Communicating Tsunami Preparedness Through the Lessons Learned by Survivors

Abstract:

Often times science communication is reactive and it minimizes the perceptions of the general public. The Tsunami of New Dreams is a film with the testimonies of survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Production of the film spanned over five years and dozens of interviews, and is based on a unique geographic, demographic and experiential sampling of the local population.

This documentary feature film underscores the importance of Earth science and science communication in building sustainable communities. The film is a lesson in survival and sustainability, and it provides a simple but powerful testimony of what to do and what not to do before and during a tsunami. The film also highlights the direct relationship that exists between disaster survival rates and the knowledge of basic Earth science and preparedness facts.

We hope that the human stories presented in the film will serve as a strong motivator for general audiences to learn about natural hazards, preparedness, and Earth science. These engaging narratives can touch the minds and hearts of general audiences much faster than technical lectures in a classroom. Some of the testimonies are happy and others are sad, but they all present the wide range of beliefs that influenced the outcomes of the natural disaster. The interviews with survivors are complemented with unique archival footage of the tsunami and unique footage of daily life in Aceh. Hand-drawn illustrations are used to recreate what survivors did immediately after the earthquake, and during the extreme moments when they faced the tsunami waves. Animated visuals, maps and diagrams enhance the understanding of earthquake and tsunami dynamics.

The film is a production of the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) in collaboration with the International Center for Aceh and Indian Ocean Studies (ICAIOS) in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The film is scheduled for release in late 2015.

This is a unique work about what we can do to minimize casualties with simple strategies and tactics grounded on Earth science. It is also a case study about the devastating impact of natural hazards in communities with limited awareness of Earth science and the ingenuity and courage necessary to recover from them.

http://art-science-media.com/tsunami-of-new-dreams/