From Hulu’s I Am Greta to Sir David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet, we’ve been spoiled for choice when it comes to thought-provoking climate documentaries in 2020. But now, a new interactive streaming platform wants to build on that momentum by encouraging us to take action on the environmental issues covered in the films we’re watching.
What is the WaterBear Network?
WaterBear Network — which has already gathered an impressive roster of high-profile supporters including the Duke of Sussex, model and activist Lily Cole, and actor Maisie Williams — has partnered with more than 80 charities and NGOs around the world, including WWF, Greenpeace and Amazon Watch.
“I’ve been making natural history films all my professional life and what I noticed was that the hard work being done [by environmental organisations] in the field wasn't really recognised,” WaterBear CEO and film producer Ellen Windemuth tells Vogue via Zoom from Amsterdam. “We thought: why don't we make short films about standout projects being worked on by these amazing NGOs? We want to bring out the unsung heroes in stories that are relatable to our viewers.”
During a conversation with Windemuth that will stream on the platform, Prince Harry — who is the president of African Parks, one of the NGOs partnering with WaterBear — adds: “For me it’s about putting the dos behind the says, and that is something that WaterBear is going to be doing: capitalising on a community of doers. There’s a lot of people that say, but this is about action.”
For the September 2019 issue of British Vogue, guest edited by the Duchess of Sussex, the Duke of Sussex interviewed Dr Jane Goodall about the state of conservation today. As Goodall releases The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, reread their conversation in full.
Original short films on the platform, which is free and currently available in eight countries globally, include Africa’s Hidden Sea Forest, produced by the same team behind Netflix hit My Octopus Teacher; Turning The Tide On Plastic, a film produced with non-profit Clear Rivers that shows how 80 per cent of plastic waste enters the ocean via rivers; and The Black Jaguar’s Amazon, which looks at deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest. Other documentaries available include Nations United, a UN film narrated by actor Thandie Newton, and conversations featuring Prince Harry and environmentalist Jane Goodall.
Getting viewers to engage with the climate crisis
The interactive nature of the platform is crucial for getting people involved, whether that’s reading more about a particular topic or becoming involved in a charity campaign. “Every time you watch something, you can choose to do one of six different things,” Windemuth explains. “It’s about people donating, volunteering in the field, sharing on social media, becoming active themselves. It’s about sharing our world with you.”
To help educate viewers on the urgent environmental issues we’re facing, WaterBear will be structuring its content around four key themes over the course of the next year: biodiversity, climate, circularity and community. “We start with the human relationship with nature, looking at the animals that we share the Earth with,” Windemuth says of the first theme. “[It’s about] what’s happening to them and what we can do about saving our future really — if we save the animals, we save ourselves.”
For many of us, the magnitude of the climate crisis can be overwhelming, but WaterBear hopes to inspire people to action and not feel helpless. “[We want to] make films that are not apocalyptic, but give people a handle on what's happening,” Windemuth concludes. “And make people feel they’re ready to get up and do something themselves.”
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