Greta Thunberg is a hot potato these days, given the sort of virulent divisiveness that her relentless climate activism generates. But Alexander von Humboldt had it way easier back in the 18th century. The German polymath and naturalist was one of the first people in history to highlight how human beings were digging their own grave when it comes to the environment. But his expansive theses didn't invite the vitriol that Thunberg does because "global warming" wasn't as contentious an issue back then as it is today. Yet, his overwhelming body of work is an important starting point to understand the confluence between science and ecological conservation.

And that's also why, on his 250th birth anniversary, Goethe Institut's Science Film Festival is themed on Humboldt, after whom Mumbai's resident penguins are named. The format of the fest is aimed towards inculcating a scientific temperament in schoolchildren. It's thus divided into two parts — screenings of films in schools across Mumbai along with accompanying workshops that align with the subject of each selected movie; and separate screenings for the public in Goethe Institut's library, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya and Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. The Institut's Bangkok outpost conceived of this festival four years ago, before its Delhi and Mumbai chapters picked it up in 2017. The theme changes every year, and we asked Amruta Nemivant of the organisation to give us five picks from the current list of films. Here is what she chose.