Told through the voices of young people at Withernsea High School, the film shares the stories of those who have watched stretches of the Holderness coastline lost to the power of the sea.
Featuring a selection of poetry, music and spoken word and photography, the film is part of a wider project developed by the Energy and Environment Institute at the University of Hull, and led by researcher Katie Parsons and her team of Florence Halstead and Dr Lisa Jones.
Katie said: “I am thrilled that the project has enabled the students at Withernsea High to capture the stories of their community. The students should be immensely proud of the end result. The most beautiful thing about this project is that the community of Withernsea came together at a time when we were being kept apart due to the pandemic.
“The film has enabled these stories to be told and through their voice to capture both the cultural heritage of Withernsea as well as explore how we can be prepared for the future.
“These prestigious AHRC awards are highly competitive and for us to be shortlisted for the award in the final five for the best climate emergency film is an outstanding recognition.”
The project was funded by UK Research and Innovation and coordinated by the University of Hull’s Energy and Environment Institute and focused on how intergenerational storytelling can engage audiences and communities with the impacts of climate change.
The Research in Film Awards celebrates academic filmmaking. Since 2015, it has inspired researchers across the UK to think more deeply about how they share their work with the wider world.
Previous RIFA winners have gone on to win BAFTAs and other awards, been screened at film festivals, or gone on to secure funding and further achievements. Now in its seventh year, RIFA continues to bring cutting-edge arts and humanities research to a public audience through the medium of film.
The awards ceremony is on 1 December and the AHRC plans to have some live screenings at 4 venues around the country in Spring 2022.