Start Regenerating Australia today To have a healthy and sustainable future for people and planet, first we need to believe it’s possible. Then we need to act. That might feel like an impossible ask in light of the social and environmental devastation taking place in Australia and around the world right now, but a new documentary, Regenerating Australia, is an antidote. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Damon Gameau and produced by Anna Kaplan, Regenerating Australia is set on New Year's Eve in 2029. A news anchor is ending the nightly bulletin with a look back at the decade 'that could be' – a decade that saw Australia transition to a fairer, cleaner, more community-focused economy. The film is a construction of news reports and press conferences featuring real news anchors and journalists, politicians, business leaders and citizens. Damon says: “What I’m hoping to achieve with this film is for people to feel like there are things they can do, especially when people are so frustrated around the governance of this country.” Regenerating Australia presents a hopeful and optimistic narrative, but it’s more than a film with an uplifting message. The solutions shown in the film came out of a four-month interview process with Australians from all walks of life who shared their hopes and dreams for the country’s future. The added power is in the film’s accompanying impact campaign that offers tangible pathways to accelerate Australia’s transition to a regenerative future. And if you see an idea in the film you want to bring to life, there’s $2 million up for grabs for experts and communities to get to work regenerating their localities. WWF Australia is a partner of the film, and through its Innovate to Regenerate Challenge you can apply for seed funding for solutions that are effective and community-led. Successful early-stage solutions will be provided with grants of $20,000-$50,000, and successful scaling solutions will receive $50,000-$250,000. The film was launched last month with a national tour of cinema and community screenings across Australia. More than 100 people attended one at Peninsula Cinemas in Rosebud. The event began with a smoking ceremony led by Willie Pepper, representing the Boon Wurrung Foundation. After the film, Damon hosted a robust conversation between the audience and a panel made up of Willie Pepper, Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor Kerri McCafferty, former Shire councillor Simon Brooks, and Matt Sykes, the founder and CEO of community network Regen Melbourne.
Filmmaker Damon Gameau watches Willie Pepper perform a smoking ceremony at the launch of Regenerating Australia. Photo: Suzie McErvale Photography
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Where can you see Regenerating Australia? Go to the website and organise a screening for your community, workplace, or school. The film runs for 17 minutes, which makes a screening during a lunch break easy. Learn what’s possible then work with others to activate change. Damon says: “I did a school event recently and the principal said to me, ‘This stuff was gobbledygook to me a few years ago, and now we’re looking at planting a forest and looking at our energy sources because that’s what the students are demanding’.” For more information and to arrange a community screening, go to www.theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ NIKKI FISHER mornington PENINSULA
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