The unprecedented bushfires in Australia from 2019 to 2020 burned an area larger than the UK, killed at least 33 people, killed or displaced nearly 3 billion animals, and destroyed the habitat of more than 500 species. The 2023 fires were even bigger. Such devastation has led scientists and planners to ask how the world’s most fire-prone continent can prepare for future megafires. Now they are taking inspiration and lessons from Indigenous peoples who have been burning the land piece by piece for some 60,000 years.
Filmmaker Kirsten Slemint follows James Shaw, a member of the Merkeldi people of South East Nations, as he teaches traditional slash-and-burn farming to young Aboriginal people on Bruny Island in Tasmania. Burning the land at a lower temperature reduces the amount of fuel and provides nutrients to plants and seeds beneath the ash, Slemint says. “Aboriginal slash-and-burn farming has allowed the whole system to evolve, and it’s one of the cultures we need to study in the coming years if we want to stabilise the planet,” says conservation biologist Hugh Possingham.
When asked what inspired him to make a film focusing on the burning of Australia’s cultural heritage, Slemint replied, “Australia is not the only country facing devastating bushfires. Australia has a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer the global community. I believe the film’s messages of respect, community and hope are crucial in creating a brighter future where both our environmental and cultural heritage are protected and celebrated.”
About the filmmakers: A recent graduate of the UK National Film and Television School, Kirsten Slemint is a London-based freelance filmmaker and producer. Her work explores the intersection between humans and nature and is driven by an interest in achieving specific social and environmental goals.
About the Contest: Now in its 11th year, the Yale Environmental 360 Film Contest recognizes the best environmental documentaries of the year with the goal of celebrating lesser known works. This year, 714 submissions were received from 91 countries across six continents, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Thomas Lennon, and others. Electronic 360Editor-in-Chief Roger Cohn.
