Insights of an Eco-Artist sprung from the belief that art can inspire change. Joana Alarcao plays an important role by bringing together artists from all disciplines and walks of life, who share this belief in the potential of art. My name is Charlotte Mendel and I have published four books and won some prizes. Since moving to England from Canada two years ago, I have turned my hand to screenwriting.

So how can a story inspire change?

Some stories focus on the beauty of nature. Some on collective action.

But I’m angry.

Because the richest 1% is responsible for more carbon emissions than the poorest 66%.

Because there’s people trashing the planet in order to line their pockets.

Because the quality of my children’s lives depend on our actions now.

Because I would murder for my children…

And so the story Moral Murderer was born.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and your artistic practice? What steps did you take to become the writer you are today?

I worked full-time until I had children, and all my jobs were writing-related—instructional design, technical writing, journalism, copywriting—so I always enjoyed writing. When I had my first child, I saw the year-long maternity leave as an opportunity to write a novel, since Google told me babies slept 16-18 hours a day. Google neglected to add that these hours come in 15-minute increments, leaving me half-comatose with utter exhaustion. Nevertheless, I did manage to start writing daily. Ten manuscripts and four published novels later, I haven’t stopped yet, despite the fact that I make no money!

What motivated you to apply and participate in this online residency? What were your initial goals and expectations?

As soon as I saw the name of this residency—Insights of an Eco Artist—I was hooked! Although I have recently transitioned to screen-writing, which is much more collaborative, writing is usually a lonely affair and it’s sometimes hard to self-motivate. Climate activism can feel the same. The chance to collaborate with other eco artists represented a chance to replenish the well, and I was very excited to do this residency. It was heartening to be with other artists who share the same eco-passion, and every week Joana delivered interesting lectures about the work of other international eco-artists. It was inspiring to learn the ways in which the international community is using their art to grapple with the climate crisis. My well was definitely replenished!

Can you tell us more about the screenplay Moral Murderer? What was the theme or focus?

From the American and French revolutions of the 18th century to the recent Arab Spring, people rebellions usually happen because of grievances that originate from a perceived inequality. Today, wealth inequality is growing and I want to use my art to fan people’s dissatisfaction, because rebellion will dismantle the status quo—which is essential for the climate crisis.

Most of us were brought up to believe that demonizing a group is evil—and of course it’s totally stupid, because how can you demonize a group when every individual is so different? As my character Wren says, “The Moral Murderer thinks all rich people are bad. That’s just like racism. Labelling an entire group.”

So why do I want to create hatred against a group with my story?

There are several reasons. First, the richest 1% emit more carbon than the poorest 66%--who are literally dying right now from the obscene footprints of the rich. Second, although the rich are a group, unlike any other group there is something inherently corrupt about wealth. If you read books like Survival of the Richest by Douglas Rushkoff, it reflects how great wealth seems to bequeath a sense of superiority—as though the rich truly believe that they are somehow better than the rest of us. That is also the essence of racism, and my conscience is less troubled by being ‘racist’ to a ‘racist’. 

But most importantly by far, I truly believe that we need all the tools in our tool box to fight the climate crisis. If this includes borrowing a page from the populist handbook by deliberately stirring anger in an attempt to spark a People’s Revolution, I’m in! 

You mention that some stories focus on the beauty of nature or collective action. What specific narrative strategies do you employ in Moral Murderer to engage audiences and inspire change, and how do you avoid the pitfalls of preaching or moralizing?

People like sex and violence, so I chose those specific narrative strategies in order to forge a gripping thriller—something I have never attempted to write before, but a genre which is particularly engaging for viewers. The Moral Murderer kills oil barons who are trashing the planet; as the story of her experiences unfold, including entitled sexual assaults and bottomless greed, we hope viewers will begin to empathize with her justification for her actions. I am not sure if the Moral Murderer comes across as preachy, but if so, hopefully the sex and violence make up for that!   

What impact do you hope Moral Murderer will have on audiences, and what specific actions do you hope it will inspire in terms of environmental and social change?

Part of the transition away from fossil fuels must involve shifting society’s perception about wealth. Although there is a lot of anger about the growing wealth discrepancy, conversely, most people still hanker after wealth. This is a mindset that stories can help to shift.  From desiring a brand-new SUV to eschewing them—from hankering after wealth to condemning the trappings of it—this is the intent of Moral Murderer.

Can you describe how you and your fellow artists inspired or learned from each other during the collaborative process?

I was the only writer in our group; the rest were visual artists. I don’t know of any other residencies that bring together artists from completely different disciplines like this, and it was a really interesting experience. The scope and variety of reasons behind my co-artists love of nature and our planet, the incredibly varied ways they used their art to reflect this, was fascinating to me.  I didn’t always understand what they were talking about when they swopped expertise on technique and style, but I learned a lot from this rare opportunity to be exposed to different artistic disciplines with the same environmental focus.

How do you see your role as an artist contributing to a broader cultural conversation about climate change and social justice, and what advice would you give to other artists who are passionate about using their work to promote positive change?

Unlike visual artists and novelists, who can get their work out there by holding an exhibition or a book launch, screenwriters really only produce the first seed of the final flower. This is a new genre for me, and I’m not sure how my work can contribute to a broader cultural conversation unless someone else takes it forward, because a story can’t impact viewers without viewers. 

However…sowing the seeds of a revolution requires finding commonalities between large numbers of people; in other words, finding a unifying cause more powerful than any divisive cause. Therefore, if I have a strong opinion about, say, abortion, it doesn’t matter whether you believe in abortion or not. It only matters that you fight with me to protect our children against the climate crisis. So, as you can imagine, people disagree with me across the partisan divide, but we learn the most in those discussions where we disagree. In this way, I hope I am contributing to the broader cultural conversation about climate change. 

If you could give one piece of advice to future participants of this residency, what would it be?

You’re about to spend six intimate weeks with an eclectic group of artists! What advice could you possibly need, you lucky dog?

Find out more about the artist here.

See the immersive virtual exhibition here.