I distinctly bear in mind strolling on an empty stretch of seashore in Goa just a few years in the past. The setting solar had streaked the sky in pastel shades of orange, purple and pink. The tender glow of the night mild, dispersed by the stratocumulus clouds, mirrored on the waves of the Arabian Sea. On the opposite aspect of the seashore, a reddish-yellow full moon was rising.
Normally I’d have taken some pictures to immortalize the second, and famous down the phrases rising by way of my physique just like the tides rising up within the sea. But I consciously determined to not. Instead, I rotated my cellphone vertically and captured a brief video clip. It was my first try at making an Instagram reel – and I failed miserably.
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I had no thought why I wished to seize that second, how I supposed to make use of the clip, or what my accompanying message could be. More importantly, deep down, I didn’t wish to do that.
Since my early days of journey running a blog (~2011), I had identified that I beloved telling tales by way of writing. I took pictures sure, however extra as a manner of remembering or accompanying. I by no means thought myself a visible storyteller.
But as Instagram developed and have become a major revenue stream for me, it turned abundantly clear that I wanted to create video tales… or stop. Over the following few months, I struggled and stumbled by way of the video creation course of. Then a imaginative and prescient lastly started to emerge on how I may inform significant tales by way of video, with out placing myself in entrance of the digital camera. I used to be fortunate to have an ace editor ( you, Dhruv) who understood the ‘feeling’ I wished to create by way of my reels.
Fast ahead to 2023, and I received Silver on the prestigious Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards for video underneath two minutes, and an honorable point out for Instagram Storytelling! I labored on a number of model collaborations round sustainable tourism and past, of which reels had been a key element. By now, I used to be not solely absorbed within the rhythm of making brief movies, but additionally loving the inventive course of.
Also learn: How to Get Paid to Travel the World
A brand new problem
Time and once more, the impulse of making longer movies and movies visited me. I shoved it apart, for my plate was already full of writing, brief type video, a digital Master’s program, and constructing two new entities: The Shooting Star Academy for self-paced storytelling programs, and Climate Conscious Travel, for sustainable tourism analysis and schooling.
But some inventive concepts don’t take no for a solution.
So in 2024, I threw myself a brand new problem: To create a sequence of brief documentary movies on group tourism and grassroots local weather motion. This ardour venture had a number of targets:
Centre group voices
As a journey author, after I pen tales on group tourism, the voice and perspective stay mine. I’ve tried to problem this by way of collaborative group storytelling, the place a narrative is penned by group members in their very own language, translated, and run alongside my perspective as a traveller.
For the Singapore-based publication Our Better World, my story about Uttarakhand’s Himalayan Ark was run alongside two tales by Bina Nitwal and Trilok Singh Rana from the area people in Sarmoli. All pictures for the story was carried out by group members. It was a gorgeous expertise to work collectively and have our voices printed collectively, however because it seems, not many publications or editors have an interest on this method.
With these documentaries nevertheless, I may interview group members on digital camera, and centre their highly effective, emotional, actual voices.
Showcase the facility of acutely aware journey
We usually hear that acutely aware journey can influence native communities, particularly ladies, by way of the creation of alternate livelihoods and the celebration of their dwelling tradition. Through these docufilms, I may showcase the facility of our journey decisions from the attitude of the folks they’ve instantly impacted in a group.
Highlight the impacts of local weather change on native communities
These brief documentaries (underneath 10 minutes) aren’t local weather movies per se, however they spotlight the influence of local weather change on weak communities, and present what grassroots group motion may seem like – from investing in initiatives that empower rural ladies, to community-led waste administration.
Also learn: Everything You Need to Know About Community Tourism
The Routes of Resilience Series
Thus was born Routes of Resilience – a sequence of journey documentary movies highlighting group tourism and grassroots local weather motion, shot throughout India and Peru!
Film #1: Routes Of Resilience (India)
The journey of the primary collective of rural ladies guides within the Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh – supported by Himalayan Ecotourism.
