“Protectors of the Earth”, documentary to encourage the salvation of the planet

MEXICO CITY (Process).- There are more and more places that are in danger from climate change, but there are also more young activists fighting to prevent destruction. Those fighters, reveals renowned French-American environmental artist Anne de Carbuccia, are called the Protectors of the Earth.

They are the protagonists of the documentary “Earth Protectors” (Protectors of the Earth; United States, 2023). He says in a Zoom interview that for the last 10 years he has artistically portrayed the threats and damage caused by humans to the planet, such as droughts, oceans full of plastic, and species and cultures in danger of extinction.

The idea for the feature film arose after her expeditions around the world to create artistic installations that she then photographs, which has allowed her to meet a new generation of women and men who work hard to save the planet, and she, she emphasizes, feels inspired by those people. This is how we meet in “Earth Protectors” Liliana Rodríguez Cortés in Yucatán, Tashi Bista in Upper Mustang, Nepal; Dasha Filippova and Maxim Savchenko in Siberia, Mariasole Bianco in Italy, Alexandria Villaseñor in New York and Jared Cairuna Cauper in the Peruvian Amazon. They battle drought, protect coral reefs, help climate refugees and defend the rainforest. Furthermore, each one is helping to create a new system.

After its premiere in Italy, France, the United States and Brazil, “Earth Protectors” arrives in Mexico, which from the artistic, positive and unifying vision of its creator, invites “to be aware of the need to adapt as a species to the threats of the Anthropocene” (geological epoch beginning with the industrial revolution, characterized by the impact of man on the earth). It can now be seen on the platforms of streaming Amazon Prime and Apple TV. Although as part of the activities for International Mother Earth Day, on April 22, the film can be seen for free on YouTube until the 30th.

“Through my art I want to take the viewer on an inspiring journey. I want each of us to realize that our thoughts and actions have an impact on the planet, and that makes us powerful. This means that, if we decide, we can be a positive force and change the future of the Earth,” says De Carbuccia (Corsica, France).

It should be noted that to reduce its carbon footprint, the documentary used a small human and technical team: director De Carbuccia, one or two cameramen and an audio technician, light cameras and a drone to move around on foot. Additionally, carbon emissions generated by film expeditions are offset by supporting MyClimate’s reforestation projects (www.myclimate.org), and the places and communities that appear in this documentary are financed by the sale of the artist’s works.

The director tells Process that 10 years ago she began to feel a lot of anxiety, “probably because I was born in Corsica, an island, and I am a free diver.” Go on:

“I began to see big changes in the ocean, then I became a mother and began to have a stronger concern about what are we going to transmit and leave to our children? Will they have the same experience with the planet that I had as a child? ? And I began to design facilities, such as sanctuaries, which are something that has belonged to civilizations for a long time. And those facilities are my fascination to communicate. There I reflect what we are about to lose or have already lost. And in the places I went something extraordinary happened, I began to meet people who guided me, and helped me understand the spaces better. They are Protectors of the Earth and their story for me was bigger than my art, and I felt that all their work needed to be told on film and given a voice, that’s how this one hour thirty-six minute documentary feature film came about.”

In “Earth Protectors” there are also testimonies from scientist Julien Pullen, member of the Council of the American Meteorological Society since January 2020, who has worked with De Carbuccia for many years, and provides the scientific context regarding the obstacles faced. face these Protectors of the Earth. And he remembers the leading role that science must play in the fight to stop the destruction of the planet. Additionally, he addresses the social tensions associated with this period of transformation, from climate refugees to the environmental youth movement. He highlights that modern technology can also benefit the planet, not just harm it.

The expert in climate, meteorology and hydroscience has also been part of the Expert Panel on Climate and Earth System Predictions of the National Academy of Science, and has directed the National Center for Maritime Security, funded by the Department of Homeland Security.

Roberto Ambrosini (Italy), a researcher in environmental sciences, also appears in the picture. He is a scientist in microplastics and nanoplastics. He is an associate professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Milan. He has traveled to all continents to study the presence of microplastics in glaciers and high mountain ranges.

Arduous mission

De Carbuccia traveled to the most remote places on the planet to document endangered species, habitats and cultures with his art. His art has been exhibited in museums and public institutions in Europe and the United States. His short film “One Ocean” was screened at the Venice International Film Festival in 2018 and is available in six languages.

He is currently working on a docu-fiction short film titled “Refugia” and a multimedia artistic series titled “Follow the thread.”

