Environmental Films and Sustainable Development_

"Environmental Films and Sustainable Development"

In the evening of 4 June, an event on "Environmental Films and Sustainable Development" took place at the Consulate General of Mexico in Guangzhou, ointly organised by the Consulate General of Mexico and the Consulate General of Italy in Guangzhou, and co-organised by InterCulture .

The event featured the screening of two environmentally themed films, Semillas: el legado de la tierra (Seeds: The Legacy of the Earth) by Mexican director Fernando Valencia and Las memorias perdidas de los árboles (The Lost Memory of Trees) by Italian director Antonio La Camera.

The organisers invited Mr. Andrea Garofalo, the producer of "The Lost Memory of Trees" to come to the scene, and InterCulture invited two experts in the field of sustainable development to have a talk with Andrea: Ms. Liu Xiaogang, former Secretary General of SEE Foundation (2011-2015) , and Ms. Li Jinmeng , Marketing Director of Shenzhen Power Solution Ind Co., Ltd. The three guests had a lively discussion with the moderator and the audience after the film screening on the theme of environmental protection and sustainable development.

Address by the Consul Generals of Italy and Mexico in Guangzhou /

Consul General of Mexico in Guangzhou

Julián Adem Díaz de León

Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou

Valerio De Parolis

Film screening /

The first short film selected for the event was 'Semillas: el legado de la tierra', a Mexican production directed by Fernando Valencia, winner of the 18th 'Concurso Nacional de Proyectos de Cortometraje' of the Mexican Institute of Cinematography. This film highlights the vital importance of agricultural biodiversity and the impact of sustainable practices in it.

This was followed by the screening of 'Las memorias perdidas de los árboles', an Italian-Spanish production directed by Italian director Antonio La Camera, winner in 2023 of the 'Best Short Film' award at the 38th 'Settimana Internazionale della Critica' of the 80th edition of the Venice Biennale International Film Festival.

Panel Discussion /

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Producer Andrea Garofalo introduced the measures taken by the Italian film industry to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve sustainable development, in particular the creation of the Trentino Film Commission, which awards T-green film labels to films that comply with environmental standards. from a producer's point of view, Andrea's company WaterClock Production employs professional environmental engineers and undertakes life-cycle assessment during the production process. Andrea is looking forward to having more film studios making carbon-free films.

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Ms. Li Jinmeng , Marketing Director of Shenzhen Power Solution Ind Co., Ltd. , cited that sustainable development for companies involves not only environmental sustainability but also economic growth and positive social impact.

For the past 15 years, Power Solution has operated as a social enterprise dedicated to improving the quality of life in underdeveloped areas by providing solar energy products and clean energy power supply solutions, primarily focusing on sub-Saharan Africa.

Power Solution had received awards such as the 2024 Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, 2022 For Good Entrepreneur, 2018 Asian Development Bank New Energy Leader, and the China Gold Social Enterprise award.

One of Power Solution's most notable innovative products is the "Candles Killer." This product follows the sustainable 3R design philosophy—Reuse, Reduce, Replace—using only nine components, ensureing minimal size and maximum efficiency. Priced at around USD $5 in the end market, it provides bright white light, three times brighter than a candle, and requires only six hours of charging for 5-13 hours of use. This cost-effective and eco-friendly product has already reduced global CO2 emissions by 200,000 tons with 400,000 units sold since 2009.

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Ms. Liu Xiaogang, former Secretary General of the SEE Foundation (2011-2015), introduced the role of private entrepreneurs in China, and in particular the role of SEE Foundation, in supporting sustainable development.

Ms. Liu Xiaogang is known as a professional philanthropist in China in the true sense of the word. She graduated from the Foreign Language Department of Sun Yat-sen University, and worked for the Research Department of Guangdong Foreign Economic and Trade Commission for two years, after which she resigned from her public office and started her own business in the field of electronic products. In 1994, Liu Xiaogang became a pioneer in China's real estate industry when the market economy boomed under the new housing reform policy. In 2003, she gave up her business dream and set her sights on a career in philanthropy.

