Q&A with 'I Am Greta' Director Nathan Grossman

By Karen Bliss

I Am Greta director Nathan Grossman could never have known that the pigtailed teenager he chose to film when she sat by the wall of the Swedish parliament in Stockholm that August of 2018,  holding a sign that read Skolstrejk för Klimatet (School Strike for Climate), would turn into an influential star, known simply by her first name, inspiring a global movement of young activists the likes of which had not been seen since the 60s.

“Adults say one thing and do something completely different all the time,” said the then-15-year-old, whose laser-focus has been attributed to her Asperger syndrome (she’s called it a “superpower”). “We have one planet and we should take care of it and yet no one gives a damn about climate change.”  Boy, was she wrong.  Her school strike for climate change, also known as Fridays For Future, brought out millions of people in 150 countries.

Greta Thunberg went on to meet with politicians, speak at assemblies and conferences, and show that one person can make a difference, while enduring name-calling and even death threats.  She walks the walk, talks the talk, living a strict vegan lifestyle, keeping her carbon footprint to a minimum, opting not to fly.  The film begins with a shot of her dangerous 15-day trip by sailboat in August 2019, on the Atlantic Ocean to New York City, in order to speak at the UN Climate Change Summit.

The doc will be available on Crave and other on-demand services, as of Nov. 13.

Samaritanmag’s Karen Bliss talked to director Grossman via Zoom about the unexpected unfolding of one of the world’s most important teen voices.