The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil is absolutely must-see doco on Cuba's transition into a lower energy society. Richard Heinberg, peak oil guru and recent visitor to these shores, said:

"Everyone who is concerned about Peak Oil needs to see this film. Cuba survived an energy famine during the 1990s, and how it did so constitutes one of the most important and hopeful stories of the past few decades. It is a story not just of individual achievement, but of the collective mobilization of an entire society to meet an enormous challenge. Lest the point be missed, I will underscore it: this particular challenge – the problem of energy scarcity is one we will all be facing very soon."
Richard Heinberg, author, The Party's Over, Powerdown, and The Oil Depletion Protocol

Incidently, Richard's book The Party's Over was recently read by Bill Clinton who reportedly left it "full of underlinings and what looked like the most serious undergraduate’s markings, with lots of exclamation points."  So by implication I think it's fair to say that Bill Clinton recommends this as the best and most important movie he hasn't seen yet.

So 'Eat The Suburbs' screened it a couple of times in the city (Melbourne) recently with good crowds and good times. 

It worked really well with a 15 minute excerpt (the last 15 minutes) of A History of Oil by comedian Robert Newman, as a warm up vid.  It's brilliant comedy, bringing the message of peak oil with equal parts sugar and medicine.  You can watch the whole thing online at google video.

The wonderful Pamela Morgan who has worked in Cuba for a several years in urban agriculture/permaculture efforts, joined us for the second screening on 7th September. She was a little emotional, seeing so many friends in the film. The Q&A with her afterwards was really enlightening, and not a single person left after the film and hung around to hear it.  Her insights into the Cuban culture and structural systems really fleshed out the film.  I've recorded an interview with Pamela which I'll post on the site soon.  Pamela also set up the wonderful Collingwood Children's Farm starting in the late 70s with a single cow and a paddock.  It's now a functional urban farm with community garden plots and lots of educational stuff for kids.  It's probably the nicest place in Melbourne to escape the urban gloom.  She's heading back to Cuba soon, and also going to Argentina to look at some Havana-like urban agriculture projects there, and how they work within a capitalist system.  Very important research!

Anyway the film is a great way to show that peak oil doesn't have to be a total disaster, nor do the solutions have to be big, centralised and polluting.  One of the Yarra City Councilors came to the first screening, and now Yarra is doing their own screening at the Richmond Town Hall, that and other event details below. 

More info and ordering The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

The following are also FREE events hosted by City of Yarra

‘Don’t reinvent the wheel’, lessons from Europe and North America for sustainable transport planning by Susie Strain (Metropolitan Transport Forum) and Chris Loader (Bus Association Victoria).
Monday 16 October, 6.00pm – 8.00pm at the Richmond Town Hall.

‘The Power of Community’ – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (DVD 53 minutes) kindly provided by local resident Glenda Lindsay – www.communitysolution.org/cuba.
Monday 30 October, starting at 6.00pm at the Richmond Town Hall.

‘End of Suburbia’ – Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream (DVD 78 minutes) – www.endofsuburbia.com
Monday 20 November, starting at 6.00pm at the Richmond Town Hall.