High Tide Don't Hide
In the race for existence, striking teenagers discover that activism, authority, and awarness make for a steep learning curve.
- Filmmaker(s)
- Niva Kay
- Emily McDowell
- Nia Phipps
- Category
- Full-Length Film
- Subject Matter
- Climate Change, Environment & Sustainability, Race & Diversity
- Featured In
In 2019, students in more than 150 countries launched strikes to demand action to avert cataclysmic climate change.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, filmmakers The Rebel Film Collective started shooting seven months before what became the world’s biggest ever climate change strike. We were given intimate access to New Zealand students’ meetings, homes and personal video diaries to record how the local movement began. weaving the stories of five teenagers as they lead their communities to strike for climate.
We were there when an unexpected turn of events changed the face of the protests. High Tide Don’t Hide reveals the inner processes of teenagers mobilising record-setting numbers of children and adults...while dealing with the looming threat of climate change, interpersonal politics, and the need to just be teenagers.
Phil Stebbing, Co-Director, Co-Producer
Over the last 30 years, Phil has worked with British Broadcasters, Discovery Channel and National Geographic, specialising in presenter-led factual programmes and observational documentaries. He has received awards for various productions from Sundance Festival, International Wildlife Film Festival, Jackson Hole, Realscreen, Grierson Award.
Niva Kay, Writer, Co-Director, Co-Producer
Niva is a filmmaker passionate about storytelling, environmental and social justice. Niva has built a successful career as a digital producer, creating content in various media forms, including writing, photography, videography and graphics. She is co-author of the number one best-selling book, ‘The Abundant Garden’. Niva and her partner established Pakaraka Permaculture, a regenerative market garden and education centre on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Emily McDowell, Co-Director, Co-Producer
Emily has directed and produced environmental issues-focused documentaries for broadcasters including BBC World, MTV International and Māori Television, typically further shared as high school and tertiary educational resources. Her series on young people and climate change screened to the world’s largest youth audience. She is a co-founder of Major Arc, a charity championing films committed to positive social change.
Nia Phipps, Co-Director, Co-Producer
Nia is a creative producer and impact producer. Recent documentary projects include Land of the Long White Cloud – a web series confronting white privilege and the legacy of a colonial history in Aotearoa New Zealand. Minimum series, produced for Radio New Zealand online – a web series on the reality of life on minimum wage for women in New Zealand. Other noteworthy recent work by Nia was her role as Producer/Project Manager for the award-winning short-documentary and talent initiative Loading Docs (2014-18) which won ‘New Zealand On Air Best Web Series’ at the 2017 New Zealand Television Awards. She is currently employed as a coordinator in the Talent Development Department at the New Zealand Film Commission.