Rankin, Richard Curtis and Extinction Rebellion ask governments, #WhereIsYourPlan?

A star-studded creative team and cast have come together for One Lifetime, a campaign film for Extinction Rebellion demanding action from global governments to tackle the climate and ecological emergency. Jordan Rossi has directed the film as part of creative agency Rankin, based on a concept by rom-com king and Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis that features a cast spanning ages eight to 80 – “voices representing a lifetime” – asking world leaders #WhereIsYourPlan?

The cast of actors, musicians, presenters, comedians, directors, activists and more, each speak to the camera in quintessential Rankin style, shot in black-and-white on a classic photoshoot backdrop, focusing all attention on the all-important demands. “We demand our governments reduce global carbon emissions to zero within ten years,” says activist Nimco Ali at the crux of the film. Ellie Goulding states that “we demand that we are involved in the decision making,” while a host of other stars demand the end of support for the fossil fuel economy, investment in a green economy, clean rivers, healthy soil, a “fair and just plan” that addresses global inequality, and training for all ages to “help us all make a new start” says Jim Carter.

The likes of Imelda Staunton, Simon Amstell, Chris Packham, Bella Lack, Daisy Cooper, Daisy Lowe, Jaime Winston, Jo Wood and Stephen Frears also make an appearance. Most poignantly, the film ends back with the eight-year-old Ella Myers stating that “we only have my lifetime left”.

The film was produced by Extinction Rebellion’s Peter Myers, and coincides with XR’s first birthday as well as six months since the UK Parliament declared an environment and climate emergency. “If the British Government were to cut carbon emissions within the so-called carbon budget we have, we would need to go from 1.5 per cent annual cut to about 24 per cent,” says Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion. “That needs a serious plan. Our children, our future and our wildlife need our Government to step up and face reality.”

Chris Packham also commented: “Time has run out. It’s act now or face almost unimaginable consequences for life on Earth. So if the drivers of change are asleep at the wheel, it’s time to shake and wake them with one hand and to empower ourselves to make our own differences with the other.”

Last month, Gorillaz illustrator Jamie Hewlett collaborated with Extinction Rebellion to create a new artwork to be projected on the UK’s Houses of Parliament. Hewlett said of the portrait, depicting a hooded XR activist, and the projection event that “now it would appear that disobedience is the only way to achieve anything”.