Hyundai Motor and UNDP to Present ‘for Tomorrow’ Documentary near the 77th UN General Assembly in New York.
- The feature-length film shines a light on the challenging journeys of five grassroots innovators around the world who embody the belief that ‘anyone can be an innovator and build a more sustainable future’
- It premiered at the Lincoln Center in New York City in close proximity to the United Nations General Assembly
- It is narrated by Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley, directed by An Tran, and executive-produced by Elliot V. Kotek
- It will be released on YouTube and available to view on Amazon Prime Video in select countries
Hyundai Motor Company and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) present ‘for Tomorrow’, a captivating feature-length documentary about grassroots innovators, at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater in New York City. The film’s premiere took place in close proximity to the 77th UN General Assembly.
Showcasing the notion that ‘anyone can shape the future,’ the film shines a light on the challenging journeys of five grassroots innovators. All five have had a profound impact on their communities and dedicate themselves to making the world a better place. Filmed by local crews in Vietnam, Sierra Leone, Azerbaijan, Peru, India, Korea, United States and Guinea during the pandemic, the film beautifully demonstrates how bottom-up innovation must be included to fight our most urgent sustainability challenges around the globe.
Narrated by ‘Star Wars’ actor Daisy Ridley, directed by An Tran and produced by award-winning documentarian Elliot V. Kotek, the film’s New York premiere included opening speeches, panel discussion and media Q&A. Starting September 16, it will be released on the ‘for Tomorrow’ YouTube channel and will also be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
“It's an incredible honor for me to be the voice of ‘for Tomorrow,’ an inspiring story on grassroots innovators around the world finding solutions to combat the sustainability challenges we all face,” said actor Daisy Ridley who narrated the film.
“The passion and the drive of the innovators on the ‘for Tomorrow’ platform was undeniable. I knew that their infectious energies would inspire viewers,” said director An Tran. “I wanted their personalities to shine through and to tell a story from their perspectives, to show them as real people – not just heartwarming news clips.”
The documentary shows how Trinh Thi Hong in Vietnam found a way to turn waste into cleaning products and, through her business, created job opportunities for locals.
It shows how self-taught engineer Emmanuel Alie Mansaray in Sierra Leone built a 100% solar-powered car from scrap metal found in a landfill and how he met with other solution owners.
It captures how Jamila, who is not even a technology expert, is speaking out on a variety of projects, including developing a service application that promotes accessibility on the metro.
The film also documents how the 10 de Agosto Ancocala Farming Association is preserving traditional farming and irrigation techniques using ancestral terraces in the Peruvian Andes.
Finally, it shows how Charu Monga designed photovoltaic bags in India so that children can safely walk home from school at night.
“What this film celebrates is grassroots innovation, innovation that goes beyond the Silicon Valley, said Gina Lucarelli, UNDP Accelerator Labs Team Leader. “What we mean by this is recognizing and leveraging the distributed knowledge of the women and men who are facing the effects of climate change, who are living in poverty and who have a lot to contribute to putting the planet on a more sustainable path. We're shifting the paradigm of what traditional expertise is and we hope more will join us on this journey.”
The ‘for Tomorrow’ platform, launched in 2020, is the first partnership between Hyundai Motor and UNDP Accelerator Labs. In 2021, the platform highlighted 77 solutions in 52 countries, establishing itself as a grassroots solution platform. Hyundai’s brand vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’ is also reflected by the creation of on/offline communities to foster a sustainable world in cooperation with the UN.
“For brands, a sense of social citizenship and responsibility is critical. Hyundai is committed to increasing and deepening collaboration that contributes to sustainability,” said Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. “That is why we entered into this historic partnership three years ago, the first-ever between a United Nations agency and a corporation.”
Learn more about the ‘for Tomorrow’ documentary on fortomorrow.org or watch the film on the ‘for Tomorrow’ YouTube channel.