On March 22 at 6 p.m., the Human Dimensions of Climate Change Film Series showed “Landfall,” its first film viewing of a three-part film series for this semester via Zoom. This film series is sponsored by the University of Maine’s Department of Anthropology, Fogler Library and the Climate Change Institute.
The 2020 documentary directed by Cecilia Aldarondo showcases the aftermath effects of Hurricane Maria on daily life and economics in Puerto Rico. Snippets of testaments from local people, as well as protests against their governor in 2019 can be seen, replicating the trauma, resilience and resistance the people of Costa Rica demonstrated through their fight and love for their land and people.
This impactful film isn’t the only one that the sponsors of the film series have chosen to feature for viewing.
“The series launched in the spring of 2014 to complement the newly created Human Dimensions of Climate Change program in the Department of Anthropology,” Jen Bonnet said, the librarian for anthropology at Fogler Library.
Since the launch of this yearly film series, the films and documentaries were not chosen at random, but were carefully selected to reflect important topics of discussion as well as the research and scholarship of UMaine faculty.
“We tend to select films around a theme, like policymaking, community action, food systems and climate messaging, and to draw on insights and expertise among UMaine faculty, staff and students, who have been our film discussants going on 9 years now,” Bonnet said.
Faculty that were present during the Zoom viewing of “Landfall” who helped facilitate the post-film open discussion included Dr. Stefano Tijerina of the Maine Business School as well as Dr. Cindy Isenhour of the department of anthropology and the Climate Change Institute.
The second film in the series, “The Condor and the Eagle,” will be shown via Zoom on March 29 at 6 p.m., and the third, “Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline in Bangladesh and Bhutan,” via Zoom on April 5 at 6 p.m.
“The Condor and the Eagle” film viewing will feature Ph.D. candidate Chelsea Fairbank to facilitate the post-film discussion.
“Chelsea is doing field work on the climate impacts of extractive industries, and on Indigenous leadership and resistance to these efforts,” Bonnet said.
The third film will feature Ph.D. student Baten Mohammed to facilitate the post-film discussion.
“The last week will focus on community-driven efforts to reduce climate effects in Bangladesh and Bhutan, and the post-film discussion will be led by Baten Mohammed, a Bangladeshi national and Ph.D. student in Anthropology and Environmental Policy, whose research addresses water sharing and cooperative models of governance,” Bonnet said.
Bonnet hopes that those who watch these films take away several key aspects.
“My hopes when we watch these films is that 1) we listen to others who are doing this work and learn from them 2) that we become more aware of the breadth and depth of climate crises across the globe and 3) that we are better able to identify ways in which we can be help to mitigate and adapt to climate climate change,” Bonnet said.
For more information about the Human Dimensions of Climate Change Film Series, visit https://libguides.library.umaine.edu/hdcc2022.
To RSVP to view the second and third films in this series and receive the Zoom links, go to https://tinyurl.com/fog23 or email jennifer.l.bonnet@maine.edu.
