Animated Film and Music Album ‘Songs of the Earth’ Set to Premiere at COP26

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Songs of the Earth, developed and directed by multi-disciplinary artist, musician, and EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador Soumik Datta in partnership with EARTHDAY.ORG, is set to premiere at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26 on November 2, 2021. The animated film is accompanied by an eight-track album responding to climate change, weaving issues from climate migration, extreme weather to ocean pollution, deforestation and sustainable fashion through original narrative, songs and immersive visuals. The British Council’s Creative Commissions programme, which commissioned a series of creative projects to explore climate change through art, science, and digital technology, supported Songs of the Earth.

The 24 minutes-long film follows Asha, a young climate refugee from Bengal, as she searches for her missing father through the flood banks of the Sundarban delta, burning forests and melting polar ice caps. It also addresses the carbon impact of the fashion industry and the plight of climate migrants. The film is a dedication to the Global South and those who have been displaced by environmental crises and natural disasters.

Rooted in conversations with a panel of climate consultants and our associates in India, the film and album bring together animators and musicians from the UK and India. The film will be previewed at the UK Prime Minister’s office at No 10 Downing Street and Royal Albert Hall in London and premiere at COP26 in Glasgow. Featuring a suite of original climate anthems written and composed by Soumik, including ‘Oceans Rising’ and ‘Fields of Hope’, the lyrics carry profound environmental messages that embody conscious activism. These songs will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all major streaming platforms on November 2, 2021.

The project, aside from the animated film and album, will also be available as an educational resource for schools and youth labs in the shape of an e-book, accessible through Soumik’s Instagram. 

Artist, Creator, Composer, Director of Songs of the Earth, Soumik Datta said, “At the heart of the film is a question – is our behaviour as a people sustainable? As consumers, many of us are part of a cycle of buying and discarding – and somehow, the photos of polluted oceans, landfill mountains and toxic rivers don’t always connect back to us. I’d love for young people to respond to Songs of the Earth and think about how they could make small changes to the environment around them and start valuing this behaviour as a measure of good citizenship – as a badge of humanity.”

Karuna Singh, Regional Director Asia, EARTHDAY.ORG, adds, “It’s been an amazing experience working with Soumik and his team. EARTHDAY.ORG firmly believes in art’s power to widen the message about the need for all inhabitants of Earth to do their bit to help restore it and circumvent us reaching that point when the planet becomes inhabitable for humans. We look forward to organizing several events down the line around Songs of the Earth. We are so glad that many major environmental organizations in India have already pledged support to do so.”

To view the Songs of the Earth official trailer, please visit: https://youtu.be/uW7CKS5EAlI 

The full film will be released globally on Nov. 2 via Soumik Datta Arts YouTube channel.

ABOUT EARTHDAY.ORG:
EARTHDAY.ORG’s mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day (1970), EARTHDAY.ORG is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in 192 countries to build environmental democracy. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Learn more at earthday.org.