‘Hollow Tree’ documentary tackles climate change, features LSU students, exclusive film screening hosted by Ogden Honors College

BATON ROUGE –  Prior to the film’s official release, the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College will host an exclusive screening of “Hollow Tree” on Wednesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. in LSU’s French House. The documentary features LSU students Annabelle Pavy and Tanielma Da Costa, as well as the Director of LSU’s Center for River Studies, Dr. Clint Willson. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film's director, Kira Akerman, and the three protagonists, moderated by Dr. Willson.

“Hollow Tree” follows three teenagers coming of age in their sinking homeland of Louisiana. For the first time, they notice the Mississippi River’s engineering, stumps of cypress trees, and billowing smokestacks. Their different perspectives — as Indigenous, white, and Angolan young women — shape their story of the climate crisis.

Tanielma Da Costa is an Ogden Honors College student studying environmental engineering in LSU’s College of Engineering and one of the protagonists of the film. "The first step in facing the climate crisis is to empower young people to have a voice, to look within themselves, within their community, and what’s going on in their environment,” Costa notes. 

Through her Honors education, Costa has felt empowered to tackle such a critical issue facing the state. “All of my Honors courses have helped me think critically about different arguments in order to support my ideas and the evidence I find,” she said. “I took HNRS 2035: Environmental Issues with Dr. Dominique Homberger my first semester, and that gave me perspective of the scope of the climate crisis as a global issue. The seminar gave me more tools to discuss the climate crisis and allowed me to continue to develop my communication skills, which gave me foresight on how to counteract the divisiveness that usually arises when discussions on climate change come up. Having regular discussions helps build the sort of compromise and understanding on both sides that is necessary to make progress on the climate crisis in Louisiana.” 

At its premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival, “Hollow Tree” won a Jury prize. It has been supported by the Sundance Institute, the NEA, and others. Ken Burns, the creative advisor, calls it “extraordinary“ and “asks all of us to think differently about the communities in which we live and the environments that we must respect.” Hollow Tree was produced by Monique Walton (Bull, Cannes 2019 - Un Certain Regard, Samuel Goldwyn, Sony), Chachi Hauser (The Rat, Sundance 2019).

Tickets: This event is free and open to the public. Space is limited. Guests should register here.