ACDI Film Festival Screening Event Highlighted the Impacts of Climate Change
In October 2023, the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) hosted a special screening of the 2023 Africa Human Rights Film Festival. This event used film as a powerful tool to generate robust debate, empower African citizens, raise awareness, and promote respect for human rights in marginalized communities, including rural areas and townships.
The screening featured two climate change-related films from the festival, Between The Rains and The Total System – Anatomy of a Multinational Energy Company, followed by a panel discussion with climate change experts from ACDI and representative from festival partner Oxfam.
Between The Rains - Filmed over four consecutive years of record-low annual precipitation in northern Kenya, "Between the Rains" was a collaboration with the Turkana-Ngaremara community. This film provided a traditional voice to the global conversation on climate change, highlighting the lens of cultural extinction. The documentary was directed by Andrew H. Brown, Moses Thuranira
The Total System – Anatomy of a Multinational Energy Company - Directed by Jean-Robert Viallet, this documentary delved into the heart of Total, one of the world's largest oil companies, now rebranded as TotalEnergies. It explored the company's efforts to transition from oil to energy and questioned the effectiveness of the ecological transition it had promoted.
Following the screenings, a panel of experts discussed the implications of climate change as portrayed in the films, and broader issues of climate action and sustainability. Panelists included: Chris Trisos (ACDI), Britta Rennkamp (ACDI), Andrew Bogrand (Oxfam), Gina Ziervogel (ACDI), Marieke Norton (ACDI), Sib Mazomba (UCT)
The event provided an engaging evening of film and discussion. It served as a platform for raising awareness about the critical issue of climate change and its impact on communities across Africa.
For more information about the festival, visit www.ahrff.com.