New Satirical Short Film Holds Cornell’s “Feet to the Fire” on Climate Change

On September 7, around fifty people gathered at Cinemapolis for the first screening of Cornell on Fire’s satirical short film, “Cornell Commits to Confronting Climate Change Activists.” The tragicomedy was immediately followed by another, more serious short film, “Cornell: We Demand Climate Justice,” and a panel discussion with prominent figures from several campus movements.
 According to Leila Wilmers, director of the satirical film and core member of Cornell on Fire, the event was meant “to draw attention to what’s happening and get more people excited, angry, and wanting to be involved.” Cornell on Fire describes itself as “a coalition of Cornellians and community members calling for a just and comprehensive university-wide response to the climate emergency.”
 “Cornell Commits to Confronting Climate Change Activists” was inspired by real conversations Cornell on Fire had with administration in its first year of activism. It parodies Cornell’s “business-as-usual” approach to the climate crisis, showing administrators juggling climate concerns with the demands of new buildings and donor relations. In the words of bethany olajehto mays (purposefully lowercase), a Cornell on Fire organizer who contributed to the two films as an actress, writer, and director, the satirical film is meant “to communicate to the public the absurdity of the administration’s priorities.”
 The second film, “Cornell: We Demand Climate Justice,” is a call to action by Cornell on Fire and its many Alliance Partners. Among other things, it demands that Cornell reach net-zero emissions by 2035, mobilize academia to be of public service in the face of the climate crisis, and disengage with the fossil fuel industry and its enablers.
 The first panelist was Eric Cheyfitz, a faculty member of the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program at Cornell. He spoke about the connection between genocide and ecocide, emphasizing Cornell’s complicity in both the Israel-Hamas War, which has killed over thirty thousand Palestinians to date, and in the genocide of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ people.
 Next, Risa L. Lieberwitz, President of the Cornell chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) addressed the intersection between movements for climate justice, labor rights, and a ceasefire in Gaza. She emphasized the importance of alliance-building and freedom of expression on campus.
 Brian Eden, co-author of “Fifty Years of Activism at Cornell,” organizer with Campaign for Renewable Energy, and long-time activist, spoke of his experiences in the civil rights movement in the 60’s and criticized the extent of Cornell’s local influence.
 Caroline Levine, a leader of TIAA-Divest! and a member of the team that successfully pressured Cornell to divest in 2019, emphasized the importance of focussing on Cornell’s institutional, monetary ties to the fossil fuel industry. She encouraged attendees to join the movement to divest TIAA, the retirement fund of many faculty members at Ithaca College and Cornell, from fossil fuels.
 Madelyn Rhodes, a Cornell undergraduate and member of Fossil Free Cornell, described the research the group is doing with Campus Climate Network. Their first report about links between Cornell and the fossil fuel industry came out on September 18 and can be read at bit.ly/dissociatecornell.
 bethany o. mays’s argument in the panel discussion can be summarized in her quote, “Cornell treats the climate disaster as a PR opportunity when it is a CPR opportunity. […] At this moment it’s painfully comedic, but it will be criminal in the eyes of those who suffer the consequences.” These words seemed to resonate with the audience, who stayed to ask questions of the panel until the time ran out.
 “I’m really happy that so many people are so engaged,” Wilmers told The Tattler. A member of Extinction Rebellion Ithaca, Ilu Wloch, said she “felt totally fired up” by the creativity and community she found at the event. Both short films should be publicly visible on cornellonfire.org by the time of print.