In a world where environmental collapse lurks around every corner and climate anxiety threatens to swallow us whole, hope is a foreign concept. Because how do we find the will to act, when the forces against us seem immovable? How do we dare to dream when desperation creeps in? HOPE! We Are In Time offers a counter-narrative to this paralysis. In six episodes, this documentary series dives into the heart of our environmental crisis, uncovering unexpected sources of resilience. The main message: hope isn’t a passive wish, but a radical act of resistance. In the final episode of this series, we follow the lived experiences of women across the Amazon, India, and the Philippines and zoom in on their pivotal role in reversing the climate crisis.
We spoke with Jaime Bartolomé, one of the directors of the series, about why spreading hope might be the most revolutionary thing we can do today.
What were challenges your crew encountered while filming?
Collecting the footage for this documentary was a collaborative effort between our team, Nemonte Nemquino’s organisation and other NGO’s such as Greenpeace. We decided against travelling to the Amazon ourselves, primarily because local NGO’s already had excellent material available, and secondly due to environmental concerns. Flying overseas for a couple of interviews felt unjustifiable. We took the same approach in India, partnering with a local crew to reduce the production’s emissions and involve local actors.
What was it like meeting Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo? What have you learned from her during filming?
It was a truly inspiring experience. She has an amazing attitude towards the fight of her people and toward the need to preserve nature. One of the most interesting things I learnt from Nemonte was that you don’t need a ‘macho’ communication style to fight for the planet. That you can speak in a calm, thoughtful manner and still come across as a strong leader. I think we have a lot to learn from these new styles of leadership. Especially in times like these, when the world seems to have fallen for the worst macho leader ever…
In this documentary we encounter women from the Amazon, the Philippines, and India. Despite the geographic distances, what was the common thread you found in how these women are fighting for our planet?
The common thread that I see in these women is that, once they overcome the oppression they’ve been suffering (gender based violence and male oppression, mostly), they are strong, fearless leaders. In many cases, these women carry along stories of abuse and loneliness, and getting together to fight for the climate not only makes them feel better, but it helps them discover their own power. It enables them to defend themselves, even in their domestic lives.
After making this movie, do you personally feel more or less optimistic about our window of opportunity to fix the climate?
After making this movie I feel more optimistic about the chance we have to reverse global warming, but I’ve also become extremely aware of the terrible forces that we are going to face, sooner or later. There is no easy way to say this, but I think in the next ten years we are going to see the fossil fuel industry fight back in ways we had never seen before. We are already seeing some of this in the United States. I truly think, however, that in the end we shall overcome those attempts and leave our grandchildren a better world.
If someone leaves the theater tonight feeling inspired yet overwhelmed, what is the first small ‘regenerative’ step you’d suggest they take tomorrow?
I would say the most powerful step we can take, at this time, is to share that feeling of hope that the movie provides us. We need to get together with friends and family and tell them that, beyond all the noise, the Strait of Hormuz statements, the mines and the bombs, there are people doing amazing things all over the world. And then, find something easy that you can all do together. You can ride your bike to school or eat no meat on Mondays, I truly don’t care. We have to realise that we can all do something, and that we are not alone. Then, that feeling of hope will stay. Spreading hope for our future is a revolutionising thing in itself these days!
Want to learn more and share your own thoughts about how to stay hopeful in times of crisis? Join the screening of HOPE! We Are In Time on Tuesday 28th of April, 20.00 at Pakhuis de Zwijger. Get your free tickets here!
