The village of Kamikatsu in Japan has taken their commitment to sustainability to a new level. While the rest of the country has a recycling rate of around 20 percent, Kamikatsu surpasses its neighbors with a staggering 80 percent. After becoming aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide associated with burning garbage, the town instated the Zero Waste Declaration with the goal of being completely waste-free by 2020.
SOUTH AFRICA: Dancing For Freedom
Masabatha “Star” Tete has been dancing since childhood. When she discovered pantsula, an energetic dance form known for its fast-paced footwork, she knew there was nothing she’d rather do. Originating in South Africa’s townships, pantsula was created during apartheid as protest during a time when many forms of expression were restricted. Today, dancers like Star and the organization she works for, Impilo Mapantsula, are keeping the culture and history of pantsula alive through dance crews and competitions. And although traditionally considered a male form of dance, Star and other female dancers have been breaking down barriers for generations to come.
The Zambia Project
Janssen Powers had the pleasure of shooting this piece for World Vision. He said "to say it was an eye opening trip would be an understatement. As crazy as it is to imagine drinking contaminated water everyday, it's even crazier when you realize that so many people spend the majority of their time just looking for it."
World Vision is an amazing organization doing great things in Zambia and all over the world. To learn more about their effort to bring Zambia clean water, visit worldvisionwater.org.
Tokyo Gen
A short film about Tokyo's unique street culture.
COLOMBIA: Slow Motion Travel
Filmmaker Chris Grewe displays his best experiences while traveling Colombia in slow motion.
JAPAN: Wabi Sabi
Wabi Sabi is a Japanese lifestyle giving a view of life in many aspects: everything is imperfect and the true beauty comes from simple things, then, one can have subtle feelings in life. Inspired from that spirit, filmmaker duo and couple Le Quynh Anh and Le Nham Quy made this video about Japan in a deeper insight and unbiased feelings. "Japan - Wabisabi" is their best emotional-experience journey in Japan, where they are living and working. They hope that you can feel "Japanese Spirit" from this video.
How Poaching Is Changing the Face of African Elephants
Elephants and their ancestors have roamed the African continent for millions of years. They are the largest land animals on earth and can live up to 70 years. Elephants are profoundly intelligent and social creatures. They have trunks that serves as their nose, arm, and fingers. But elephant populations have taken a massive hit to their populations. Despite an international ban on the ivory trade and other laws to protect elephants, their overall populations continue to fall due to habitat loss and rampant poaching for their tusks. Because of that, a once rare trait is being passed onto more African elephants. The trait is tusklessness, The loss of tusks is only the beginning. The real devastation occurs with the loss of a groups matriarch. The oldest and most experienced grandmothers are the family’s living memory of migration routes, friendly elephants, food and water sources, etc. Matriarchs are also, the first in line to protect their families and without them an entire group of elephants can fall apart. But with China banning ivory in 2017, providing stronger incentives to protect elephants, and sustained conservation efforts from organizations like ElephantVoices, African Parks, and others, elephants may stand a chance to roam the continent as their ancestors once did.
Rewriting the Code in Africa
Vulnerable girls and young women in Africa are being given a unique chance to learn vital technology skills in a safe space through an innovative pilot project launched by the charity Theirworld.
Code Clubs are low-cost, sustainable and scaleable safe spaces where girls can build, learn and create through technology, creativity and coding.
Theirworld - the charity behind A World at School - is launching Code Clubs in partnership with Kano, Codeacademy and Africa Gathering.
Fighting the Desert with Gardens in Senegal
This video follows a group of people in Senegal who are fighting deforestation. Due to extreme poverty, many people in Senegal result to cutting down trees to make money. This group is planting trees and gardens to help the environment.
Rare Glimpse into Antarctic Underwater World
An underwater robot has captured a rare glimpse beneath the Antarctic sea ice, revealing a thriving, colorful world filled with coconut-shaped sponges, dandelion-like worms, pink encrusting algae and spidery starfish.
The footage was recorded on a camera attached to a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) deployed by Australian Antarctic Division scientists under the sea ice at O’Brien Bay, near Casey research station in East Antarctica.
Explore Aotearoa with Ludovic Gilbert
Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand. Ludovic Gilbert and his wife spent 3 weeks there for their honeymoon, and traveled more than 4,000 miles through Christchurch, Akaroa, Lake Tekapo, Te Anau, Wanaka, Fox Glacier, Punakaiki, Kaiteriteri, Wellington, Tongariro, Taupo, Whengamata and Auckland. Here are the fantastic landscapes, beautiful people and lakes with amazing colors they found.
VIDEO: Schoolgirls For Sale in Japan
In an effort to understand a growing underground trade of school-aged girls, Vice News interviews women who have been caught up in this sinister business.
Otelo Burning (2011): Surfers In South Africa Battling Tides
Somewhere between City of God and Blue Crush, Otelo Burning is a coming of age story in South Africa set against the backdrop of Nelson Mandela's release from prison. It's an emotional story of kids in the township learning to surf. It's a story of the explosive potential for change at the time of apartheid's end.
Explore Laos
In the third episode of his series “In Asia,” German traveler and director Vincent Urban transports his viewers to Laos. We travel with him to Luang Prabang, a city in Northern Laos that is home to abundant Buddhist monasteries and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Our next stop is Phone Savan, capital of the Xiengkhouang province, where Urban captures the daily lives of people who work the fields and bring their produce to market. In Vang Vieng, we are introduced to the region’s aquamarine freshwater lagoons and waterfalls. Vincent finishes his trip by exploring Vientiane, the lively capital of Laos, on bike and by visiting Don Khong, an island in Southern Laos, where he engages in various outdoor activities, including playing soccer with the local children. He concludes the video by teasing his next stop: Cambodia.
MALAYSIA: Take Off with Vincent Urban
The first of five episodes about a Southeast Asian Journey by Landrover, by Vincent Urban and Clemens Kruger. Take off with them as they explore Malaysia. Watch.
CONNECT WITH VINCENT URBAN
Frame By Frame (2015) Documentary On The Afghan Press
In 1996 the Taliban banned photography in Afghanistan. In 2014 as foreign troops pull out, international media will follow and the future of local afghan journalism is unknown. Frame by Frame is a documentary that explores the revolution of local photojournalism in Afghanistan.
VIDEO: SolarAid Gives Light to Millions of Africans
Throughout Africa, hundreds of millions live without access to electricity. For light, many use toxic and expensive kerosene lamps; simultaneously harming the environment while keeping families within the grips of poverty. SolarAid is aiming to disrupt this market by providing those in need with cheaper and safer solar lights. Solar lights are more safe for the environment as well, which is important when combating climate change. With more than one million lights sold, that change is becoming tangible.
CONNECT WITH SOLARAID
VIDEO: Explore the Scenic US on a Road Trip
A vivid exploration of American culture, this video shows different parts of the country from the perspective of a road trip. While it starts in New York City, it is hardly limited to urban environments and looks at many different parts of the country.
CONNECT WITH MENNASIER GABRIEL
VIDEO: The Kula Project Invests in Farmers to Help the People of Rwanda
The majority of farmers in developing nations like Rwanda are unable to generate enough income to feed and sustain their families. This is due to the lack of basic needs for success. The Kula Project invests in small-scale farmers in Rwanda to create sustainable communities.
CONNECT WITH KULA PROJECT
VIDEO: Jono Moehlig’s Spoken Poem on the Beauty of Rwanda
Jono Moehlig went on a trip to Rwanda and found that the people he encountered there were some of the most amazing people he has ever met. Watching wartorn killers that have been released and loved by the neighbors they once destroyed, he learned what peace really is.