Living the Change Inspired by Sustainable Stories

Sometimes focusing on the ecological and environmental problems facing the world is overwhelming – so why not put the spotlight on the solutions instead? That was the aim of Christchurch-raised filmmaker Antoinette Wilson and Australian partner Jordan Osmond as they created documentary Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future.

They travelled across New Zealand to discover the ways local communities were solving environmental problems – and it gave them a sense of hope for the future.

“We wanted to meet people who are solutions-focused,” Wilson said. “My sense is that there is a real groundswell happening everywhere.

“Scientifically there’s a whole lot more coming out now than what was the case a few years ago.”

“It’s been since the 1960s that really good research and info and warnings have been made, a lot of people have been really active and trying to get the message out there,” she said.

“Only in the last few years that those messages, the weight of the message has started to take shape.”

The documentary features food forest ideas, community currency, waste minimisation and sustainable management, and a range of other ideas stemming from community actions.

The documentary has screened in Europe, the United States, Canada and Asia.

Original article by Adam Holmes, The Examiner, March 6, 2019.