A REFRESHING BREAK from a genre saturated with hysterical, preachy agitprop, Bag It is a genuinely interesting documentary about the large and small impacts of that simple grocery-store question, “Paper or plastic?” At the center of the film is loveable dork Jeb Berrier, an average, balding Coloradoan who starts to get a little paranoid about the health and environmental effects of plastic bags. When his wife gets pregnant, the stakes get higher and Berrier decides to try and live a life without plastic. The film stays personal and playful as Berrier and director Suzan Beraza investigate the history of plastic and the scary power of the plastics industry.
Bag It seeps into your consciousness—did you know that plastic bags are the number-one consumer item in the world? I didn’t. At home, watching the DVD screener as it played cute animated science about how toxic phthalates ooze from plastic into humans, I put down my carrots (which were wrapped in plastic) and began to suspiciously eye all the plastic items in the room. As the debate about Oregon’s own statewide bag ban heats up, this enjoyable, thought-provoking plastics primer is perfectly timed.
The Grand Premiere will kick off this event Friday night with Chris Kokesh, singer/songwriter, playing at 6:30 pm, along with Junk to Funk Fashion. Special guests will include Sam Adams, and bill sponsors Sen. Mark Hass and Rep. Ben Cannon. An interactive post-film discussion will follow the film with the bill sponsors and filmmaker.
The film continues nightly through March 10 with a daily-changing array of local musicians, elected officials and fun activities. See the event schedule at http://www.bagitoregon.com.