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Film club: One Last Farm
The “Reel Nature” Film clubs concluded the academic year with a screening of “One Last Farm,” directed by Nikki Dodd. This film illustrates the struggles of Yew Tree Farm, a vital biodiversity haven in Bristol. Audience discussions highlighted the importance of valuing nature and encouraged personal connections to local ecosystems. And we finished with this…
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Film Club: Fighting for the Underdog
This month’s film club showcased “Fighting for the Underdog,” a documentary by One Kai. It tells a story about the spurdog shark and emphasises the interconnectedness of marine stakeholders. The film provoked discussions on conservation perspectives, urging the audience to seek underrepresented voices. It highlights the complex relationships between fishermen and the environment, advocating for…
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Film Club: Fashion ReImagined
Our film club took part in the Future Citizen Sustainable Fashion Week, screening “Fashion ReImagined,” a documentary that followed designer Amy Powney’s mission to create a sustainable fashion line. The film prompted discussions about industry practices and inspired the audiences’ hope for change. We were left understanding the importance of questioning brands, and making informed…
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Film Club: Buy Now!
The Reel Nature film club collaborated with the MAKERS Project to watch Buy Now! A Netflix documentary about overconsumption that reveals the marketing tricks used to lure us into buying more. It sparked emotional discussions among viewers about manipulation and personal responsibility. We all expressed guilt, outrage, and hope, emphasizing the need to consume less…
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Film Club: On Thin Ice – Putin V Greenpeace
We screened “On Thin Ice: Putin V Greenpeace” at our last film club, prompting discussions on media responsibility, climate messaging, and the effectiveness of dramatic storytelling. Audience feedback highlighted the importance of presenting truthful narratives and the need for awareness of what impact storytelling tools may have on an audience. And everyone wanted to finish…
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Film Club: Protest in the Land of Plenty
The film club hosted a UK Premier of “How to Protest in the Land of Plenty” (2023). A powerful film about activists occupying Altdorf forest in Southern Germany to prevent its destruction. The activists’ diverse, creative approaches to protest were so inspiring and motivating. The film left a strong impact with its message for community,…
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Film Club: Chasing Ice
The film club screened “Chasing Ice,” a campaign film highlighting James Balog’s journey to document climate change in the Arctic. Audience reactions were overwhelmingly positive, finding inspiration in Balog’s sacrifices. While some felt disconnected due to the film’s characters and setting, discussions revealed a desire to engage more deeply with environmental issues at the film’s…
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Film Club: 2040
My monthly environmental film club at UWE attempts to engage students and staff in discussions on climate and environmental justice. This month’s film “2040”, directed by Damon Gameau’s inspires hope by highlighting existing solutions to environmental crises. After the screening we had great discussions about the variety of solutions that actually already exist, the topics…
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Conferences: Critical Studies in Television 2024
I presented at my first conference! The Critical Studies in Television Conference 2024 was hosted by Edge Hill University online for 2 weeks in June and July. It focused on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and featured amazing discussions on how television can inspire change. Here is a snippet about my nerve-wracking experience giving my…
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Imaginary Book club: How to Be Animal
Melanie Challenger’s “How to Be Animal” beautifully challenges the human-animal dichotomy, exploring its implications on society and the environment. The book delves into the historical, religious, and scientific perspectives on human-animal distinctions, shedding light on how these ideas shape societal hierarchies and environmental attitudes. Reconsidering our relationship with animals is therefore crucial for social justice…
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Imaginary Book club: My Life in Sea Creatures
In “My Life in Sea Creatures,” Sabrina Imbler intricately weaves her personal experiences with the lives of underwater animals, offering a captivating and educational journey. The book immersed me in a surreal exploration of identity and compassion, provoking a deep connection with Imbler and the more-than-human world. The emotional and personal healing journey shared through…
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Imaginary Book club: Bitch
Lucy Cooke’s “Bitch” challenges traditional scientific assumptions about gender, sex and behaviour in the animal kingdom. The book exposes biases and binary thinking in evolutionary biology and calls for a new understanding that shapes our relationship with the more-than-human world. Reading Cooke’s work prompted critical self-reflection as it encouraged me to examine my own biased…
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Imaginary Book club: The Unexpected Truth About Animals
“The Unexpected Truth About Animals” by Lucy Cooke challenges conventional wisdom about nature with its surprising and humorous stories. It prompted me to question societal narratives about the natural world. This thought-provoking book encourages readers to redefine their relationship with nature. Now I urge you to consider the impact of these cultural stories on climate,…
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Imaginary Book club: Queer Ecology
In a world of more time, I dream of hosting a book club to explore “queer ecology”. The field of queer ecology rejects labels and perceived norms, challenging society’s relationship with nature. It also intertwines with my PhD research on Natural History documentaries and their communication of global crises. Take a look for my list…
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Events: Festival for Nature – Netflix’s Life on Our Planet
The Bristol and Bath “Festival of Nature” showcased a diverse range of activities for all ages, including Natural History documentaries and behind-the-scenes insights. The talk about the Life on Our Planet series revealed filmmaking techniques used to frame the prehistoric scenes within the series, while also highlighting the interconnectedness of species today. Through this message,…
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Home: Fences
I may not be a photographer, but I taking photos helps me to string together thoughts when I am walking. This post explores a trail of thoughts around the concept of ‘belonging’. It questions where humans and the more-than-human might belong and what they might call ‘home’. Are the homes of the human and the…
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Resources: Climate Communication Toolkits
I have about half a billion website bookmarked, pdfs, webinars and lecture notes that discuss various methods, tips and approaches to climate communication. There are also tonnes more on my ever growing to do list. After speaking with students and media professionals I wanted to consolidate a list of a few that I have found…
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Conference: Wildscreen Presents – Science in Storytelling
Shifting towards symbiosis: How filmmakers and researchers can work together to make impact when communicating science New scientific discoveries have become a popular feature of documentaries, natural history programmes and in the wider specialist factual television genre. From David Attenborough’s “Our Planet” series on Netflix, to Brian Cox’s “The Planets” series on BBC and even…
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MSc research findings: Inspiring climate action through Natural History documentaries
What stories about the climate and ecological crises do natural history documentaries actually tell us? How do filmmakers feel about the entangled crises and their role as storytellers? How can they inspire change? These are the questions that in 2021 inspired my dissertation when studying my MSc in Ecology and Sustainability, at the Centre for…
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Jelena Krivosic 