The Whale of a Time Festival is a two-day event in conjunction with the 10th annual ESRC Festival of Social Science taking place on Saturday and Sunday, 3 - 4 November 2012, at Birkbeck University of London to celebrate and to raise awareness of the Earth and the plight of Rainforests and Oceans.
Saturday, 3 and Sunday, 4 November 2012
Venue
Birkbeck University of London
Room CLO B01
Clore Management Building
25 - 27 Torrington Square
London WC1E 7JL
Nearest Underground: Russell Square, Euston, Goodge Street
The event is an inspiring and empowering way of getting involved in social and environmental issues through exclusive film screenings by award-winning environmental film-makers followed by informative discussions with leading environmental and social researchers, sustainable art exhibitions, music and the Whale of a Time Workshop in celebration of the Earth and the world’s oceans and rainforests.
This is a great opportunity to participate in an event that aims to bring the need of nature conservation, sustainable energy consumption and conscientious living right at the heart of the community through an open discussion on today's most pressing environmental issues. This event will truly change your life forever!
Penney Poyzer - 'Eco Queen - the Queen of Green', named by the Independent as "one of 100 British women of the last century who have changed the world", from BBC programme “No Waste Like Home” will present the festival, which will include speakers on a range of questions relating to the most pressing environmental issues of today.
The festival will be as interactive as possible including internationally acclaimed films, key environmental speakers followed by a question and answer session at the end.
A fantastic line up of speakers including Dan Laffoley, Marine Vice Chair, IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas, - Prof. Sudhir Chopra, Law Fellow, Cambridge Central Asia Forum, representing whale and dolphin intelligence and the Rights of Cetaceans, Barbara Maas, NABU International, Head of International Species Conservation, representing the Voice of the world’s most critically endangered cetacean, the Maui and Hector’s Dolphin, Carine Nadal from Gaia Foundation representing the Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth and Indigenous people, Louise Kulbicki, the Legal Co-ordinator for Eradicating Ecocide, headed up by visionary Polly Higgins, Dr. Serge Wich, Scientific Advisor to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) will be representing the Voice of the critically endangered Sumatra Orangutan and many more inspiring speakers confirmed. Please view full programme at our website.
Films being shown include “Planet Ocean” the latest award-winning film by acclaimed filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the amazing award-winning film “Green” by Patrick Rouxel the story of an orangutan in Indonesia that will change your life forever, “Crude”, a truly inspiring film by Joe Berlinger about the Real Price of Oil and “Sharkwater”, the internationally acclaimed documentary showing Robert Stewart’s dangerous journey in an effort to save sharks from extinction.
First Film: Sharkwaterby Rob Stewart (85 min)
Filmmaker Rob Stewart's love for sharks prompts him to undertake a dangerous journey in an effort to save sharks from extinction. The result is Sharkwater. A heart-moving journey into the depth of the oceans conveying reasons why we need them.
Cristiana De Lia, Assistant Campaigner, Greenpeace, Over-fishing, working on this year's once in a decade reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), reform to the law that governs Europe's fishing industry, "Be a Fisherman's Friend" campaign
12:45 - 13:05
Penney Poyzer, TV Presenter, Author and Community Campaigner, named by the Independent as "one of 100 British women of the last century who have changed the world". The Nottingham Eco-home and Urban Permaculture Gardens - a 14-year journey along the road to sustainable living.
13:05 - 13:35
Panel Discussion
13:35 - 13:55
Break (20 min)
13:55 - 15:25
Second Film: Planet Ocean by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Co-Director Michael Pitiot (90 min)
Can we imagine a film that would change the way people look at the ocean? Can we explain simply, to everyone, the greatest natural mystery of our planet?
Planet Ocean is a breath-taking journey depicting the beauty of life in the oceans with stunning and award-winning cinematography and at the same time carrying a powerful message raising awareness of the most pressing environmental issues we are facing today.
First Film: Crude by Joe Berlinger (105 min)
The Real Price of Oil. The story behind the world's largest oil-related environmental lawsuit on the screen by award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger who investigates the facts in the case of the so-called "Amazon Chernobyl," a disaster that occurred deep in the rain forests of Ecuador and effects not just the environment but also indigenous people whose lives depend on the forest.
12:30 - 12:50
Break - Speaker Corner (20 min)
12:50 - 13:10
Carine Nadal, Gaia Foundation, sharing some community practices for forest protection, and the Laws of Earth, including the Rights of Mother Earth.
13:10 - 13:30
Dr. Mark Mulligan – Co-Designer of I-Terra, first satellite system for monitoring deforestation across Latin America in nearly real time, senior fellow at the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Geographer, King’s College London
Second Film: Greenby Patrick Rouxel (60 min)
Her name is Green, she is alone in a world that doesn't belong to her. She is a female orangutan, victim of deforestation and resource exploitation. This film is an emotional journey with Green's final days. It is a visual ride presenting the treasures of rainforest biodiversity and the devastating impacts of logging and land clearing for palm oil plantations.
