The voices of people most impacted by the climate crisis are rarely platformed, and narratives around climate are often shaped by those yet to experience the full force of the issue. 8billion is a grassroots storytelling movement whose mission is to amplify the local and diverse voices of resilient communities at the front line of the climate crisis, inspiring storytelling and climate innovation.
8billion has partnered with Connect4Climate to launch their pilot in the Sahel region of West Africa with ambassadors Ousmane Samassékou, Annick Rachel Kandolo and Aïssata Sankara. The 8billion ambassadors are established filmmakers local to the countries in which the films are set. They have worked closely with the communities who are sharing their stories by running workshops and teaching the filmmaking process from ideation to final edits and screenings.
A key tension in the brief was the need for the visual identity to be both locally relevant and globally applicable, with plans to expand the program across multiple continents and cultural contexts. This duality is mirrored in the project’s broader goal of highlighting the varied and specific impacts of a global issue, the climate crisis. These considerations led to working with stills captured from each film and transforming them into abstract interpretations of a local lens. This branding system allows for new lenses to be incorporated as the project grows, connecting the visual identity directly to place and the stories being shared.
8billion facilitates skills transfer and provides a connection to the local and global film industry. The project enables communities and the trainees they work with to share their stories through film. The first series has been shared through community screenings and is also available on Waterbear, the first interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. You cab also find the films on Waterbear's Youtube channel here. 8billion has now secured funding to continue the program across Africa and other continents.
“Myla is passionate, talented and genuinely cared about translating our brand vision into something that is visually appealing and meaningful. She took time to understand the brand conceptually and built a process in that provided a smooth introduction into the design world. She was an absolute pleasure to work with, and it was clear that on top of her creative talent, she has strong values and really wants the best for the project.”
Lucía Roggero
Creative Coordinator
Resilient Foundation