Audi Environmental Foundation sponsors NaturVision short film prize for “Those in Grass Houses”
- Winning film “Those in Grass Houses” by Christian Lawes focuses on the extraordinary life of the African sociable weaver
- A total of ten films were nominated in line with the theme of “Hidden Champions: Nature is the Mother of Invention” at the NaturVision film festival
- Rüdiger Recknagel, Director of the Environmental Foundation: “By evoking emotions and empathy, films open up new and fascinating perspectives and give us an understanding of the needs of our environment”
This is already the fourth time that the Audi Environmental Foundation is cooperating with the NaturVision film festival for nature, wildlife, the environment, and sustainability. Ten films about extraordinary and unknown animals and plants made it onto the shortlist in line with the theme of “Hidden Champions: Nature is the Mother of Invention.” The film by Christian Lawes impressed the four-person jury and won the award and its EUR 5,000 cash prize. The film festival is taking place from July 14 to 18, 2021, and is being streamed online exclusively for the second time.
The award-winning film “Those in Grass Houses” by Christian Lawes documents the life of the South African sociable weaver. This bird species distinguishes itself with its complex nest-building system and hierarchical structures within the flock. In this way, the birds adapt to external influences and stabilize their communal life. This year’s selection for the short film competition focuses on animals and plants that otherwise live out of sight. The four-person jury consisting of Wiebke Winter (cellu l’art short film festival), Victor Schwarz (Pixelgame Studios), Dr. Kay Hoffmann (Förderverein NaturVision e.V.), and Eve Heber explained its choice of the winner as follows: “Within a very short amount of time, the film conveys dramatic and humorous insights into the colony as well as a clear message: Together we are strong. Even if there are minor differences here and there.”
The NaturVision short film competition provides the opportunity to give the viewers an understanding of the facets of nature in an entertaining and creative way. Our flora and fauna have served as a source of inspiration and a role model for technical innovations since time immemorial. Rüdiger Recknagel, Managing Director of the Audi Environmental Foundation, said: “By evoking emotions and empathy, films open up new and fascinating perspectives. They give us an understanding of what our environment needs and arouse our sympathy. This creates a win-win situation: Nature is a role model that we use when we work on technical issues. We learn from nature but are also more likely to be prepared to campaign for its protection.”
