Radical Media, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, has announced the upcoming release of its documentary, Paris to Pittsburgh. Popular actress and activist Rachel Brosnahan (Beautiful Creatures, House of Cards) will narrate the film, which follows individuals who are battling the worst effects of climate change in some of the more strongly affected locations, mainly in the US. The film features stories behind climate-related recovery and resiliency, as well as innovative efforts to reduce carbon emissions. It showcases cities, businesses, and citizens taking their own action in the face of federal inaction.

The film also addresses some of the political decisions which impact on environmental disasters, such as the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the various ways people and organisations are pushing back. The central focus is on Pittsburgh, a formerly coal-dependent city, which has chosen to lead the way in energy efficiency and the rejection of environmentally unsound practices. The film’s message, according to executive producer Katherine Oliver, is that despite political decisions to abandon environmental efforts, the people of America are “not walking away from climate action.”

Paris to Pittsburgh is produced by a team of experienced filmmakers and co-directed by established television directors Sidney Beaumont and Michael Bonfiglio. The organisation which brought them together, Bloomberg Philanthropies, is the philanthropic arm of billionaire businessman Mike Bloomberg’s empire. The production was managed by Radical Media, a multi-award winning studio which produced such well-known films as The Fog of War, The Fourth Estate, Mars, and Year Million, along with music documentaries on Nina Simone, Keith Richards, and Metallica, and current events and political documentaries.

National Geographic Films will broadcast Paris to Pittsburgh worldwide on 12 December.