Today we want to draw your attention to the interesting film festival of Go Future! Have you heard about the Go Future initiative? Read all about it in this blog post and don’t miss out on the film festival next week in Louvain-La-Neuve.
GO Future! encapsulates the idea of moving towards a sustainable and equitable future, one that prioritizes the health and well-being of the planet and all its inhabitants. As we face the increasingly urgent challenges of climate change and resource depletion, it is essential that we take action to ensure a livable future for ourselves and generations to come.
Advertisement logo of the film festival 2023, from the Go Future website.
One way to promote awareness and action towards GO Future is through events such as ciné-débats (film screenings and debates) focused on the themes of water and climate (Eau et Climat). The goal of this event is to educate and engage communities on the importance of sustainable practices and the need for collective action to address environmental challenges.
Ciné-débats will provide a space for dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders. By bringing together experts, policymakers, activists, and members of the community, these events can foster a sense of shared responsibility and encourage the development of innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
In addition to raising awareness and promoting dialogue, ciné-débats can also serve as a catalyst for action. They can inspire individuals and communities to take concrete steps towards sustainability, whether that be through personal lifestyle changes, community initiatives, or advocacy efforts.
What can you expect? Have a look at the teasers here!
Into the ice – Lars Ostenfeld.
Film poster Into The Ice obtained by Lars Ostenfeld, obtained from the Go Future website.
Into the ice follows three eminent scientists in search of what the ice can tell us about our climate, our past and our possible future. They explore the heart of the Greenland ice cap, to answer one of the most pressing questions of our time: how fast is the polar ice cap melting? Into the Ice is an uplifting adventure film about one of the major challenges of our near future: the inevitable rise in sea level.
Pleistocene Park – Luke Griswold Tergis
Picture of horses obtained from the GO Future website.
The film Pleistocene Park presents the dream of a father and his son to restore the mammoth steppe ecosystem in northern Siberia with a specific goal: the preservation of permafrost. This permanently frozen ground is subject to an unprecedented rise in temperature. Its thaw induces the decomposition of organic matter hitherto protected by frost, releasing greenhouse gases, and amplifying the impact on the global climate. Zimov's hypothesis is based on the fact that during the Pleistocene (the period of geological time that extends between 2.5 million years and 10,000 years ago), the maintenance of permafrost was partly ensured by highly productive pastures which had both a high animal density (mammoths, wooly rhinos) and a high rate of biocycling. This is certainly a worthwhile concept to experiment with. Whether it is applicable on a large scale remains to be assessed.
The film screening will be followed by a debate moderated by Sophie Opfergelt, UCLouvain who specializes in permafrost science.
La traversée – Xavier Ziomek
Picture of Gilles and Nathan, obtained from the GO Future website.
Gilles and Nathan undertake a unique expedition involving a grueling five months of skiing, sea kayaking and unassisted climbing through Greenland, one of the most hostile places of the globe. Throughout the trip, they collect environmental data for three Belgian research centers. How did two ordinary Brussels citizens come to undertake this extraordinary project? What is it to be an explorer in 2022, when there are no more lands to discover but a planet to preserve?
After the film screening there will be the possibility to talk with the two adventurers!
Can’t wait for the film to get more info? Click here!
Soeurs de Combat – Henri de Gerlache
Film poster for Soeurs de Combat by Henri de Gerlache, image obtained from RTBF.
In the fight against the ecological emergency, young women are on the front line. hope restoring, a hymn to ecofeminist commitment, Soeurs de Combat brings together today's activists with one of their elders, Julia "Butterfly" Hill.
At the end of the 1990s, Julia "Butterfly" Hill impressed the world with her extraordinary tenacity in the service of a great cause: for 738 days, the 23-year-old activist camped at the top of a Californian redwood without descending from it in order to prevent the destruction of this patch of thousand-year-old forest. Her successful fight against deforestation has become an inspiration to generations of equally radical young women, outraged by the climate emergency. In the wake of the climate strikes, launched by Greta Thunberg in 2018, the initiatives that are spreading around the world are very often led by very young women, sometimes still teenagers: Anuna De Wever and Adélaïde Charlier in Belgium, Léna Lazare in France, Luisa Neubauer in Germany, Mitzi Jonelle Tan in the Philippines or Leah Namugerwa in Uganda. For them, environmental commitment is inseparable from a deep feminist awareness.
After the screening you can meet and talk with Henri de Gerlache and several engaged students about the topic and the festival will be concluded with a drink!
In conclusion, GO Future is a critical imperative for our planet and its inhabitants. Ciné-débats focused on water and climate can play a valuable role in promoting awareness, dialogue, and action towards a more sustainable future. By coming together to learn, share, and collaborate, we can work towards a world where we all have access to clean water, a stable climate, and a thriving planet.
You can join the GO Future initiative next week from March 6th until March 8th at the Cinéscope Louvain-La-Neuve! The event is totally free and open for everybody so don’t hesitate to join.