Planet Visionaries – SEASON 5 Planet Visionaries – Ep 4: Storytelling for change with Malaika Vaz and Alice Aedy
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Nov 18, 2025 Alice Aedy and Malaika Vaz, both National Geographic Explorers and filmmakers, dive into the powerful intersection of storytelling, climate, and social justice. They explore how human stories can drive conservation efforts and discuss their journeys in founding Earthrise Studio and Untamed Planet. The duo emphasizes engaging diverse audiences through optimistic narratives, balancing urgency with hope. They share insights on avoiding alarmism in storytelling while achieving impactful change through documentaries, urging aspiring storytellers to focus on building relationships and strategic impact.
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Climate Is A Social Justice Issue
- Alice Aedy discovered climate storytelling through covering forced migration, seeing climate as a social justice issue.
- She shifted from photojournalism to climate-focused visual stories to capture people on the frontlines.
Start In Your Backyard
- Malaika Vaz began Untamed Planet in 2017 to tell diverse, human-centered nature stories from her home in Goa.
- She used filmmaking to amplify nature's power to help marginalized women and reach millions globally.
Meet People Where They Consume
- Mainstreaming nature requires meeting audiences where they consume media, especially social platforms.
- Weave climate into varied formats and genres so it feels relevant without preachiness.