Joaquin Phoenix Joins Extinction Rebellion, Amazon Watch For Climate Film

Joaquin Phoenix has joined hands with environmental group Extinction Rebellion and Amazon Watch for a short film on climate change. The 2-minute movie highlights the importance of tackling climate change before it gets too late.

In a press release obtained by Variety, the 45-year-old actor is said to appear in the short film “Guardians Of Life,” which is part of the new campaign that encourages people to do more to save the planet. The movie will tell the people about various aspects of the ecological emergency and how it can be tackled.

The “Joker” star will be a member of the medical team doing everything to save a person who is dying of heart failure in the operation theatre. Other notable names in the short film include Rosario Dawson, Oona Chaplin, Matthew Modine, Q’orianka Kilcher and musician Albert Hammond Jr.

Talking about the movie, the “You Were Never Really Here” actor noted that it was really important for him to be part of it. He further stated that it is important to tell the world how badly we are treating Mother Nature and how negatively it has started to affect us. Phoenix also believes that the world still has some time left to undo the wrongdoings and do something that could benefit our future generations.

“The fact is that we are clear-cutting and burning rainforests and seeing the negative effects of those actions worldwide. People do not realize there is still time, but only if we act now and make sweeping changes to our consumption,” Phoenix said.

The esteemed actor concluded by saying that people cannot wait for the government to solve such issues when in fact it is everyone’s “personal responsibility” to make changes.

“We can't wait until the election to try to make these changes. We have a personal responsibility to make changes in our own lives and act now,” Phoenix said.

Directed by Shaun Monson, “Guardians Of Life” is one of the 12 films talking about climate change.

Phoenix has always been vocal about animal rights and climate change. After winning the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor, the “Her” actor spent his time in Vernon outside a slaughterhouse to comfort pigs who were being taken inside. At the time, he explained that most people do not know about the pain the animals go through every day since the meat and dairy industry has proven to be really “torturous” for pigs.

Last year, the four-time Academy Award-nominee was named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal’s (PETA) Person of the Year.