Clockwise top left, Gagan from India, Fatou from Senegal, Nina from Indonesia, and Sabyah from Australia. All images by Irja von Bernstorff.
By Helen Quinn-Pasin
“Girls For Future” is an inspiring documentary that follows four girls on four continents, all dealing with the harshest consequences of the climate crisis. Coming from Senegal, Indonesia, Australia, and India, their lives are vastly different, but they all have something in common: they are fighting for a better future.
Irja von Bernstorff
Irja von Bernstorff is the film’s producer and director. The German native moved to Bhutan in 2013, where she became one of the first foreign directors. She tackled an ambitious 25-episode series for the Bhutanese National Broadcaster BBS called “The Farmer—Sonam Zhingpa.” Von Bernstorff was in awe of the youth climate movement and Greta Thunberg’s ability to mobilize so many people across the globe. This phenomenon made von Bernstorff ask: how are less-privileged youth, in places catastrophically impacted by climate change, mobilizing?
Von Bernstorff notes that even at the 2021 COP26 in Glasgow (the United Nations Climate Change Conference), the voices of those most directly impacted by the climate crisis were under-represented. She describes this omission as “a different form of colonialism,” and says it’s patronizing to hear from a majority of people who are not experiencing climate change firsthand. Without these voices in the room, necessary solutions and an accurate sense of urgency may be lost.
Meet the Girls
13-year old Gagan from India.
In Punjab, India, 13-year-old Gagan’s anger is palpable as she faces burning paddy fields (fields producing rice). Punjab is in the belt of India with the highest cancer rate, and Gagan’s experiencing health issues too. Von Bernstorff chose Punjab after reading an article that described this as the “cancer express” where Indian farmers are continuously getting sick. The field-burning is only the tip of the iceberg of disastrous agricultural practices that are depleting the soil and polluting the air. When Gagan fiercely confronts the farmers, they say there’s no other way. During a state of emergency due to heavy smog, children are advised to stay inside, but Gagan leads a march through her community demanding farmers consider their children's future.
14-year old Fatou from Senegal.
In Senegal, 14-year-old Fatou is battling the global water crisis. Due to longer droughts and terrible floods, people in sub-Saharan Senegal increasingly leave their rural communities for uncertain, impoverished futures in urban areas. Fatou has to spend most of her day traveling for hours to get water, a traditionally female responsibility. Her dream is to become a doctor, but she doesn’t have time to study. Her parents feel that it is time to marry, but she fights to choose her own future. She wants to find a solution to sustainable access to water in her community.
“In terms of who’s most affected by climate change, I guess you could point to Fatou in Senegal because to live without water. . . you’ll die. This is one of the clearest consequences of what climate change will do to you.”
12-year-old Nina from Indonesia.
In East Java, Indonesia, 12-year-old Nina’s neighborhood serves as a plastic waste dumping ground for Australia, the United States, Canada, and many countries in Europe. Nina collects garbage items from all around the world for an exhibition at her school to raise awareness. She investigates how plastic finds its way into the land, rivers, oceans, and air. “Take back your trash from Indonesia,” she wrote to President Trump, which is how von Bernstorff found out about her. Now, Nina will write to the Australian, Canadian and German governments, handing over petitions signed by hundreds of her peers.
11-year-old Sabyah from Australia.
In Queensland, Australia, 11-year-old Sabyah has been witnessing deadly destruction in the oceans and on land. Von Bernstorff feels lucky to have found Sabyah because she was the only youth in the Outback region who was engaged in protecting the environment. Sabyah’s peers have rejected her because the majority of their parents work for the coal mining industry and deny that climate change exists. Even though her classmates bully her, she’s outspoken about the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef, the extreme weather events fueling bushfires and mega-cyclones. Her ultimate goal is to stop the construction of the Adani Coal Mine, the biggest one to be built in Australia.
“With the construction of that coal mine Australia has given up the fight against climate change and therefore my future.”
Girls for Future is screening Sunday, March 13, 11 a.m. CDT. Click below to watch the trailer and reserve your seats: