YouTube‘s latest original “follows four unheard voices from across the globe as they journey to Rome for an unprecedented climate dialogue with Pope Francis.”
The platform has largely shuttered its in-house production efforts, but still makes the occasional (often education- and/or activism-themed) original. The Letter: A Message For Our Earth is the latter—a film inspired by the pope’s 2015 letter “Laudato Si’,” in which he called for “swift and unified global action” to combat global warming.
Per YouTube, the “four unheard voices” meeting with Pope Francis include Arouna Kande from Senegal; Cacique Dadá from Brazilian Amazon; Greg Asner and Robin Martin from the U.S.; and Ridhima Pandey from India.
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“The contributors each represent a different community impacted by climate change, and their stories bring together important perspectives from underrepresented voices in the global debate about climate change,” YouTube said in a press release.
The Letter is produced by YouTube and nonfiction production company Off The Fence, along with the Vatican and Catholic eco-activism org Laudato Si’ Movement. It’s written and directed by Nicolas Brown, produced by My Octopus Teacher producer Ellen Windemuth, and executive produced by Off The Fence CEO Bo Stehmeier and Laudato Si’ Movement executive director Tomás Insua. Margaret Burris led production on the YouTube side.
“We are honored to partner with the Laudato Si’ Movement, the Vatican, and Off The Fence to share these important stories with the world,” Laurel Stier, Global Head of Unscripted Content at YouTube, said in a statement. “The Letter showcases deeply personal lived experiences, highlighting the direct impact climate change has on our global community and how we can come together to save our collective home.”
You can watch The Letter‘s trailer below, and see the full film here.
