Around 100 people attended the sold-out Brisbane premiere of the lively new climate action documentary Walanbaa Ngiiyani/Stronger Together, on May 25.
Sponsored by Move Beyond Coal, the film follows a group of high school students, Pacific Island Warriors and Gomeroi First Nations Custodians as they tour the sites of huge coal and gas mines in and around the Pilliga region of north-western New South Wales.
The film highlights the School Strike for Climate (SS4C) walk-outs and marches for climate action from 2019 onwards, and features interviews with school student leaders about the successes and challenges facing the movement. It also depicts the solidarity between Pacific Islanders campaigning to save their homelands from rising seas caused by climate change, and Indigenous leaders fighting to protect their land and forests from destructive coal and gas mining.
"Together, as they confront the damaging impacts of mega coal mines and gas wells and work to protect lands and lives against the fossil fuel industry, we see that in the fight for climate justice we are walanbaa ngiiyani — stronger together," said MBC.
Stronger Together features Karra Kinchela, a Gomeroi Custodian, with Lock the Gate, Jo Sikula from 350 Pacific and several SS4C activists.
Move Beyond Coal describes the film as "a powerful rallying call for climate justice”.
“2024 is a critical year to be re-energising our movement and instilling the hope … for the work ahead to ensure [that] the government fixes its new environmental laws to actually assess the impacts of climate change when approving new coal and gas projects.
“This could create big headaches for three of Whitehaven Coal’s new projects.
"Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek feel relentless pressure to not approve the dozens of new coal and gas projects that are sitting on their desks, right now.
"‘No More Coal and Gas’, the top demand of our movement and partners, is being seen and heard by politicians in every electorate across the country and public pressure is skyrocketing for the Albanese Labor government to take a strong position on fossil fuel phase out at the next election."
At the Brisbane launch, a post-screening panel discussed the film and answered questions from the audience. The session featured Indigenous leader and podcaster Boe Spearim from Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance, SS4C Magan-djin/Brisbane activist Aahana Nag and Move Beyond Coal’s Idalia Serpas.
[For more information and to host a community screening of Walanbaa Ngiiyani/Stronger Together, visit: . Watch the trailer .]