Participatory Filmmaking
Purpose
To empower participants to tell their own stories through film, fostering reflection, dialogue and advocacy around biodiversity-related issues. This method supports inclusive representation, skill-building and transformative engagement by placing creative control in the hands of those most affected.
Key Features
Participants:
- 5-15 people per group
- Ideally drawn from communities or groups with lived experience or a stake in the issue
Estimated Timeframe:
- Minimum: 3 sessions over 2–4 weeks
- Longer timeframes allow deeper engagement and impact
Budget Level:
- Medium to High
- Costs may include equipment, editing, space hire, travel and dissemination
Materials Needed:
- Cameras or smartphones
- Editing software and suitable editing space
- Storage devices (e.g. USBs, SD cards)
- Flipcharts, sticky notes, markers
- Worksheets (filming techniques, ethics)
- Resources for screening (e.g. projector, venue, QR codes)
- Institutionally approved ethical information and consent forms (if collecting data)
Skills Required:
- Group facilitation and inclusive communication
- Project coordination and ethical oversight
- Storyboard script writing and/ or visualisation
- Technical filmmaking (filming, editing, sound)
- Outreach and marketing
- Adaptability and ethical awareness
Case Study
Method in Practice
Context of Use
Used in multiple PLANET4B case studies to support inclusive storytelling and biodiversity engagement. For example, in the Brazil (Trade & Global Value Chains) case study, Indigenous youth used participatory film to document a protest for education rights, amplifying their voices and connecting local struggles to broader biodiversity and justice concerns.
How It Worked
Participants were trained in basic filmmaking and ethics, then supported to film their own stories. Facilitators provided guidance while stepping back to allow creative autonomy. Films were collaboratively reviewed and edited with participants shaping narrative, style and dissemination strategies.
Engagement & Participation
The method fostered deep engagement through co-creation, reflection and shared decision-making. Participants shaped the direction, filmed each other and decided how their stories were told and shared. Safe spaces and ethical dialogue were central throughout.
Outcomes & Insights:
- Strengthened confidence and creative agency of participants
- Fostered new relationships and collective action
- Raised visibility of marginalised perspectives
- Encouraged emotional and political engagement with biodiversity
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths:
- Highly adaptable across contexts and communities
- Supports deep reflection and storytelling
- Builds skills and confidence
- Can catalyse personal, collective, and policy change
- Offers rich material for advocacy and education
Considerations:
- Requires significant time, resources, and ethical care
- Participants need support with technical and emotional aspects
- Consent and representation must be revisited throughout
- Safety and privacy must be carefully managed
- Facilitators must balance support with creative autonomy
