The poster is so great. But I’m curious: what drew your focus to environmental activism within the film industry, rather than the more obvious contributors to carbon emissions and the like?
I think what we did worked because it was a sort of love letter to Film and TV, rather than a protest. It was more us saying ‘You are already doing great stuff. Can we work on partnering together to make a real stand against the climate crisis?’ And the response was great: not only from guild groups, but soon wildlife filmmakers and other areas of the industries were joining us.
What can filmmakers be doing to have better, greener practices on their sets?
There are the more obvious green actions, like moving away from plastic water bottles or generators on set, and that’s all great, but I think shaming people to be greener can sometimes have the adverse effect of making people reluctant to take further action. We need to be doing this together as an industry. It’s hard work. It requires patience. We’re not going to be able to solve the plastics on set issue if cast and crew, above and below the line, don’t feel valued and heard. We need a better, more open, more empathetic environment behind the camera on every set in order for people to come together and make change.
What’s ahead for Film Strike for Climate in 2022?
We’re coming off of COP26, which we were very active at.
(Editor’s Note: Watch this video to see their efforts on the Global Day for Climate Justice.) But in short, we want to keep up our grassroots efforts.
We have some ideas on how to help facilitate and support organisations within the industry continue to transform their practices.
Finally, what stories do you want to see more of?
I’m proud of the progress that the industry has made, but we still need a diversity of storytellers—that is where so much of the power comes from. There’s still an issue about telling other people’s stories. We need more authenticity. We need to empower people from marginalised and oppressed communities who have important stories to contribute.
A huge thanks to Alfie for chatting with us. If you want to learn more about Film Strike for Climate and find out how you can get involved, go to their website or follow them on Instagram.