We Are Nature (Directors: Jaha Browne, Olivia Martin Mc Guire) UK, 9mins

WE ARE NATURE is an immersive audio-driven film that asks you to listen. Why is it that BPoC communities in the UK do not feel like they belong in the outdoors? The Campaign to Protect Rural England studies show only 1% of visitors to UK National Parks come from “Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds”. A recent report from the Runnymede Trust addressed systemic racism in England, its criminal justice system, education, health and employment. While this inequality is often examined in cities, how often do we consider the exclusivity of the natural world? At a time when reconnecting with nature has never seemed so important, this film asks the question – is the British outdoors for everyone? The film is based on audio interviews taken from a group of BPoC women outdoor activists who are changing the story. It is an emotional response, a poetic and hybrid film consciously working to break stereotypes, acknowledge trauma without retraumatising the audience and inspire a new lens on the British outdoors. Their unfolding experiences weave together a wider, lyrical narrative of community and shared history. It is a story of reconnection and reclamation – showing gentle activism breaking the status quo to forge a new British landscape. Working in an intimate BPoC female and non-binary team with a black and a white co-director/co-producer the film seeks to present a new lens on deep-rooted issues in the UK outdoors, to an inclusive audience.