This animated film draws from the testimonies of three women whose geographically disparate stories are connected by the shared experience of being forced to leave their homes due to climate change. Tanit and her children migrate from Turkana in rural Kenya to the bustling city of Nairobi; Shalia leaves the small Indian island of Ghoramara to work in Dubai; and Valeria migrates with her children from the Caribbean island of Saint Martin to Paris.
Life in each woman’s homeland has been rendered unliveable by different symptoms of climate change and various forms of colonial and imperial exploitation, and we are witness to their continued exploitation as they seek safety for themselves and their families. Despite the turmoil and uncertainties of their journeys, each woman carries with them deeply-rooted cultural traditions, spiritualities and mythologies which tether them to home and inspire their continued resilience.
Through the stories of Tanit, Shalia and Valeria, Black Butterflies documents the bureaucratic, physical and emotional labour that climate refugees have to endure across the world, and considers the power of hope that lies in storytelling.
Screening with short film: The Miracle on George Green
