MENA Climate Stories

MENA Climate Stories explores how climate change shapes our relationships with land, identity, memory, and home through art and storytelling

Join us for an evening of short films from the MENA/SWANA region exploring the intersections of climate change, land ownership, belonging, displacement, ecological grief, and environmental justice.

Through deeply personal and culturally rooted narratives, these films explore how environmental change affects our relationships with land, identity, memory, and home, bringing perspectives that are often overlooked in mainstream climate conversations.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion titled Climate Stories: Shifting Perspectives in Times of Uncertainty, bringing together artists, filmmakers, and climate thinkers to explore how storytelling can shape public perception, challenge dominant narratives, and inspire environmental action.

The centrepiece of the programme is There Will Come Soft Rains by Afghan filmmaker Elham Ehsas, a moving story of a woman confronting rising sea levels and the possible loss of her father's burial place. The film explores grief, cultural traditions, and our connection to land, while also demonstrating how sustainable production practices can be integrated into filmmaking.

Films:

• There Will Come Soft Rains (2025)
• Anarchafeminist Divination (2025)
• The Dissonance (2025)
• The Flowers Stand, Silently Witnessing (2025)
• And Still It Remains (2024)
• We Would Be Freer (2024)
• Filthy (2022)

Panel Moderator: Kathleen Mullen, Sustainable Production Forum

Panellists:

• T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss
• Kevin Day
• Dr. Gail Hochachka

We are committed to making our festival accessible to all, so if the ticket price is a barrier, please don't hesitate to reach out. Simply email us at tickets@menafilmfestival.com to request a discount under our NOTAFLOF (No One Turned Away for Lack of Funds) policy.