But, in this case, Zack found that, “the Brittany community was so refreshingly candid and generous that it gave me renewed hope for the power of true humanity in film,” he says. Brittany’s undeterred pursuit of environmental sustainability in the face of bigger foes was palpable. “I soon understood that for the Brittany community, protecting their coastline and natural world is central to their way of life,” Zack continues. From Gilbert – a man who shares the rubbish he collects from the beach – to local children who once were gleeful at the appearance of the phones, but now, as adults, comprehend the situation’s severity.
Silly Little Plastic Cat is an environmental tale, and Zack wanted the story to be told differently to other environmentally focused films – with the latter either being unintentionally depressing or, as he puts it, “particularly insurmountable”. “I think that reflects a general sense of ambivalence about the state of the environment.” With that in mind, Zack saw the opportunity to use this story and subject as a way of portraying global issues on a local scale. “Perhaps this is naive, but I’ve always found hope is a more powerful emotion than despair,” he says, “my goal with this film was to highlight the efforts of the Brittany community,” all the while showcasing how ingrained sustainability is within their lives. Hopefully, the film will leave the audience considering their own consumerist habits, all via a silly plastic cartoon cat. “As local resident Claire Simonen so eloquently says,” Zack ends, “‘the Garfield case is not over, and that’s a good thing because the message continues too’.”