Do you often find yourself worrying about climate change? Yeah, we do too. If, like us, you want to get more involved in the climate conversation, then Earth Refuge are hosting the perfect event for you. Their ‘Our Shared Futures: Climate & Migration Community Film Festival’ will take place from 21-30 November, and there’s no excuse not to get involved: it’s free, nationwide, and you can even join from the comfort of your own home. 

Earth Refuge is a legal think tank dedicated to climate mobility - the first of its kind. Founded in 2020, it aims to amplify the voices of those who have been forced to flee due to climate change. They aim to develop gender-just and holistic solutions for those affected, and provide legal advocacy in addition to their education and research work.

Their ‘Our Shared Futures’ festival aims to bring communities together, not just through viewings but also with resources and semi-structured discussions that follow. The art of film invites attendees to identify with those affected, a visual absorption into the harsh reality of climate migration. As a mass issue, it’s easy for the climate crisis to become a discussion of numbers and statistics, but the immersive nature of film helps to re-humanise the impact. 

 With over 200 of these Our Shared Futures screenings across the UK, we’re sure you’ll find one locally. If not, consider swapping a night of reality TV for raising awareness and register to host your own. Here’s 3 of the main events happening around the city for any of our London-based readers - we hope to see you there!

Kensington and Chelsea

Location: Kensington Central Library

Time: Friday, November 28th, 14:00

The Kensington Central Library will show two short documentaries: And Still, It Remains and Until the Last Drop. The former is a poetic and unsettling reflection on the extended impact of French nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara, combining archival footage, testimony, and striking imagery to explore the decades-long impact of radioactive contamination. The latter, Until The Last Drop, narrows in on 2 farmers who struggle under an unequal apartheid system of water access. The documentary explores the way that environmental injustice is intertwined with political conflict, and makes visible the everyday impacts of natural resources being weaponised for oppression.

Maida Vale

Location: Maida Vale Library

Time: Monday, November 24th, 17:30

If you’re more interested in a full-length film, then head to Maida Vale Library, which will be screening Utama. It depicts the tale of an elderly Quechua couple, whose livelihoods are threatened by an uncommonly long drought. With one herding llamas and the other walking for miles to collect water, the couple grapple with the decision between staying put and maintaining their traditional way of life or joining other family members in the city. For those who cannot make it, this film will also be shown at the Holborn Library on Saturday, November 29, at 14:30. 

Islington

Location: ARC Collective

Time: Sunday, November 30th, 16:00

ARC Collective will be screening the 2017 documentary, Thank You For The Rain, which follows a Kenyan farmer filming daily footage to show the impacts of climate change on his community. His story evolves from a local struggle to global activism, as his work leads him from Kenya to the UN climate talks in Paris. A powerful documentary that emphasises the impact of climate change on a personal, community-based level, therefore exposing the deep inequalities over who is (and isn’t) heard in the global conversation. 

If you want to learn more about the festival, then further information can be found here.