Film #2: Mujeres Ya Trabajan (Peru)
The Indigenous communities main sustainable tourism in Peru’s Sacred Valley – supported by Planeterra.
Women Waste Warriors (India)
The ‘Paryavaran Sakhis’ aka feminine waste warriors of Dehradun, on a mission to segregate, recycle and handle waste in opposition to all odds – supported by Waste Warriors.
Coming quickly:
- A movie on Indigenous-owned homestays in Peru’s excessive altitude villages.
- A movie on a women-led upcycling initiative in Maharashtra, India.
Unexpected recognition
When I launched the primary movie on the journey of Tirthan Valley’s first collective of rural ladies guides on Youtube, my group on Instagram inspired me to submit it to movie festivals. I googled some, and randomly despatched them the hyperlink.
One morning, I woke as much as a notification from the Mountainfilm Summit in Bosnia and Herzegovina, stating that the movie had been shortlisted (and some weeks later chosen) to be showcased on the movie pageant. Whoa!
In the months since, movies from the Routes of Resilience sequence have acquired some encouraging recognition:
- The sequence received the Social Impact Award on the Bessie Awards (New York, 2025)
- The movie Routes of Resilience received Broadcast of the Year (vlog) on the Inspire Global Media Awards (London, 2025)
- The movie Routes of Resilience was chosen to be screened at 19 movie festivals, together with the Swedish International Film Festival, Eastern Europe Film Festival and Cambodia International Film Festival, and have become an award winner at 9 movie festivals.
- The movie Women Waste Warriors was premiered on the Mussoorie International Film Festival, and among the ladies featured within the movie had been invited to attend the screening!
The most gratifying half about making these movies although, is screening them for the communities featured in them. There have been tears, laughter and pleasure throughout the screenings. The movies have additionally been used to showcase their work to native authorities. The Women Waste Warriors movie, for example, was screened at Dehradun’s Zila Panchayat (District Development) Office!
Also learn: What I Learnt From an Indigenous Shaman within the Amazon Rainforest
Micro movies on Instagram
One lesson from taking pictures, translating and modifying these movies is that I can’t create them on the tempo I had initially hoped. It takes time, emotional power and monetary assets, regardless that I’m fortunate to have discovered an excellent editor ( you, Deepthi), and translation help from my Instagram group.
Besides creating brief documentaries, I made a decision to strive my hand at Instagram reel-style micro movies, and love how nicely they’ve been acquired:
The dilemma of attain and influence
It has felt so empowering to alter my self-perception from being a author to somebody who can inform tales by way of many inventive mediums. As a part of the journey to upskill myself, I enrolled in a documentary filmmaking workshop by acclaimed Iranian director Hossein Martin Fazeli, and walked away with the conviction to make extra docufilms.
But therein lies a dilemma.
The longer movies (underneath 10 min), although they’ve been screened at movie festivals and led to recognition for the group initiatives, have seen attain of solely 2-4k views every on my fledgling Youtube channel.
On the opposite hand, the reel-style micro movies on Instagram (1-2 min) have had influence of a distinct variety: 200-500k views every, resulting in nice conversions for among the initiatives.
I’m making an attempt to determine which of them to pursue. I normally have restricted time for the interviews and taking pictures broll, so taking pictures in each panorama and portrait is tough. The former permits for extra depth, the latter for extra attain. Any recommendation?
Also see my course: Get Paid to Travel the World With Purpose
A message to the universe
As I slowly proceed this surprising filmmaking journey, I’m looking out for impactful social enterprises and non-profits – in journey and past – to associate with to inform their tales. I’d notably like to proceed spotlighting group tourism initiatives and grassroots local weather motion work, within the type of brief documentaries and/or micro movies.
If that’s you, or somebody whose work wants higher storytelling, please join us!
Have you ever dabbled into filmmaking of any variety? What sort of documentaries and movies do you want to look at?
Welcome to my weblog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been known as a storyteller, author, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism guide and environmentalist. But in my coronary heart, I’m only a lady who believes that journey – if carried out proper – has the facility to alter us and the world we reside in.