The next speaker in this session at the IAMCR 2025 conference in Singapore is Dhyan Singh; his interest is in the use of documentary films to create environmental awareness amongst students in India. Climate change is a severe global challenge, of course, and especially also for vulnerable countries like India; India also has the world’s largest youth population, and addressing this group is therefore also key to addressing climate change itself. Documentary films can play an important role here.
How do such films impact on students’ emotions and encourage them to take action, then? This study worked with 63 students at a college in Dharamsala, who viewed the hybrid documentary-fiction movie The Age of Stupid (2024); this takes an emotionally compelling, global perspective on climate change. Students were asked to submit an essay about their experience 72 hours after watching the film, and the study analysed these essays.
The film triggered strong emotional responses, and a deep sense of personal responsibility; for many, it was the first time the climate crisis felt real and immediate. Grief, urgency, and a moral shock were common experiences, and this was amplified by the storytelling through real-life stories, archival footage, and speculative fiction. This also triggered intentions to change personal behaviours, taking small but meaningful steps towards climate consciousness in their personal, family, and social lives.
But they also identified barriers that hindered real action – a lack of structural support, economic constraints, peer pressure and social norms, and feelings of helplessness and despair. This reflects a paradox of hope vs. paralysis. This demonstrates that documentaries that trigger emotional responses are not enough: they must also point to clear pathways for action. In educational contexts, it is important to combine powerful media content like this with meaningful opportunities for student initiative and action.
