Science films can help audiences understand new ideas by using visual storytelling, according to surveys conducted after a screening of the documentary OBSERVER during Climate Week NYC 2025. The event took place on Governors Island and was organized through a partnership between the New York Climate Exchange, Stony Brook University, and Science Communication Lab/Wonder Collaborative. More than 100 people attended, including Stony Brook students, faculty, staff, and New York City residents.
J.D. Allen, lecturer in the School of Communication and Journalism at Stony Brook University, and Sarah Goodwin, executive director of the Science Communication Lab, surveyed attendees before and after the film. They found that many were motivated by an interest in climate science or wanted to connect with others at the unique venue during Climate Week NYC. Attendees also hoped for emotional engagement and new perspectives from the screening.
Goodwin said: “At the Science Communication Lab, we study what stays with them afterward. That insight helps universities, labs and collaborators tell better stories about complex topics like climate and biodiversity. The goal isn’t just to inform, but to create experiences that resonate and shape how people engage with science beyond the screen.”
Allen said: “Engagement in science is critical to breakdown barriers in transdisciplinary collaboration.”
Six months after viewing OBSERVER, follow-up interviews showed lasting effects on participants’ behaviors—particularly mindfulness practices related to observing their environments. Four main themes emerged: increased mindfulness; stronger connections to local surroundings; use of all senses when observing; and recognition that observations are shaped by personal experience.
The film features naturalist David George Haskell and geologist Marcia Bjornerud as they observe nature in Sicily using red frames—a motif extended as an activity for attendees on Governors Island. Participants reported noticing differences in what they observed based on perspective or life experience.
Jess Stallone from Stony Brook University recalled: “We were all given the same tool and the way that we used it each was so different.” Other interviewees echoed similar sentiments about how personal background influences observation.
James Burney from Virginia noted how important it is “to talk with people and understand what they’re observing versus what you are.” Hadar Pepperstone added: “No matter what you see, what your lens is, it’s valuable and interesting.”
Other stories from attendees highlighted how slowing down has led them to notice more details in their everyday lives—whether listening for birds or noticing changes brought by climate impacts such as fruit tree yields.
OBSERVER is available for classroom screenings via free educator registration on the Science Communication Lab’s website; institutional licenses are also offered online. Individual screenings will be possible later this year.
Goodwin concluded: “Six months later, people were still thinking about OBSERVER and even changing how they move through their neighborhoods. That’s the kind of lasting impact we hope for. It shows that meaningful climate action can start with something as simple as paying closer attention to the world around you.”
