GLOBAL PREMIERE: Learning from Sparrows + Panel

GLOBAL PREMIERE SCREENING

Online screening and panel conversation with film-makers and social permaculture leaders, hosted by Morag Gamble: Permaculture Education Institute.

This premiere is part of the International Permaculture Festival of Wild Ideas.  [Note: If you have a Festival Pass, you will automatically have access to this screening.]

ABOUT THE FILM

Learning from Sparrows

Learning from Sparrows is a warm, hopeful journey into what’s possible when we listen, learn, and act—together.

In December 2023, while world leaders met at COP28, a group of young people gathered in Ventimiglia, Italy—cleaning riversides, sharing meals, and dreaming of a better world. United by a passion for change, they came from 11 countries to learn about social permaculture at the inspiring ecovillage of Torri Superiore in north western Italy, near the border with France. Together, they explored how nature’s patterns can help us build more just, connected, and sustainable communities. 

Social Permaculture

Social permaculture is a sub-discipline of permaculture, a design discipline aimed at creating sustainable and regenerative human settlements, which is receiving increasing attention in both alternative and mainstream fields for its methodological rigour in proposing inclusive solutions to global problems. 

At the same time, there are still very few works that offer a broad perspective on social permaculture, and the Directors therefore believe that this film is of great interest both in specialised audiences and in those simply interested in the climate crisis and social justice.

WATCH TRAILER

Panel guests at screening

• Lucilla Borio
• Massimo Candela
• Dario Ferraro
• Giulia Attanasio
• Marguerite Kahrl
• Silvia Corna

ABOUT THE PANELLISTS

Giulia Attanasio (Director) is a filmmaker, participatory art and music facilitator, digital storyteller and trainer. She is the president of AUDRA APS, an organization that works at the crossroads of regenerative cultures and the arts. In 2017, she founded Terra dei Canti, a project that explores and promotes community music as a tool for personal and group development, team building, and well-being. Giulia has extensive experience in the audiovisual and documentary sectors, which she integrates into her group work through an original participatory video methodology. She organizes events and training sessions for young people and adults, collaborating with national and international organizations in both rural and urban contexts. Her documentary Makaria has been selected for various festivals, including DOK Leipzig, RIFF, IsReal Festival and the Brussels Independent Film Festival.

Dario Ferraro (Director) is a group facilitator, project manager and filmmaker. Since 2022, he has been a project development manager for the European ecovillage network GEN Europe. As a facilitator, he works with several ecovillages in Europe in the development of transformational learning programmes related to project development, group facilitation, participatory documentary and deep ecology. As a filmmaker, he co-directed with Adonella Marena of Lo Sbarco (2011) and was part of the collective film Demonstration (2013) directed by Victor Kossakovsky. He graduated from the UPF creative documentary master in Barcelona and was creative producer and editor of Makaría (2020).

Lucilla Borio, Co-founder and resident for more than 30 years of the Torri Superiore Ecovillage (Ventimiglia, IM), former CEO of GEN Europe and former president of GEN, currently member of the GEN Elders Council. Direct student of Beatrice Briggs (IIFAC), she is a facilitator and trainer since 2001. She translated Briggs’ book "Practical guide to facilitation and consensus method", and David Holmgren’s “Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability” of which she wrote the introduction. She has written articles and essays for various books, including the “Encyclopedia of Communities”, “Ecovillage Living” and “Ecovillages around the world”. Since 2015 she is one of the authors and trainers of the GEN-Europe program “CLIPS - Community Learning Incubator Partnership for Sustainability” to support the development of sustainable groups and communities.

Massimo Candela is a member of Ture Nirvane and a long-time resident of the Torri Superiore ecovillage, where he coordinated the renovation of the medieval village. In 2000 he organised the first permaculture design course in Italy, in 2003 he obtained the certificate in applied permaculture design issued by the British Permaculture Academy and was one of the founders of the Italian Permaculture Academy. In 2004 and 2005, he participated in the creation of the first EDE - Ecovillage Design Education, and was one of the lecturers of the programme ‘Socio-economic integration of migrants and young Sicilians’. He is a lecturer at the Cascina Santa Brera School of Sustainable Practices.

Marguerite Kahrl is an artist and designer who employs a wide range of interdisciplinary practices, processes and media to facilitate new forms of inquiry into the relationship between ‘humans’ and ‘nature’. She holds a BFA in sculpture and ceramics from the University of Colorado Boulder and Camberwell College of the Arts in London, and an MA in sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design. Marguerite's artistic research is influenced by the principles of permaculture and her pioneering work in Permaculture and the Arts has been recognised by the Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute in Australia. Marguerite is a key promoter of the global Permaculture for Refugees network.

Silvia Corna is an environmental educator and permaculture designer specialising in traditional ecological practices. With degrees in Natural Resource Management and Intercultural Mediation, she enjoys facilitating people's connection with themselves, the earth and their communities through music and other creative practices. She has coordinated volunteer and non-formal education projects for the organisations Vagamondo, New Wellness Education, Parco Culturale Alta Langa and Sunseed Desert Technology. She is part of the group of young permaculture designers Consolida - Progetti Rigenerativi.

Duration 66 minutes + discussion

COST - PAY WHAT YOU CAN

All tickets are offered pay-as-you-like, and with thanks to the Permaculture Education Institute who is kindly hosting this event.

All payments are collected by our registered charity, Ethos Foundation. Morag sends 100% to support fair share permaculture design education - mostly led by and for women and youth with a strong focus on social permaculture. Morag also offers complementary permaculture mentoring to all these teams through the Permaculture Education Institute. 

WATCH WITH OTHERS

Have you considered organising a watch party at your place? Watch the film, share a meal and have a conversation about how the ideas in this film make sense in your local community and inspire action. 

HOST: MORAG GAMBLE, PERMACULTURE EDUCATION INSTITUTE

ABOUT MORAG GAMBLE

Morag Gamble is the founder of the Permaculture Education Institute teaching permaculture educators and designers on six continents. She has lived for a quarter of a century in an award-winning ecovillage. Morag has also created Sense-Making in a Changing World Podcast, and the Our Permaculture Life BLOG and YouTube collectively viewed millions of times. She is creator and convenor of the International Permaculture Festival of Wild Ideas. Morag also hosts the Ethos Fellowship alongside Schumacher College Fellow, Fritjof Capra, and Ethos Foundation - a registered charity offering free permaculture education for refugees.

ABOUT PERMACULTURE EDUCATION INSTITUTE

Permaculture Education Institute, based at Crystal Waters Ecovillage on Gubbi Gubbi country, offers programs to support people worldwide to become teachers and leaders of permaculture programs and to activate permaculture communities. The Institute hosts regular global conversations exploring one-planet living and earth restoration - through film, podcasts, masterclasses, discussion forums, and many courses. 

Our Core Program

• The all-inclusive Permaculture Educators Program is an in-depth online course - for beginners to advanced practitioners with a unique combination of the Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) and Permaculture Teacher Certificate, plus permaculture business modules. Start anytime. Take as long as you need. Be part of a global learning community with Morag.