This 'nostalgic' documentary on climate change was shot on 40-year-old Super 8 cameras

A man films a rhino that is lying down. — (Image credit: BFI Film Festival London)

Film evokes a nostalgic feeling and arguably, enables viewers to better connect with the footage than digital. Now, filmmakers have tapped into this producing a climate change documentary on Kodak Super 8 film that’s set to hit UK cinemas in August.

Described as a “love letter to nature”, Super Nature explores humanity's place in the natural world. The film is the brainchild of London-based producer Ed Sayers, who wanted to inspire positive climate action by "putting our connection with nature on the big screen”.

A man looks toward the sun while holding a film camera on a tripod over her shoulder. — (Image credit: BFI Film Festival London)

To do this, Sayers sent over 70 vintage Super 8 film cameras, each over 40 years old, to videographers in 25 different countries to “tell their own stories” in an environmentally friendly way.

“It’s a multi-character film and we essentially bring cameras around the world with a low carbon footprint by sending small 5-10kg packages, not whole crews and a sea container full of equipment,” said Sayers during an interview at the BFI Film Festival in London, UK.

Sayer’s documentary is an homage to the environment with a view of cultivating awareness of climate change. When asked “why Super 8?” he said: “Even for people too young to know, unlike me, Super 8 imbues a sense of nostalgia whenever you see it.”

A trio of geese flying in formation. — (Image credit: BFI Film Festival London)

Although shot on Super 8 film, Sayers used modern post-production techniques to create the finished product. “I also edited the film, happy to say, digitally,” he said.

Sayers explained how splicing Super 8 film is a destructive process and that he collaborated with CineLab London to digitize the footage via scanning. “It [the footage] will be faithfully reproduced at scale,” he said.

Super Nature will be in cinemas across the UK and Ireland in Autumn this year. The next screening will be at the Vilnius Film Festival, Lithuania which runs from March 7 - 23.

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I’m a writer, journalist and photographer who joined Digital Camera World in 2026. I started out in editorial in 2021 and my words have spanned sustainability, careers advice, travel and tourism, and photography – the latter two being my passions.

I first picked up a camera in my early twenties having had an interest in photography from a young age. Since then, I’ve worked on a freelance basis, mostly internationally in the travel and tourism sector. You’ll usually find me out on a hike shooting landscapes and adventure shots in my free time.

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