Two of the northern rivers’ most experienced documentary makers have joined forces to produce an ambitious feature film with a climate-change focus, titled 2 Degrees. They have been running a crowd-funding campaign to raise funds to enable them finish this documentary and are calling on anyone concerned about the environment to help.
Mullumbimby resident Vanessa Gorman cut her teeth on environmental documentaries for the internationally distributed science-and-technology TV program Beyond 2000, as well as filming in over 40 countries as overseas producer.
Vanessa has directed four documentaries. Her acclaimed video diary Losing Layla about the birth and death of her baby daughter was nominated for an AFI (Australian Film Institute) award and won the ATOM award for best direction.
Vanessa has also produced and directed for many years for the ABC including multiple episodes for Australian Story.
Clunes resident Jeff Canin, formerly international sea-turtle campaigner at Greenpeace International, called his first film company Hatchling Productions. His films include Walking Through a Minefield, which documents the blockade of the Jabiluka uranium mine in Kakadu National Park, The Man Who Stole My Mother’s Face, which explores sexual assault and its aftermath, and I told you I was ill: the life and legacy of Spike Milligan, which chronicles the life of the legendary comedian. The Burning Season highlighted the contribution to climate change of the fires and deforestation in Indonesia and was nominated for an Emmy award for Outstanding Documentary on a Business Topic. This film led to Jeff’s current project and a new production company, Green Turtle Films.
No melting icebergs or homeless polar bears
Mr Canin explains: ‘The film has really evolved since we started in 2009. We travelled all over the world covering the UN climate negotiations and going into tropical rainforest communities. It was fascinating to examine the realities of climate change so closely. But we also wanted to get our audience inspired by something they could really relate to, and we found that great story right here in Australia. There are no polar bears or melting icebergs in this film. People see those sad images too much.’
2 Degrees depicts two epic struggles in the fight against climate change: firstly, attempts to save the world’s tropical forests (‘the lungs of the Earth’) via what Canin believes is the flawed UN negotiation process and, secondly, a grassroots campaign in the South Australian town of Port Augusta to replace dirty coal-fired power stations with a new technology called solar thermal.
Twelve-year-old change agent Xiuhtexcatl Martinez, who was an inspiring keynote speaker at the recent Uplift Festival, will also be featured as a vibrant voice for youth.
‘It is frustrating when you see the type of films and TV programs that get funded these days, like mindless reality shows. Climate change may not be sexy but people need to be educated and inspired on this for our collective wellbeing, and of course for our kids.’
‘The current round of UN climate-change negotiations in Doha brings back mixed emotions for us. Those meetings are painfully slow moving and the evaporation of trust among poor countries towards rich countries at Copenhagen was heartbreaking. I want to convey to our audience that governments are stalling and we really need a revolution around this. Part of that revolution is crowd funding things that matter and can help make a difference,’ Mr Canin says.