Liu Xiaogang said that as a former entrepreneur, she believes that there is a lot of common logic between the two fields of public welfare and business. Of course, public welfare organisations will consider the disadvantaged first, and will use all their resources to solve social problems. Business can also solve social problems, but it is using its products and logic to contribute to society. The ultimate wish of both should be to build a better world.

One of the goals of SEE Foundation is to build a platform for Chinese entrepreneurs to communicate in sustainable development. In a good society, each member needs to think independently and have a sense of choice. He or she has to put himself or herself into some public affairs based on voluntariness. Each person is not an island, and the positive connection between individuals will deepen with the deepening of contact and communication. Similarly, the relationship between man and nature is also the same, man and nature are interdependent.

Take the "Home for Birds Action" project initiated by SEE Zhujiang Project Center in Guangzhou as an example, environmental protection is happening all around us. Ms. Liu was invited to become a "Wetland Steward" , and realised that there are so many urban micro-wetlands around us, and that every city dweller is the main body of the city's development, and the countless warm moments among people, between man and nature, make the society more and more harmonious, and this process makes us constantly think about the value and meaning of life.

In the whole process, the connection between man and nature is created. SEE has connected dozens of nature protection institutions, innovatively constructed a multi-level restoration model of "wetland steward + experts + NGOs + volunteers", and built a platform for social participation in wetland co-construction, and gives the city elves a place to stay.

Ms. Liu also welcomes everyone to pay attention to and guard the birds' homes and become "wetland stewards" together, so that public welfare and charity can become a way of life, and we can do it together.

Q&A Session /

During the Q&A session, a member of the audience asked the two entrepreneurial speakers, "How to balance the relationship between sustainable development and business interests?"

Ms. Liu Xiaogang reiterated the essence of business: "Business can also solve social problems, but it contributes to society with its products and logic." Business interests are therefore closely linked to its contribution to the sustainable development of society.

As for Ms. Li Jinmeng, Power Solution has always been concerned about the interests of the disadvantaged, and in its search for energy solutions for sub-Saharan African countries, it adheres to the principle of "It is better to teach a man how to fish than to give him fish.", and wins sustainable business interests by significantly reducing the carbon emissions of the local energy industry.

In this event, a Chinese charity leader, a Chinese tech company director, and an Italian filmmaker discussed about the possibilities of sustainable development, sharing Eastern and Western perspectives with the audience in a cross-disciplinary dialogue. It is the vision of InterCulture to use culture and art to link the fields of economy, science and technology, education and philanthropy.

We look forward to doing interesting and meaningful things with more interesting people and realising more sustainable projects across borders, fields and disciplines.

Cooperating Partners/

Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology

Founded by Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE) in 2008, SEE Foundation was established with the mission of supporting and nurturing Chinese environmental civil society organizations, and facilitating a learning platform for entrepreneurs, NGOs and the public to engage in environmental protection and sustainable development.

Founded on June 5th, 2004, SEE is a ground-breaking non-governmental organization aiming to protect the environment. It was the first environmental protection NGO in China with a membership comprised mainly of entrepreneurs who are dedicated to practicing corporate social responsibility.

At the end of 2014, SEE Foundation became a public fundraising foundation. Based on promoting industrial development, SEE Foundation works on four main areas, namely desertification control, climate change and business sustainability, ecosystem conservation and nature education, and marine protection.

SEE is determined to mobilize more entrepreneurs and resources to invest, and call out the participation of a wider public into these eco-friendly undertakings. SEE hopes to grow into a public welfare platform widely participated by the public for the benefit of environmental protection.

Shenzhen Power Solution Ind Co., Ltd

For the past 15 years, Shenzhen Power Solution Ind Co., Ltd has dedicated to providing practical, durable, and affordable clean energy products and services for low-income impoverished populations worldwide, especially in off grid regions of Africa, making clean energy affordable for everyone. Currently, 20% of the global VeraSol quality standard products under the World Bank are designed, developed, and manufactured by her company.