Episode 061 - Martijn Winkler - HEAT (HITTE)

Every day, our world remains threatened by a ceaseless series of crises that must be addressed urgently by the global community: war, violence, hatred, growing authoritarianism and political oppression, income inequality. On top of those problems, two of the biggest challenges we face in the 21st Century threaten the survival of ourselves and our planet: the deadly coronavirus, and the equally catastrophic destruction caused by climate change.

Living in a time where COVID-19 and climate change make for an even more dangerous planet, Dutch filmmaker Martijn Winkler tackled both issues head-on in the award-winning web series HEAT (or HITTE, in Dutch), set to make its online debut soon after finishing a long run on the festival circuit.

Created by Winkler, and shot last year as lockdowns were lifted during a brutally hot summer in Amsterdam, the 12 episodes of HEAT tell the rotating stories of different people - from first responders and their loved ones to other key parts of society - whose very lives are jeopardized by both a deadly heat wave and a seemingly once-in-a-generation pandemic.

While Winkler wants HEAT to both captivate audiences with its story of human perseverance amid two of today’s worst calamities, he has also joined forces with Dutch environmental organization Warming Up to inform citizens worldwide about the fatal risks posed by climate change, and to motivate them to take action before there’s no planet left to save.

Now on this week’s podcast, I’m honored to have Winkler join me to talk about this important series, and how shows like it can communicate such complicated issues as climate change in ways that neither daily headline news nor lengthy academic treatises can achieve.

For more information on HEAT, visit:

https://vertov.com/project/hitte-heat/

The series' official trailer (in English) can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1FQ5P1UuR4

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Music by Audionautix.com