our growing consumption habit endangers the planet.
Debuting on Dazed Digital, the film begins with on a group of trees. As the camera moves on, more and more trees are revealed, all living (and growing) in their natural habitats. The film continues to show the unsettling life cycle of these trees as they become at the hands of humanity producing money, reaching the end phase of their perceived value on Boxing Day as they lay lifeless and scattered on the streets.
The poetic film addresses the themes of ‘consumption’ and ‘repurposing’ about human behaviour.
“I wanted to centre the video on something, a moment, that would be relatable to as many people as possible,” said Oryema in an interview with Dazed Digital.
“The Christmas period is a far-reaching cultural event, and so many people have fallen victim to the commercialisation that comes with it.”
The bold short feature educates a powerful message that we need to clean up our consumption habits. If we continue to enable this habit, we are going to ruin the planet.
When asked how can we practice careful consumption? Oryema says “We can all do things to help careful consumption and to become more aware of it,”
“But, no one size fits all. I can show my perspective, but really it’s your journey to take, just as much as it is my journey to take.”
Do you think shopping is endangering our planet?
