The Principles
Our principles become an opportunity to question the way nature, wildlife and communities are approached and how their stories are told.
Questioning approaches
Natural history films allow people to experience someone else’s life and awaken a sense of empathy. When well utilised, they can change people's perspectives and play a part to restore the broken relationship humans have with the natural world.
While we work together to tell stories to heal the relationship with ourselves and the natural world we ought to be mindful of what our presence represents in the natural spaces we visit and how we tell their story.
The principles Breathe Nature Stories presents become an opportunity to question the way nature, wildlife and communities are approached and awaken a sense of responsibility towards them as we share their stories to help protect the natural world.
1. Being truthful
and mindful
To be truthful means to convey accurate facts and insights that will help empathise and connect with the story rightly, and to be mindful means to prioritise the well-being of nature, wildlife and communities before the story. For this, we must educate ourselves about the species, habitats and people whose stories we tell so we understand where the boundaries to approach them respectfully without causing any harm.
3. Using language to shape perceptions
Language shapes our perceptions and affects our understanding of our place in nature. Using adequate language and dethatching ourselves from anthropocentric views will play a major role in conveying the respect nature, wildlife and communities deserve.
2. Stepping lightly into the interconnected lives
All living and non-living things relate to one another - including human populations, wildlife and rocks. Learning about their interconnectedness can help us comprehend the larger picture and allow us to identify the role each one plays which will raise awareness of our surroundings and the story we can tell. By doing so, we will step lightly into their lives and avoid any harm.
4. Becoming a mere connector
Often we bring our idea, life experiences and projections into what we want the story to look like, and in a way, the things that come our way, are a reflection of this. Yet, we should approach each story with curiosity and without preconceptions to capture the reality of the place and share it with the world without tweaking it.