The Chances of the World Changing

New Yorker Richard Ogust has somehow found himself as a champion for an environmental cause which threatens to consume him. After rescuing a terrapin from a Chinese restaurant, one thing has led to another and he has turned his loft into a sanctuary for rare, endangered turtles. 1200 of these marvellous creatures soon find their way to him. With his apartment and his relationship with the authorities at breaking point, he sets out to find a solution in the form of a research institution in New Jersey. Ogust is a reasonable, resourceful and thoughtful man who finds himself in a completely irrational situation. His dilemma is that faced by many environmentalists—the need to do something is obvious and immediate but the personal cost can be enormous. Ogust emerges as one of the most articulate and reflective victims of the ecology wars. As he says, “In your grave, process doesn’t matter. It’s getting it done that matters.”

A triumphant film... [ The Chances] stands as an object lesson in the kind of inspired things that are possible within slender means.

CinemaScope