Renewal (film)

Renewal is a 2008 feature-length documentary film about religious-environmental activists. Directed and produced by American filmmakers Marty Ostrow and Terry Kay Rockefeller, the film includes eight stories that represent the growing religious-environmental movement. Each story is set in a different religious-tradition, addressing a different environmental concern. Renewal began airing on public television stations in the United States in April 2009.

Stories
The eight stories in Renewal are:
 * A Crime Against Creation: Evangelicals bear witness to mountaintop removal mining and the destruction of Appalachia (11:20 min.)
 * Going Green: GreenFaith in New Jersey helps congregations take the first steps to environmental action (14:20 min)
 * Food for Faith: Muslim tradition and charity forge bonds between urban communities and sustainable farms in Illinois (14:50 min)
 * Ancient Roots: The Teva Learning Center and Adamah in Connecticut bring environmental education together with Jewish tradition (17:30 min)
 * Compassion in Action: Green Sangha, a Buddhist community in northern California, leads a campaign to save trees (11:10 min)
 * Eco-Justice: The Holy Spirit inspires a battle against industrial contamination in small-town Mississippi (11:30 min)
 * Sacred Celebration: Catholics and Native Americans embrace religious ritual in a struggle to protect New Mexico’s land and water  (9:30 min)
 * Interfaith Power and Light: Across America people of all faiths mount a religious response to global warming (9:25 min)

Presentation history

 * In honor of World Environment Day 2008, Renewal was screened at the United Nations.
 * Renewal is featured in Humane Society of the United States’ “All Creatures Great and Small Campaign.”
 * Voted “Best of Fest” at the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival in Seattle.
 * Screened by over 1000 Interfaith Power and Light-affiliated congregations, in 29 states.
 * Showcased as a workshop at Bioneers by the Bay, a conference dedicated to visionary and practical solutions for restoring the Earth and its inhabitants.
 * An official selection of the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival and National Tour, the largest environmental film festival in the United States, a festival for activists by activists.

DVD release
The Renewal DVD includes the 90-minute sequence of the eight stories, as well as uncut stand-alone versions of the stories. It is being promoted as a flexible tool for community action groups, congregations, religious and environmental organizations.