Ecocinema and Semiotic Storytelling

Abstract

A relatively new sub-genre of the documentary—ecocinema—is becoming a popular form among theorists and practitioners alike. With global environmental issues like climate change constantly demanding our attention, the environmental documentary, now more commonly referred to as the eco-doc, has achieved significance in the world of activist documentary filmmaking. In addition to the production of several documentary feature films and television programmes in this category worldwide, new semiotic storytelling methods are being employed to strengthen the audience’s connection to the world they see on screen with the same world they live in off screen as a means of encouraging them to adopt behavioural change and to take action.