Shawn Sebastian
Faces of Climate Resilience, a 16-part short documentary series that captures the voices of climate-vulnerable people in India, has bagged the 2023 CMCC Climate Change Communication Award ‘Rebecca Ballestra’ in Florence, Italy.
The project stood out among 372 entries from over 50 countries. The CMCC Foundation, established in 2005 with the support of the Italian Ministries of Education and Environment, sponsors the award.
Two Keralites led the creation of the documentary series. Climate communications specialist Milan George Jacob from Mavelikara, working at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi, was the creative producer of the series. Shawn Sebastian, an independent journalist, directed the films.
Mr. Jacob said the project strived to make the complex science and data around climate change more tangible through the lived experiences of people. The focus is on how individuals and communities are adapting to the climate crisis, especially by embracing nature-based solutions and using traditional wisdom.
The filmmakers captured the stories from Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand over nine months in 2021-22. The stories from Kerala included how Idukki’s Cheruthoni town is making its infrastructure climate resilient after the 2018 floods, how residents of Kuttanad are modifying their houses to combat frequent waterlogging and how the weavers of Ernakulam’s Chendamangalam recovered after the 2018 floods.
Since its launch in August 2022, Faces of Climate Resilience has won awards at the Documentaries Without Border International Festival (U.S.) and the Aravali International Film Festival (India).
Faces of Climate Resilience was produced by the CEEW in partnership with the India Climate Collaborative, EdelGive Foundation and Drokpa Films.
