“Women from the Sea”, a global UNESCO-endorsed documentary project, will launch its Asia chapter in Macao and Hong Kong later this month on 31 January.
Recognised as part of the UNESCO Ocean Decade Actions, the project is part of a series of concrete initiatives to enhance ocean science for sustainable development. To date, the project has seen the making of two documentaries in Azores and Ireland respectively, and there are plans to create a third feature-length documentary in Macao and Hong Kong.
The project celebrates women’s roles in conservation, sustainable practices and marine protection as well as their emotional connection to the ocean, whether they be fishers, scientists, divers, artists, teachers, or community leaders.
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Founder of the project, filmmaker Raquel Clemente Martins, explains to Macao News that using emotionally-driven storytelling to raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation is powerful because “when we listen, we care. And when we care, we act.”
Macao and Hong Kong were selected for their rich maritime heritage, ecologically significant marine environments, and long history of fisherfolk. However, the SARs also hold a special significance for Tanja Wessels, one of the Hong Kong and Macao Chapter Leads of the project.
When Wessels – who is the social media editor of Macao News – lived in Macao and Hong Kong from 2012 to 2022, she experienced eco-anxiety, which are intense feelings of stress, fear or dread over the effects of climate change.
However, Hong Kong was also where she learned more about sustainability and connected with eco-conscious communities, giving public talks on platforms like TedxTinHau to raise awareness on climate change. It was during this “magical” time that she met Benita Chick, who shares the role of Chapter Lead with her on this project.
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“Getting Hong Kong and Macao into this project feels like a way of ‘paying it back’. A thank you, if you will,” Wessels says.
The Asia chapter began its work at the end of last year. The team behind the local effort is small and, so far, entirely self-funded. “We are at the starting gates,” says Wessels. “We have around 40 women from Hong Kong and Macao to date, but our goal is thousands. Some will want to be on screen. Others won’t. Just the way it should be. There is a place for everyone.”
Screenings of the Azores Women from the Sea documentary will first be held in Hong Kong. The first screening will be held at Club Lusitano on 31 January and the second will take place on 8 February at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum.
While the specific venue and dates are yet to be finalised, the Macao screening is tentatively scheduled for March.
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The project is actively seeking community involvement and support in several ways: through funding and sponsorship, by becoming a member of the project, volunteering with production, events, translation or strategy, and by recommending organisations, locations and venues.
For more information, check out the Instagram and Facebook accounts of the project or reach out to Tanja Wessels, Benita Chick or filmmaker Raquel Clemente Martins through their social media accounts.
