“Bigger than us – A world together”, the generation that fights for climate and social justice

In our imagination, Bali it is a paradise on earth, made up of untouched forests, an ideal place to meditate and give life to our spirituality. It wasn’t like that for Melati, who was born there. For her, ever since she was a twelve-year-old girl, Bali has been a small island swallowed up by a huge plastic bag. Since then Melati has never stopped working to safeguard Nature. The documentary Bigger than us – a world togetherdirected by Flore Vasseur and produced by, among others, the actress Marion Cotillardin the hall from 22 to 26 April on the occasion of Earth Dayis the story of the journey that Melati, now eighteen at the time of filming, made across the world to meet many young activists committed to “fixing the planet”.

From remotes villages of Malawi at favelas of Riofrom refugee rescue boats off the coast ofisland of Lesbos at the native ceremonies in the mountains of Colorado, where the indigenous tribes were massacred, the young Melati travels, to meet other kids who share her same idea of ​​the world, to feel no longer alone and finally speak the same language.

Crossing Lebanon, Malawi, Brazil, United States, Greece, Indonesia And Uganda, the young activist discovers the stories of Rene, Mary, Xiu, Memory, Mohamad and Winnie. Many similar testimonies, but all unique. Pieces of courage and joy, irreplaceable, for a world that aspires to be better.

What Vasseur shows us is a generation that exposes itself and risks its life in the first person, ready to do anything to defend human rights and life, the climate, social justice, and to ensure food and dignity for all. Young people who have found answers to pressing questions: whose is Nature? Who is responsible for defending it?

Bigger than us it marks a step forward compared to previous documentaries that have narrated green youth movements, and paves the way for new considerations. Often characterized by a biographical vein, it is the case of I am Greta – A force of nature, directed by Nathan Grossmanor from a bird’s-eye view, from outside observers, as per Irresponsible guysdirected by Ezio Maisto on the Italian movement of the Fridays For Futuredocumentaries on the green generation mainly focus on the strength and novelty of their activism, as happens in Youth Unstoppabledirected by Slater Jewell-Kemkerand into The Troublemaker, movie of Sasha Snow on the movement of Extinction Rebellion.

In Bigger than us however, the monolithic and irrepressible strength of the boys is not the only suggestion. The awareness that the activism of the movements can be an irrepressible force and that change is too slow creeps in among young people.

The media attention that fails to become participation since even if mainstream the theme does not evolve into widespread and shared behavior, it embodies the greatest fear, namely that in the end nothing will change, as Mohamed confesses in the film, who at the age of 12 built a school in a refugee camp on the border between Lebanon and Syria, where today about 200 children have access to education.

The fear of a marginality that risks becoming only a helpless witness in the face of disaster.

Opulent and consumerist societies have assigned young people the task of defending nature and environmental balance, but behind this recognition of role there is the risk of hiding a profound and absolving process of deresponsibility.

Thus, the boys are actually faced with something bigger than themselves, “bigger”, as the title itself summarizes. Bigger, because the purpose set by the movements goes well beyond the interests of individuals, and young people are ready to accept any responsibility and risk to try to pursue their goals, but bigger also because, in this direction, the younger generations cannot be left alone. Isolated they will not be able to win.

We need to give them answers and counteract the overthrow of the basic idea that the sustainability principle, affirmed in the mid-1980s, had enshrined: safeguarding the world for future generations. For this, once again, Bigger than us it is the film that the kids have to bring to show their parents, and then propose a new alliance.