Leonardo DiCaprio's 'Before the Flood' will be available to stream online for free

The makers of "Before the Flood" hope to get their documentary seen by as many global citizens as possible. The film has already been released in US movie theaters in New York and Los Angeles, presented at various film festivals -- including Toronto -- and screened at the United Nations and the White House. The documentary will now be shown Oct 30 on the National Geographic Channel in 171 countries and in 45 languages.

To ensure it reaches the biggest possible audience, the film will also be available to stream free online from Oct 30 to Nov 5. For one week, web users will be able to access the documentary on multiple platforms, including the National Geographic website, Natgeotv.com, and its application, available for Android, iPhone, iPad, and on Apple TV, PlayStation, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The film will also be available on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Google Play.

Featuring archive footage of dramatic scenes laying bare the current state of Planet Earth, the documentary highlights the problems linked to climate change and explores potential solutions to combat global warming.

Leonardo DiCaprio, who is a committed environmental activist, traveled to the four corners of the Earth to make the film, interviewing a host of scientists and politicians. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Ban Ki-Moon and even Pope Francis agreed to meet the actor to be interviewed on this critical issue. The Hollywood star hopes to get as many people as possible to watch the film, particularly Americans, who go the polls to elect a new president on November 8.

French filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand previously carried out a similar broadcast event in 2009 with "Home."

Produced by Luc Besson, the documentary -- which also alerts viewers to the damage and consequences of climate change -- was the first film to open on the same day in 181 countries and across platforms.