Documentary inspires communities to change attitude on Jumbos-study
Documentary inspires communities to change attitude on Jumbos-study
Gilbert Koech, The Star
March 7, 2024
See link
https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/north-eastern/2024-03-07-documentary-inspires-communities-to-change-attitude-on-jumbos-study/
for photo.
Films can positively influence conservation efforts in marginalised rural
communities grappling with conflict, a new study has shown.
The study by Save the Elephants shows that powerful, award-winning films
like The Elephant Queen have the potential to reshape attitudes and get
support for elephants in rural communities.
The film was made by Mark Deeble, Victoria Stone and Etienne Oliff.
It was filmed in Kenya for two years on a mobile cinema sponsored by Save
the Elephants.
The Elephant Queen follows the lives of a Tsavo elephant herd led by the
matriarch, Athena. It shows their quest for water and the extensive
journeys they undertake for survival during droughts.
The film emphasises their role as environmental architects, crucial to
numerous other species.
The findings come at a time when Kenya and other parts of Africa is
grappling with human-elephant conflict.
Published in the journal People and Nature, the study shows that 86.7 per
cent of community viewers, aged 16 to 85, who saw the film changed their
attitudes towards elephants.
On average, 79 per cent of viewers believed the film will change their
interactions with elephants in the future.
Viewers, who felt the film could change their whole community’s
relationship with elephants were 80.4 per cent.
The film also had a positive influence on younger generations, particularly
students.
Students aged between 16 and 18 said they gained knowledge and affection
for elephants and felt the benefits of elephants after watching the film.
Human-elephant conflict in Africa has resulted in crop damage and loss of
lives.
Following global screenings and multiple international awards, the
filmmakers had the script translated to Kiswahili and Maa and began touring
Kenya as a mobile cinema.
It was shown on large inflatable screens erected in local schools,
marketplaces and other public areas.
Within two years, the Elephant Queen Outreach programme visited nearly 300
schools, more than 200 villages and engaged with more than 135,000 people.
The surveys were conducted before and after the screenings, coupled with
interviews from key community figures.
The surveys took place between November 2021 and June 2022 and targeted
communities surrounding national parks that are known to suffer from high
levels of human-elephant conflict.
A total of 1,187 men and women from Tsavo, Arubuko and Amboseli were
surveyed, including 545 adults and 642 students.
Their ages ranged from 16–28 years, 29–41 years, 42–54 years and 55 and
above.
The study further shows that while adults gained knowledge and recognised
the benefits of elephants, they also felt the challenges of living with
elephants after watching the film.
Thirty six per cent of community viewers and 47 per cent of school viewers
became concerned about losing elephants after watching the film.
A follow-up survey three months later revealed that although the initial
impact on adults had subsided, there was a delayed increase in their
affection for elephants.
This shift in attitude could be attributed to ongoing discussions among
young and old community members, following their exposure to the film.
“There are few things more epic than watching communities who have never
been to the cinema watch a 10 metre inflatable cinema expand before their
eyes. The fact that such activities also have a role in inspiring youth and
educating adults is even more exciting," said lead author, Harry Williams.
"While films alone obviously can't resolve such a complex form of conflict,
they can certainly begin to open hearts to nature and provide awareness of
the ecological benefits elephants provide. Beyond entertainment, films act
as vehicles for storytelling and facilitate dialogue, allowing for
community voices to resonate in the larger conversation about conservation.”
Senior author Diogo Verrisimo says it is crucial to understand how media
shapes our attitudes towards the natural world if we are to use it to boost
conservation efforts.
“Documentaries and more broadly, video contents reach billions of people
daily with the rise of streaming platforms, but we have a poor
understanding of which content has a positive societal impact. Work such as
this research by Save the Elephants can be crucial to determining what
works, where and for whom,” he said.
Frank Pope CEO of Save the Elephants says elephants need the respect of the
people that they live with, if they are to thrive in modern Africa.
“Films have opened the hearts and minds of people around the world to the
importance of nature, but have missed their most important audience.
Africans living in rural areas often lack electricity, let alone
televisions. ‘The Elephant Queen’ mobile cinema shows how powerful it can
be to bring these stories home.”