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LIGHTS, CAMERA, RECYCLE!
Film aims at helping kids become eco-wise
GEN7-FILM1-12-18-10
Producer Harry Mok, center, goes over a scene one more time during Friday’s filming in the Gen 7 eco-friendly classroom at American Modular Systems in Spreckels Park. - photo by HIME ROMERO
Harry Mok wants to alert kids to how much of an impact recycling can actually make.

The Manteca actor, director and producer is partnering up with 7th Generation Recycling to put out a film for elementary school kids that outlines just how far recycling everyday products can go – whether it’s old denim that’s used for insulation or aluminum cans used for window frames.

On Friday, Mok had his crew of more than a dozen set-up at the American Modular System’s campus on Speckels Avenue inside of the Gen7 Green Learning Center – a state-of-the-art modular building being marketed to school districts that is sustainable and green-friendly.

With more than a year invested in making the film thus far, Mok – who broke into Hollywood as a stuntman and has since focused his efforts on producing and directing – is hoping to wrap-up production soon so that the film can start to be distributed by the middle of next year.

“It’s a message that I think is really important for the youth of today and the film stresses that importance with facts and numbers that are somewhat startling,” Mok said. “It’s geared towards a younger audience, but we’re in talks right now of possibly having it on PBS at some point when it wraps up.

“We’re really excited about this project and the impact it can make.”

After partnering up with 7th Generation’s Chief Executive Officer Charlene Nijmeh, the two came up with a script and an idea that would continue to be refined up and until it came time to capture the images on camera.

With Nijmeh’s Native American heritage serving as an important backdrop to the film, the producers wanted to stress the precious quality of earth’s natural resources, and how when the supply finally runs out there will be no replenishment.

Some facts listed in the film include:

•How our billion pounds of carpet go to landfills every year.

•How 1,000 square-feet of carpet is the equivalent of 25 trees.

•How if the polar ice-caps melt, the water level of the oceans will rise by 200 feet – causing massive flooding.

•How one-quart of used motor oil can pollute 2,000,000 gallons of fresh drinking water.

And even though emphasis is placed on recycling materials like paper, glass, plastic and aluminum, 7th Generation is making the push to emphasize the recycling of textiles like old jeans, clothes and shoes that can be turned into something new rather than having it rot in a landfill for thousands of years.

“We’re really hoping to push this message to schools across the country,” Mok said. “I think that it’s a very important lesson, and it’s something that we can’t afford to ignore.”

For more information about the San Jose-based 7th Generation Recycling, visit their website at www.7grecycling.com.