"A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people.”
Today, those solar panels are a museum piece. Carter's words set the tone for the tragically prophetic theme running through the new documentary "A Road Not Taken."
The documentary follows what happened to the solar system after it was taken down from the roof of the White House by Ronald Reagan. Through interviews with Carter and others they follow the path of the energy policies dismantled along with the panels.
In another speech, Carter said the energy crisis would test our ability to govern and lead ourselves as a nation. It's a test America failed miserably. I felt a mix of frustration and anger as I watched clips of Carter's emotional appeal to deal with the energy crisis. Why did his challenge go unanswered?
It's interesting to see the perspective of two foreign filmmakers as they look for the answer to that question.
Since the directors are Swiss, I was hoping for a Bergman-esque landscape shot as two people speak about death or the futility of love. Then I remembered that Swedish is totally different than Swiss. doh! There's nothing that bleak in their documentary, but they do have beautiful landscape scenes as the solar panels are driven back to DC for display in a museum.
Even as Carter sounds like a prophetic voice from the wilderness, the directors don't shy away from challenging him. Their question about his speech defining middle eastern oil as a vital national security interest is one of the movie's best scenes.
Sometimes, in order to move forward, we have to look back and learn from our mistakes. That's what makes this documentary essential for people who remember the Reagan years and for young people taking the nation's energy future down a new road.
A Road Not Taken will have its Midwestern premiere Tuesday at the Springfield Environmental Film Festival.