Miranda Andersen

My name is Miranda Andersen and I am 14 years old. I make films about the environment and I guess you could call me an environmental activist mainly because my films are usually urging people to change the way they live in order to protect and help the environment. Film is my way of expressing environmental issues that are important to me. So my films are kind of my form of activism. There’s a famous Canadian filmmaker who once said, "It’s not the job of filmmakers to give anybody answers. But a good film should make you ask questions." And I couldn’t agree more.

Marine biology is what I’d like to do in the future as a career. Everything that has anything to do with the oceans fascinates me. I live on the west coast of BC, near Vancouver with my family. Saving the oceans for the future is a big concern for me and I hope that people can realize that we can all make a difference to changing the future in our own small ways.

I produced my first film at nine years old  about a local fish hatchery and the threats to both the salmon population and habitat. In the fall of 2011, I completed a piece called Forever Plastic about a Vancouver resident who is trying to live plastic-free. The documentary also features a story about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean. Another one of my films documents the efforts of a sociologist turned artist who is bringing attention to the issue of global deforestation. I’ve also tackled the topic of e-waste (electronic waste) and most recently finished a film on nature deficit disorder featuring San Diego’s author and columnist, Richard Louv. 

I love to inform people in a visual way about environmental issues but I’ve also been very fortunate to have success as a public speaker. Doing a TEDx kids talk in Vancouver and being a keynote speaker in San Diego for the Children & Nature Network, where I introduced Canadian artist Robert Bateman, were great ways of getting my messages about the environment out to larger audiences.

I also maintain a blog at mirandaandersen.com where you can read my work and my opinions. It documents the work of others and some of the amazing relationships and connections I’ve been able to make with other environmentally inclined individuals who are all helping to save this world.

The film I am currently working on is about the importance of eating local and features both vendors and customers who frequent farmer’s markets from around BC. In between homework, art lessons and twice daily swim practices with a high performance swim club it takes me a little longer than it used to get my films completed but I hope that I will always be able to use that medium to capture stories that need to be told to help save the environment.






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