Christie Walk, SA, November 2010
CHALLENGE: Change Media worked with members of the Christie Walk eco-housing project and Urban Ecology Australia to document and produce an exceptional resource about Christie Walk as an example of sustainable urban development.
Over 4 days Change Media delivered training in digital media and created two inspiring documentaries about one of the only inner-city eco-housing projects in the world.
PARTNERS: Arts SA Partnerships for Healthy Communities; Urban Ecology Australia; Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board; CSR Hebel; Tallstoreez Productionz
Film: Christie Walk – a piece of ecocity
Click on the image above or the link to watch - Christie Walk – a piece of ecocity – 10min documentary.
If your device can’t play the clip, click here to watch it on Vimeo.
You can purchase the documentary together with the 35min guided tour on DVD and companion CDROM [with e-book Moving Towards Urban Sustainability] in our online shop and at Urban Ecology Australia.
OUTCOMES:
During the production in Adelaide’s CBD members of the Christie Walk community, alongside experts from Urban Ecology Australia involved in creating Christie Walk, shared their insights into sustainability, biodiversity and community living, and learned skills in film narrative, conducted interviews and took part in the editing. The result is an inspiring educational resource about one of Australia’s leading eco-housing initiatives.
The project was an overwhelming success. The team collected over 15 hours of fantastic footage, photos and interviews, and together with the community decided to make two different films instead of one: a 10 minute promotional short documentary and a 35-min educational documentary following two resident hosts on their guided visitor-tour through the project as they guide a tour group through the project.
Besides taking part in the production, the workshop participants learned skills in media literacy, production management, screen language and visual representation of ecological issues. The educational sustainability resource DVD featuring both films will be available in January 2011 in our online shop and at Urban Ecology Australia.
SCREENINGS & AWARDS:
An official launch is planned for February 2011, please contact Urban Ecology Australia for further details.
The project is nominated as a finalist at the 2011 International MyHero Film Festival in the community films category. Congratulations! Watch this space for future updates [winner to be announced in November 2011] and for screenings near you.
IMPACT & FEEDBACK:
The production process was a lot of fun and our team felt instantly at home at Christie Walk. Working through a host of issues and talking points to be addressed in the documentary, the team decided to document one of the Christie Walk guided tours. The resulting 35 minute documentary offers a great insight into sustainable inner-city living, covering issues of biodiversity, design, eco-building and community development, including a look into one of Adelaide’s first strawbale houses, the advantages of building with Hebel blocks and double-glazed windows, as well as clever garden design and careful recycling practice.
Christie Walk is an international award-winning urban housing project, built in the heart of the city of Adelaide as an example of more sustainable city living. It is high density with 27 households on 2000 sq m of land, has climate responsive buildings which use resources efficiently, and an overall design and facilities that encourage social connections and a strong sense of community.
The interviews on the DVD feature residents from Christie Walk, urban ecology activist Cherie Hoyle, and the Christie Walk architect, Dr. Paul Downton.
Carl and Jennifer, what a pleasure and a full-on experience it was for us to participate in the Change Media film production workshop with you. And to see the results – two movies which genuinely reflect the story and the spirit of Christie Walk. Your collaborative process fitted so well with the community ethic of our extraordinary piece of eco-city. We appreciated your energy and enthusiasm and total dedication to the project, and the way you so openly shared your knowledge of digital media production. You have helped us to spread the story of Christie Walk more widely at a critical time for all people and the planet. It’s been a pleasure having you work your Change Media magic with us.
Thanks again, Simon