Set against a backdrop of spellbinding desert landscapes, with a vibrant musical score, Above Water immerses us in the life of a village in Niger, one of the sub-Saharan countries hardest hit by global warming. Over the course of a year we see the effects of climate change and the slow transformation of a formerly nomadic community. Every day, 12-year-old Houlaye and her friends walk several kilometres to fetch water. As the village rallies together to obtain the construction of a well, there is promise of a new life.
Part of Women Creators of the Future - a programme at LIFF 2022 presented in partnership with the Films Femmes Afrique Festival in Senegal, with support from British Council.
The screening is followed by a panel discussion: How film can inform the international response to Climate Change.
An international panel, bringing together politicians and experts from the UK, Niger and France will discuss how cities in Europe and Africa can make a difference in tackling climate change, and how film and culture can transform how we respond to the shared challenge.
The all-woman international panel’s members will include:
- Aïchatou Kane Boulama – The Ambassador of Niger in France - Niger
- Marie-Pierre Bresson- Deputy Mayor of Lille, France
- Abigail Marshall-Katung – Local Councillor, Little London and Woodhouse Ward, Leeds, UK
- Polly Cook – Chief Officer Sustainable Energy, Leeds, UK
The event will take place in parallel to the United Nations COP27 talks during 6 to 18 November, where Heads of State, ministers and negotiators, along with climate activists, mayors, civil society representatives and CEOs will meet in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh for the largest annual gathering on climate action.
The screening of Above Water and the panel discussion are supported by Global Leeds.
