Maela Ohana

For the past six years, our agency and environmental arts platform has been dedicated to amplifying the voices of artists, activists, and change-makers around the world. Through these diverse collaborations a common thread emerged: the importance of advocating for an intersectional approach to activism where humans, nature and the planet are viewed as interconnected systems. Intersectional environmentalism recognizes that both human communities and natural ecosystems are implicated in the struggle for protection and justice, and that overlapping social identities result in people being affected differently by the climate crisis. As such, it aims to be inclusive, and to consider the voices of vulnerable and marginalized communities within any proposed course of action. 

When we were approached to bring together ten narratives in a conversation about environmentalism, we looked towards voices engaged in exactly this form of tentacular thinking. From documentary photographers and filmmakers to grassroots activists and youth advocates, we sought out stories that investigate how colonialism, racial justice, identity politics, and indigenous knowledge intersect with global environmental efforts. Each selected storyteller shares a short testimony on their “Stories of Change” - the movements they have witnessed, and the transformations they wish to see in the world. 

The ten videos weave together virtually filmed testimonies, archival footage, collected footage, and newly shot film in a poetic montage of overlapping frames. The fluidity and visual contrast within the final composition are conceptually representative of the diversity and collectivism within the climate movement. 

We hope that these stories will inspire viewers to think, discuss and engage with their own abilities to bring about positive change.