Place-based film for growing community engagement in local marine conservation

Abstract

Awareness, knowledge and community identity can grow from local narratives about conservation and enhance our capacity for environmental stewardship. New media narrative approaches are also seeking to improve the terms of community engagement across a spectrum of stakeholders. For instance, film is increasingly being used by scientists and policymakers to situate science stories within a community in order to increase local ownership and enhance engagement, be it through active participation in conservation or to support/social license. Here, the use of placebased documentary film as a tool to affect these outcomes is explored in a community adjacent to a controversial marine reserve, and we focus in particular on the effect of film on local youth.