Environment-oriented indie films to be projected onto Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO

October 12, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

This scene from Iceberg Licking Society, a film from Iceland, says it all. Photo courtesy of Human Impacts Institute

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Human Impacts Institute’s Creative Climate Awards, a month-long celebration of arts and action through Oct. 24, has announced its partnership with the DUMBO Improvement District to screen more than 10 films for free to the public on Thursday.

From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the films will be projected onto the Manhattan Bridge. The films, from eight countries, address solutions to climate and health risks and were selected from more than 500 submissions to highlight the collaboration between HII’s Health and Impact Artist Fellows.

“We are excited to celebrate the immense creativity and social justice commitment of international filmmakers, from Turkey to Estonia and from South Africa to NYC. This opportunity to showcase how their work connects us to health and climate solutions across the globe is so important to building the strong and diverse movement we need,” said Tara DePorte, founder and executive director, Human Impacts Institute.

A scene from ISIMO an experimental short film set in South Africa. Photo courtesy of Human Impacts Institute

HII uses arts and culture to inspire environmental action for social good. It is their 11th year of curating climate-inspired works from around the world, installing them in public spaces around New York City.

A scene from Mother, a film from Estonia by Nadya Tiuska. Photo courtesy of Human Impacts Institute

“We are honored to once again sponsor the Human Impacts Institute to bring bold and beautiful works that are inspiring climate action to our communities,” said Kate Gavriel, cultural affairs director of Two Trees Management Co.

The feature films that have been selected to screen at DUMBO are:

Coexist (Iran): Dela is a blind captain living on Hormuz Island in Southern Iran. While tensions between Iran and the USA are getting higher due to the geopolitical situation of the island, he practices an old culture of making bread that uses three unexpected elements from the island.
Iceberg Licking Society (Iceland): A never-before seen look into the mysterious world of the Iceberg Licking Society as the association faces iceberg-licking’s greatest threat: global warming.
In Duty (Poland): On April 19, 2020, one of the largest fires in modern Polish history occurred. What is worse, it took place in the largest Polish National Park Biebrza National Park. The fire was extinguished by a total of 1,540 people and took 11,300 hours.
ISIMO (South Africa): This experimental short film takes place against the backdrop of Hoerikwaggo, commonly known as Table Mountain, in Cape Town. In the film, an ancestral matriarchal figure feels and holds the pain of the living in her womb. She diagnoses the world as we know it as being ill, disconnected from nature.
It’s Our Future (USA): A short film that tells the story of New York middle school students as they engage with a coastal climate reliance curriculum. During the year, the students grapple with the environmental challenges ahead of them.
More Than A Fridge (USA): This documentary project focuses on uplifting the story of organizers leading the community fridge movement.
Mother (Estonia): This short film was inspired by “pure rage” and urgency to voicing the director’s concern for the lack of balance in the patriarchal system. The film represents an eco-feminist perspective.
Nation in Transition Current Revolution (ep 2) (USA): This exploration of the energy transition in the Southwest, where power and water systems are increasingly stressed due to more frequent extreme heat and drought.
SHIFT (Canada): The animated short represents the consequences of our relationship with the planet we call home, wherein our actions cause a ripple effect of disaster and destruction.
The Interconnectedness of All Living Things (USA): This documentary short follows artist Georgia Hodges as she paints a mural in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset District.
The Secret Life of Plastic (USA): Follows the paths and possibilities of a post-consumer plastic water bottle as it dies several deaths in search of rebirth.
Water is Life (Turkey): The story of people who carry a lifeline to fish trying to survive in a dried-up lake.
Welcome Home (USA): The film follows a day in the life of a city resident with more resources versus a city resident with fewer resources.