A project about
the unsung heroes of
the climate catastrophe.
With climate change, weather extremes in Europe are becoming more frequent and more severe. Storms, floods and heat waves rob people of their livelihoods, jobs and lives as they knew them. These extremes cause suffering and destruction — and leave us with a wake-up call: HEROPEANS do not give up after witnessing a climate catastrophe. They take their fate into their own hands. And they fight to protect their homes.
Climate disasters are reshaping Europe, from devastating floods in Germany to raging wildfires in Greece. But amid this destruction, local heroes are emerging with innovative solutions to protect their communities. Our team traveled across the continent to capture these inspiring stories of resilience and adaptation in the face of climate change.
I coached the team throughout the process from ideation to final product, also travelling with small teams to the different story locations to film the stories.
Why the story matters
in Southern Europe by 2100
four times faster than the global average
across Europe since 1980
We needed to transform complex climate issues into compelling human stories that would resonate with young audiences across Europe. The challenge was to balance the urgency of climate disasters with messages of hope and action, all tailored for a young audience in formats that would find them where they consume content.
Working with a team of young journalists at the Axel Springer Academy, we identified seven powerful stories across Europe that exemplified climate resilience: a visionary city planner in Ahrweiler, a protective football team in Evia, and an innovative fisherman in Iceland. We deployed small, agile teams to each location, capturing intimate moments of transformation through documentary-style filming. Our focus remained on the personal journeys and practical solutions each hero developed.
The project showcased how local initiatives can create meaningful climate adaptation strategies. "HEROPEANS" reached audiences across multiple platforms, inspiring communities to develop their own resilience plans. The short-form documentary series demonstrated that effective climate action often starts at the local level, with individuals who refuse to be defeated by environmental challenges.
- Production Year: 2021
- Client: Axel Springer Academy
- Role: Ideation & Story Consulting, filming, Production & Editing Support
