Kiss the Ground, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, has a mission to “awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration” and inspire participation through media, communications, courses, immersive programming, and advocacy. Established in 2013, Kiss the Ground’s goal has been to create societal awareness around “the extraordinary potential of healthy soil.” And nothing does that better than the organization’s new film, “Kiss The Ground,” which premieres on Netflix on September 22, 2020. Narrated by and featuring Woody Harrelson, “Kiss The Ground” dramatically illustrates that soil is “the first viable solution to our climate crisis.” There is nothing quite so amazing and beautiful than film footage of destroyed soils being brought back to life via regenerative agricultural practices that include application of compost, biosolids and other recycled organics. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with NASA and NOAA footage, the film illustrates how soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle because of its ability to draw carbon from the atmosphere. “This movie is positioned to catalyze a movement that will accomplish the seemingly impossible — to balance the climate and secure our species’ future,” according to the promoters.

“Kiss The Ground” provides historical context to how the simple act of plowing fields for cultivation created a landscape for soil erosion. Since World War II, conventional agricultural practices have further depleted soils. These realities are very familiar to organics recyclers, many of whom are on the front lines of working in urban and rural communities, developed and developing nations, to advance the practices of building soil health. It is heartening to see programs on the big screen that BioCycle has championed, including LA Compost, installations of composting toilets in Haiti and elsewhere around the world, and the City of San Francisco’s food waste and yard trimmings collection program. Recology was a pioneer in marketing compost made from the collected organics to farms and vineyards in the region.

Initial footage for the film was shot 9 years ago in Africa by Executive Producer Ian Somerhalder, who joined forces with the film’s directors, Josh and Rebecca Tickell — along with Kiss The Ground — to make a movie that showed viewers how to turn deserts back into lush ecosystems while reversing climate change. The result has been an almost decade-long journey to produce “Kiss The Ground,” which includes footage from around the world showing the reversal of ecological damage and giving a playbook for the restoration of land. “This film represents the culmination of tens of thousands of hours of research by scientists around the world who have finally cracked the code on managing climate change — before it’s too late,” says Josh Tickell.