‘Letters To Our Children’, a powerful and emotional new five minute video from Extinction Rebellion Families shows parents’ confessions of fear and hope to their children as the climate and ecological crisis intensifies. The mobile pop-up screening taking place on Saturday 15th October will stop at several locations along the Southbank, starting at dusk at the Tate Modern and ending next to the iconic London Eye.

108 individuals of different ages and backgrounds give voice to thoughts and segments from real letters written by concerned parents and carers across the globe to their children about the accelerating Climate and Ecological Emergency.

Looking directly into the camera, they each hold up evocative key words from the letters, or narrate sections that express the sorrow that they feel about the destruction of the natural world on their watch, and their determination to fight to preserve what they can for younger generations.

“My worst fears are coming true; climate change is accelerating”

“I worry about your physical and mental health, about the toll that climate breakdown will have on you” 

“I am not powerless, I have a voice and will forever use it to fight to create a better future, because all the world’s children and grandchildren are ours”

Claudia and Julie, who produced and created the film alongside fellow XR Families members Miranda and Isa, said: “Our aim is to keep it simple and emotional and cut through to the essential motivation for change – the biggest common denominator – our love and concern for all of our children and all future generations.”

“October 14-16 is Extinction Rebellion’s Weekend of Resistance with Saturday the 15th being the day for outreach at the Tate Modern. We are really pleased and excited to share our video on that day with our first physical audience.”

 “We want to encourage viewers to actively participate in creating a better, fairer and sustainable future, one built with life at the forefront of all decision making processes; not profit over life.”

Despite being made by, and featuring, Extinction Rebellion activists, they do not see the film as a recruiting tool for a single movement. “Where they go to participate actively isn’t our primary concern – this is not an XR specific mobilisation tool, but one that hopefully would appeal to many different organisations with the same intentions to shape a better, climate-safe future.”

Join us, don’t be a bystander, get involved. 

www.linktr.ee/letterstoourchildren

Curious about the Festival of Resistance? https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2022/09/29/october-14-16-join-the-weekend-of-resistance/

Film Credits

Concept: Miranda Irwin, Julie Hermann, Claudia Leisinger
Production: Julie Hermann, Claudia Leisinger
Video & Editing: Claudia Leisinger
Voice-over-recordings: Isa Suarez
Voice-over-recordings: Gary Bridgewood
Music: EpidemicSound, Remove The Complexities and Balm by Peter Sandberg 
Voices: Eve McDougall, Joanna Foster, Nathan Osgood, Alwyne Taylor, Eve Polycarpou, Leigh Singer, Julie Hermann, Liz Cass, Neil Sheppeck, Ghadah Alrawi, Sofia Antropova, Mattia Moscone, Alexia Hall

Thank you to everyone who held up key words for our video, we are very grateful to all of you.

Notes to editors

All persons in this video have understood and fully consented to the purpose of this video and for it to be shared publicly. These letters that are the foundation of this video were initiated through an open call by Extinction Rebellion Families to the entire movement globally. The words are read by various people aligned with the idea. The persons holding up the words in the videos answered an open call over social media or were asked directly by us to participate while at climate demonstrations. 

“Letter to Our Children” has taken inspiration from the global campaign and book Letters to the Earth, which facilitates, gathers and amplifies letters from across the world in response to the planetary emergency.  

www.LettersToTheEarth.com

Please contact photo@claudialeisinger.com or Tarragonmio@protonmail.com for further queries (tel: 07768 547700 / 07506211021)

ABOUT EXTINCTION REBELLION

Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction, global pollution, and increasingly rapid climate change. If urgent and radical action isn’t taken, we’re heading towards 4˚C warming, and the societal collapse and mass loss of life that that implies. The younger generation, racially marginalised communities and the Global South are on the front-line. No-one will escape the devastating impacts.

Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by their Government.

Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:

1. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
2. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
3. Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

What Emergency? | Extinction Rebellion in Numbers | This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook

Get involved:

• In the UK, come to one of our events, join the Rebellion Network and let us know how you can help out.
• Start a group where you are: in the UK or around the world
• Find your local group
• Check out the International XR website, with links to the French, German, Italian and UK websites.
• While you’re at it, support the XR fundraiser!