ALAPPUZHA: A series of short films on climate change produced and directed by two Malayali youths has bagged the prestigious 2023 Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change’s (CMCC) Climate Change Communication Award “Rebecca Ballestra” in Florence, Italy.
Milan George Jacob of Mavelikkara and Shawn Sebastian of Kochi produced ‘Faces of Climate Resilience’, a 16-part short documentary series that captures the voices of people vulnerable to climate change in India.
The project stood out among 372 entries (and 25 finalists) from over 50 countries. CMCC Foundation, established in 2005 with the support of the Italian Ministries of Education and Environment, sponsors the award. Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a New Delhi-based think tank, co-produced ‘Faces of Climate Resilience’ in partnership with India Climate Collaborative, Edelgive Foundation and Drokpa Films.
Milan, a climate communication specialist at CEEW, was the creative producer. He also conceptualised the project. The films were directed by Shawn, an independent journalist and co-founder of Kochi-based Drokpa Films.
“Faces of Climate Resilience conveys a powerful message of resilience through filmmaking focusing on some of the most marginalised communities and climate-vulnerable areas in India. The project gives voice to those at the forefront of the impacts of climate change. The short films help expand our understanding not only of how climate change is affecting the most vulnerable communities, but also demonstrate the role of local knowledge and action in strengthening vulnerable communities’ resilience to the impacts of the climate emergency,” noted the jury members. The project strives to make the complex science and data around climate change more tangible through people’s experiences.
The focus is on how individuals and communities are adapting to climate crisis, especially by embracing nature-based solutions and using traditional wisdom.
The filmmakers captured the stories from Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand over nine months in 2021-22.
The stories from Kerala included how Idukki’s Cheruthoni town is making its infrastructure climate resilient after the 2018 flood, how residents of Kuttanad are modifying their houses to combat frequent waterlogging and how weavers in Ernakulam’s Chendamangalam recovered after the 2018 flood. Since its launch in August 2022, ‘Faces...’ has won awards at Documentaries Without Border International Festival (USA) and Aravali International Film Festival (India).
It’s also an official selection in the Kalamata International Short Documentary Festival (Greece) 2023, Goethe-Institut’s Science Film Festival (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) 2023, Urban Climate Film Festival (India) 2023, MediaOne Academy Film Festival 2023 (India) and Ankur Film Festival (India) 2022. Milan is the son of Jacob Varghese of Nadavalli, Kallumala, Mavelikkara, and Shawn is the son of former Ernakulam MP Sebastian Paul.