The Green Transition, a new cycle of colonial extraction? Cine-forum Taracena & Bermúdez

Despite the stark geopolitical dependencies of the green transition, agreements such as the European Green Deal remain largely silent about the communities in the territories that enable this transition and the transnational companies that extract, produce, and process low-carbon electricity and energy transition minerals.

This event aims to turn the focus toward ‘green sacrifice zones' (Zografos and Robbins 2020), geographies where land- and water-grabbing pave the way for renewable energy generation and ‘green mining’.

The event will feature Anais Taracena and Laura Bermúdez’s mid-length documentary ‘Dos Ríos’ (eng. Two Rivers)

Guatemala-Honduras

Protagonists: María Caal and Betty Vásquez
Direction: Anaïs Taracena and Laura Bermúdez
44 min

Betty, a feminist environmentalist living in Honduras, and María, a Q’eqchi’ Maya community leader living in Guatemala, are connected by a shared purpose: the defense of the rivers in their territories.

Synopsis

Betty Vásquez lives in a community in Honduras that was affected by hurricanes Eta and Iota. Alongside other women, she organizes to confront extractive projects in their territory. María Caal, a Q’eqchi’ defender, is part of “La Resistencia,” where several families oppose a hydroelectric project that has diverted the rivers in their communities.

Betty lives in Honduras, María in Guatemala; though they do not know each other, they are united by a shared purpose: the defense of the rivers in their territories.

It will be followed by a discussion between the documentary's protagonist, María Caal Xol, Maya-Q’eqchi’ leader and land defender, member of the Cahabón Resistance in Alta Verapaz, and Carlos Choc, Maya-Q'eqchi' journalist, known for his courageous work documenting environmental conflicts and the target of judicial harassment and criminalization since 2017. Moderated by Azucena Morán, Research Associate (RIFS Potsdam).