Becoming an internationally acclaimed filmmaker takes time, but the long journey doesn’t have to start after school is over. Born and raised in a Vancouver suburb, Miranda Andersen discovered her passion for storytelling when she was eight thanks to a local salmon hatchery. Armed with an insatiable curiosity, her questions gave way to a passion for nature and a belief that important stories need to be told. From coral reefs to the importance of forests, Miranda connects local experience to global issues and brings a youthful perspective to visual storytelling. Her TEDxKids talk has gone viral. She’s won numerous awards, including being named as one of the Top 30 Under 30 environmental leaders by the age of 17. And her work has been showed at film festivals around the globe. We spoke with Miranda to better understand her storytelling style and how she decides what stories must be told.
What do you think?
- What did you learn from Miranda’s story? What should we all learn from her experiences?
- Do you agree with Miranda’s approach, using storytelling to debate an issue?
- Should art and storytelling be used to advance nature education?
- Do her films and stories resonate more than documentaries of the past? Or is her work too biased, too nature-forward?
- If you think Miranda has not moved the dial, how would you do it better?
More on Miranda
Watch her TEDxKids Talk: Nature Deficit Disorder
Favourite Book: Our Wild Calling by Richard Louv
Favourite Podcast: Science for the People
Favourite Website: Mossom Creek Hatchery
