Explaining climate change in an alpine region cannot rely solely on scientific charts or distant international summits. For those who live and work at high elevations, climate transition is a physical reality observed every season on glaciers, pastures, and water channels.

The INCIT ClimaTour initiative—promoted under the European Interreg ALCOTRA framework—approached this challenge from an authentic angle: bringing cinema out of traditional halls and taking participants directly onto mountain paths.

Walking as a Method of Observation

Across two dedicated field days in Rhêmes-Saint-Georges and Saint-Nicolas, residents, local administrators, and researchers gathered to walk together. Moving slowly along the terrain allows participants to observe subtle environmental markers that fast transit conceals.

The core program was anchored by three focused short films: Une montagne de questions, Distacco – Death – Renaissance, and Écouter. Rather than abstract lectures, each film served as a discussion catalyst between local shepherds, geologists, and younger generations.

Documenting these moments required an agile camera presence. Heavy broadcast rigs would have disrupted the informal dialogue; our crews deployed shoulder rigs and lightweight cine optics to capture unrehearsed interactions in genuine light.

Citizen Science and Community Memory

European cooperation projects often encounter a communication bottleneck: formal reporting remains confined to administrative dossiers, while the local population remains uninformed.

INCIT reversed this dynamic by combining documentary cinema with participatory citizen science. Local foresters shared historical benchmarks of snow cover, while younger walkers documented micro-habitats using mobile sensors.

For a historical regional agency like A.V.I. Presse, preserving these visual records builds a cumulative asset. Footage filmed during the ClimaTour is systematically cataloged and integrated into our regional archive, ensuring the memory of this collective work remains accessible for years to come.