The screening of a series of short films, ‘Faces of Climate Resilience’, directed by Shawn Sebastian, an alumnus of the department of communication, was conducted on 26 August 2023 at the Zakir Hussain conference hall in the University. The Department of Communication organized the screening in association with Goethe Zentrum Hyderabad.
The session started with an introductory address by Dr. Usha Raman, Head of the Department of Communication. Shawn Sebastian gave a brief introduction about the documentary films. ‘Faces of Climate Resilience’ contains 16 short films portraying the experiences of climate adaptation and resilience of common people from five states- Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
Following a screening of 6 of these short films was a discussion with the makers Shawn Sebastian and Milan George Jacob moderated by Prof. Arvind Susarla, faculty of the Centre for Regional Studies. Prof. Susarla highlighted that the film showcases how traditional systems of knowledge aid in developing ways of socio-ecological climate resilience at grassroots levels. The discussion emphasized that the distinguishing feature of the film is that it not only discusses the brunt of climate change but also disseminates solutions to combat it.
Interacting with the audience, Shawn and Milan shared their learning experiences in climate research and documentary filmmaking. Shawn stated that the film will be “a toolkit” for the leadership, communities, media and individuals in addressing climate change.
‘Faces of Climate Resilience’ is available to the public for free on the CEEWIndia Youtube channel.
– Contributed by: Merlin Theresa George, Department of Communication