In this episode of Climate Cuts, host Akosua Owusu-Akyaw speaks with filmmaker & animator Max Romney about his short film A Little Story About Forever.

Film Synopsis

This short film unfolds from the POVs of father (Max) and son (Kip) as they attempt to write a book about what forever means. The father feels overwhelmed by the implications of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) or “forever” chemicals on the environment and the future. He calls an unlikely hero, Mark Ruffalo, to ask for help seeing the big picture. Made in collaboration with Keen.

A Little Story About Forever was screened at the 2025 New York Climate Film Festival

Watch A Little Story About Forever!

Stay tuned for more episodes of Climate Cuts for conversations with filmmakers from the Climate Film Festival.

Subscribe now

Share

In this episode of Climate Cuts, host Akosua Owusu-Akyaw speaks with Raphael Schanz, director of Beni Youth (2024, co-directed with Philipp Seifert). Some of the topics we discussed include: the global injustice of climate migration, what it takes to earn trust as a filmmaker, and what the young people of Beni taught him about resilience.

Raphael is a Berlin-based documentary filmmaker. Influenced by the tradition of Direct Cinema, his work frequently engages with themes of identity and community and often use character-driven, intimate stories to explore contemporary social questions. Raphael is the co-founder of the production company Panther Reh.

Film Synopsis:

Beni Youth is a documentary by Berlin-based filmmaker Raphael Schanz, co-produced by Panther Reh. Set in the village of Beni, Malawi, the film follows a group of young people who are choosing to stay and fight for their community against the threat of climate change. Through tree planting, community savings, and solidarity, they embody a vision of grassroots climate action rooted in resilience, hope, and a love of home. Their story asks us to reconsider who bears the weight of the climate crisis, and who is already building the world after it.

Beni Youth was screened at the 2025 Climate Film Festival in New York City.

Akosua: What sparked the initial idea for this film, and how did that idea evolve through the filming process?

Raphael: The project was commissioned by the Protestant Church in Germany, which wanted to produce educational films about migration. From the start, we didn't want to just present facts or showcase project results. We wanted to tell human stories that stay with you. And we definitely didn't want to repeat the usual narrative of the "poor and helpless African refugee." Instead, we focused on those who stay, people who take action and try to make things better where they are. The young people in Beni truly grew on us. They were changemakers. What began as a commissioned project turned into an intimate, hopeful film about resilience and community.

Akosua: This film explores the reasons behind climate migration and its effects on the communities left behind. What is an important aspect of this issue that you feel is often neglected in broader conversations?

Raphael: We wanted to challenge this persistent idea that "the whole of Africa is coming to Europe." In reality, most displaced people stay in their own country or move to a neighboring one. What's often overlooked is how deeply the climate crisis shapes these movements, and how unfair it is that those who have caused it the least are suffering the most. These are global injustices that play out locally, every day.

Akosua: Can you walk us through the behind-the-scenes journey of making this film? What were some of the key moments or experiences that stood out?

Raphael: We were in a very remote area, and at first, the whole village came out to greet us with songs and speeches. It was overwhelming! It took days to move from that formal level to real, everyday life. They first thought we were like other visitors, that we'd walk around for a day, take a few photos, and leave. But we stayed. We spent time without cameras, just talking and listening. And when the people realized we were genuinely interested in their lives, something shifted. That's when the real film began.

Akosua: The youth and community regeneration are central themes in Beni Youth. What would you like audiences to know about the resilience and potential of these young community members?

Raphael: The young people we met were incredible, creative, determined, and full of ideas. They embody a new generation who do things differently, who take responsibility for their communities. They're not waiting for help; they're building change themselves. They show that resilience isn't just surviving; it's creating new possibilities where others might have already given up. I think that's something we can all learn from.

Akosua: What aspect of filming moved you most?

Raphael: Probably the quiet strength of the people we met. There's a sense of dignity and calm even in the toughest conditions. It reminded me that storytelling can be simple. Just being present and paying attention can be powerful.

Akosua:Where can people find you and any upcoming projects you have?

Raphael: Together with my friend and cameraman Philipp Seifert, I run the production company Panther Reh in Berlin. We are currently working on a feature documentary that opens the doors to a hidden world, the backstage of three very different theatre ensembles: a city theatre, an inclusive theatre, and a prison group all playing Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." It's an intimate portrait about transformation, identity, and the masks we all wear. And of course, the next climate project will come. It has to. It's too important not to.

Subscribe now

Share

In the first episode of Climate Cuts, host Akosua Owusu-Akyaw speaks with Michael Salama and Gastón Zilberman, directors of Qotzuñi: People of the Lake (2024), a short film about the Uru people in Bolivia and the impacts of the desertification of Lake Poopó due to mining. In this conversation, they discuss the politics of water in Bolivia, the importance of portraying culture & community, the local economic impacts of the lake, and what they hope viewers take away from the film. The story of the Uru people and Lake Poopó’ ask us all to consider our relationships to land, water, and community.

Film Synopsis:

“The lake was our mother, our father. Now, we are orphans.” For generations, the Uru Indigenous Nation had been the inhabitants of the 3,000-square-kilometer Lake Poopó, living on floating islands, hunting and fishing for sustenance, and forming an inextricable cultural bond to its vast waters.

Throughout the early 21st century, the Uru way of life changed drastically; industrial mining operations contaminated and diverted Lake Poopó’s tributary streams, which, along with extensive drought, caused the lake’s waters to disappear entirely by 2016. This documentary short explores the challenges faced by the last remaining Urus of Lake Poopó, as well as their resilience and adaptation in the face of obstacles to water access. Despite the loss of the lake that once defined their culture and means of survival, the Urus continue to call themselves Qotzuñis—their ancestral word for “people of the lake.”

Qotzuñi was screened at the 2025 New York Climate Film Festival

More about the film:

www.qotzunifilm.com

www.instagram.com/qotzuni

Film Credits
Director: Gastón Zilberman, Michael Salama

Producer: Gastón Zilberman, Michael Salama

Co-Producer: Jordan Salama

Cinematographer: Gastón Zilberman

Editor: Axel Cheb Terrab

Composer: Carlos Carty

Sound Design: Alex Roitman

Year: 2024

Language: Spanish, Quechua

Country: Argentina, Bolivia

Stay tuned for more episodes of Climate Cuts for conversations with filmmakers from the Climate Film Festival.

Subscribe now

Share