He created the One Planet One Future Foundation based in New York, United States, and Milan, Italy. Through art he tries to raise awareness about the climate emergency and man-made threats to the planet, inspiring individual and collective action. It is financed by donations from individuals and companies, as well as the sale of works of art.

The Protectors of the Earth who appear in the documentary are Jared Cairuna Cauper, a ranger from the Shipibo tribe in the Peruvian Amazon. Both by culture (the Shipibo have always been protectors of the jungle) and by profession, he defends that area from illegal incursions and deforestation, often risking his own life.

Tashi Bista is a member of the Upper Mustang Lo-Manthang Youth Group. She works with several villages in remote areas of the Himalayas that are forced to migrate because they are running out of water from the glaciers.

Dasha Filippova is an environmental consultant who founded the Nature Protectors School, which provides rangers, aspiring guides and volunteers with the tools to learn how to protect nature and work with local communities.

Maxim Savchenko, in addition to helping local communities living in remote areas of Lake Baikal improve their lives thanks to technology, uses social media to spread the beauty of the lake and the dangers it faces. The Water Protectors fight to protect the planet regardless of borders or wars.

Mariasole Bianco is a marine biologist and Founder of the NGO Worldrise-Italy. In addition to her research activities and awareness-raising programs on television and social media, she carries out projects with her NGO Worldrise to protect the marine environment in Italy and train the next generation of environmental leaders.

Alexandria Villaseñor began her activism with the Fridays for Future movement. Her protests took place in New York, where she lived for two years. She moved to California to finish her studies and founded Earth Uprising, which raises awareness among youth and schools around the planet to promote education led by the next generation.

And Liliana Rodríguez Cortés works for the sustainability of coastal communities in the Yucatán region, as a delegate of the International Ocean Institute at the United Nations. She spreads the word about what the group Los Jóvenes por Xcalak does, a local community group involved in the conservation and citizen science of the Xcalak Regional Park. Her research and data are shared with scientists around the world.

Rodríguez Cortés, also on Zoom, talks about how this film “opens the door to understanding and how much the importance of environmental conservation can reach our hearts.” He elaborates:

“I am Mexican. I grew up in the Yucatan Peninsula, which is like a laboratory for humanity. Our Mayan culture is very important, we have cenotes that are becoming contaminated little by little, we have this development pressure, there is massive tourism and we have a wide variety of protected natural areas that need a lot of support and financing to operate.

“Since I was a teenager I have worked in environmental education and other projects with different international and local organizations. It is one of the first communities in Mexico that requests to protect the environment, and was accepted at the federal level and decreed the Xcalak Arrecifes National Park, which is located in the coastal area south of the State of Quintana Roo. “Protection is provided to important surfaces of mangroves and coral reefs and massive fishing is avoided, but other economic alternatives are sought.”

He then underlines:

“We see that young people are beginning to be interested in participating in the conservation of their natural resources and receive training in diving techniques, biological monitoring, species identification, and they join. This is how Los Jóvenes por Xcalak is formed. And this beautiful documentary shows us what different people are doing in different parts of the world, and it can also be a motivation for all viewers and that there is a positive change for the good of our plant.”

De Carbuccia shows dangerous areas affected by man and climate changes, which is why he is asked:

–How did you deal with so many challenges?

Responds excitedly:

–Another reason why I made this documentary about the Protectors of the Earth is that they show you that, whoever you are, wherever you come from, you know that you can do something and you can be a positive example. And I didn’t make a film to please or stand out. I wanted to go to those places to show what those brave activists go through. The film is intense and addresses many things, but it was also created with a lot of love for our planet. And for the Protectors of the Earth the film is very inspiring.

“I have a great educational project and a foundation and I have met many young people and I want to show them that if you are active, if you act instead of getting depressed, things not only change, your life is also transformed and nourished.”

He confesses that he really liked the film result, but at first he became radicalized in his views due to social injustice:

“Many of these places, these countries, are going through climate change and have to adapt to it, sometimes in very difficult ways a lot of the time. You know they are not primarily responsible for the situation and that was extremely shocking.

“All those trips made me feel an even stronger attachment and love for my planet. We all, including politicians, must agree that global warming is a serious problem, and there are powerful people who still do not believe in it, and it confuses us, and we are running out of time. It is important to vote for leaders who represent us.”

Rodríguez Cortés says goodbye like this:

“Hopefully this documentary can be distributed throughout Mexico, first because it is an educational tool, and second it is a motivational film, and presenting these cases, such as the work of Los Jóvenes por Xcalak, is like awakening feelings in other young people, to other communities of what we can do as individuals, and of course, with collaborations with different organizations.”