"SIMA's documentaries have taught me about responsibility, effort, and solidarity."
Emilio has been exposed to Social Impact Media Awards since its origins, informing his passion for Social change and transformation through storytelling. Emilio is a Mexican American 17-year-old living and studying in Switzerland. As he develops the Ethologics project, he aims to cultivate a caring community interested in education and collaboration towards positive change and transformation for humanity on this planet.
I have been engaged with SIMA alongside my mother, Claudia Flores, who has been part of the SIMA Awards since their inception.
From a safe and intimate space, I have been able to access new realities, awakening a deeper empathy for humanity worldwide. Within the security of my family environment, I have had the opportunity to confront the challenges faced by people in other parts of the globe, and through this, to spark and enrich conversations, finding inspiration to join in the search for solutions and to participate collaboratively.
Through my own lens, I can empathize with individuals, fostering a sense of kinship across distance — a connection from heart to heart.
Documentaries provide us with an authentic perspective, one that is exponentially more powerful than simply reading about or listening to a lecture on a culture. In this way, SIMA strengthens the work of education, supporting teachers, parents, and families alike.
My passion for diversity and global awareness has shaped my life, ultimately leading me to discover SIMA. Inspired—and at times overwhelmed—by the creativity and impact of these films, I found myself constantly watching documentaries with my mother. With each film, my perspective of the world expanded, and so did my determination to become part of this community. Becoming a jury member for the platform allowed me not only to deepen my own understanding but also to influence those around me, carrying SIMA with me wherever I went.
When I arrived at my new boarding school across the world, I was determined to share these experiences with my peers and teachers. With the support of Miss Hamilton and Daniela Kon, I created an after-school program now known as Social Impact Screenings. Being in such an international school environment, surrounded by diverse perspectives and possibilities, has given me the unique chance to contribute to conversations about change and transformation on a global scale.
After Introductory lessons, the first film I screened to the students, directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, was The Last Ice Age. A short film, only roughly around 40 minutes long, and its environmental science-based nature worked out to be the perfect introduction to a set of films that were much more dramatic and complex. Due to its rather fascinating scenery and directing, this film allowed the students to smoothly get in touch with the world of documentaries without having to sit through something rather difficult to understand.
Being able to gather a diverse and interested group of students allowed me to have abundant freedom with choices of documentaries to screen, and the conversations were nothing short of engaging. My classmates were not only able to share their opinions and critiques but were also able to listen and appreciate different perspectives, allowing for respectful disagreements through fruitful and constructive debates.
Attending a rather traditional and highly academic boarding school, we are busy, and if we have a time to seat through a film, my peers were looking for something light, documentaries and specially sima´s, are amazing, powerful, important, and transforming, but definitely not light and the process of starting an after-school activity was tedious and by no means simple. First ,I had to get clear with the intention and pitch the idea to the heads of the school once I was granted the opportunity to initiate the activity. The actual challenge was believing in the project and myself to convince other students to participate. I hung posters on the walls and convinced my friends to tell their friends, I had to commit myself to be focused on creating the space and opportunity with the same level of quality and attention to detail regardless of how popular this was, whether the screening ended up being for one or many I will show up and open the possibilities to have challenging conversations with curiosity and respect, growing together as a community. We had over 15 students attending the first day, and on other days, it ended up being a few of us. Each time, it seems to be the perfect people, the insights, the inspiration, the connections that needed to happen.
Noticing that everything that exists is held and managed by humans, I am a human, and I can collaborate and be a part of what I want to see more of in the world. At school, the documentaries are great resources to humanize big concepts and get inspired to do what we can, beginning with the desire to learn and reflect on possibilities.
We have our personal devices distracting us from connecting mind and heart. Dedicating time to the documentaries made us notice that if we pay attention, truly pay attention, something happens that makes us understand at a very different level, one that seems to be empowering in the right way. Not sure how to put it in words, but I have noticed our attitude to go out into the world with an empowerment that seems more authentic, humble, courageous ,to be vulnerable and collaborative.
I attend a school with students from all over the world, and we have noticed that often we have more in common than not. With the documentaries, we noticed that the experience of familiarity with others in different places and circumstances was available through the pieces we saw. Often challenging circumstances through a dignifying lens that changes the way we relate with ourselves and our role in the world, empathy that is character-building and inspiring at a time of our lives where we are committed to living on purpose.
We have a fundamental wisdom and goodness in our hearts. Humanity around the world is struggling, learning, and doing what we can to understand the root causes, and hold on to our shared humanity beyond the stories that polarize us. Ultimately, be brave to follow your passions and aspirations even though there will e obstacles along the way.
I am excited to leave a legacy of learning and engagement here at my school, as well as taking the opportunity to equip all members to take it to their college experiences and expand the conversation towards collaborative action in different fields of interest and expertise.
