A Passion for The Dark - The power of Storytelling

Abstract:

After seeing a sky full of stars at a national park in the US, Sriram Murali picked up a camera to express his passion for Astronomy. Since then, he has made many impactful films on the significance of the dark and the effects of light pollution. In this talk, he will share his experiences on what it feels to be under a sky full of stars, the hard impacts of light pollution and the power of filmmaking. Searching for stars near his home in India led him to the fireflies. He discovered large congregations of synchronous fireflies in India and he has been studying their diversity, habitats and ecology for three years. He's a visual storytelling specialist for the IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist group. He will also share interesting firefly behavior, the threats they face and how storytelling can influence policy changes.

Speaker's Profile:

Sriram Murali has a passion for Astronomy and life in the dark. He has a renowned talent for using film to tell his stories. His films on starry skies and light pollution have inspired many to look up, take action, influence policy makers and champion dark sky movements. He draws inspiration from the vastness of the Universe and has a profound connection with nature. He strives to emotionally connect people to the wonders of the dark and the ill-effects of losing it.

Sriram Murali is a Natural History filmmaker, IUCN Species Survival Commission Firefly Specialist group member, a Dark Sky Advocate and a co-founder of Wild and Dark Earth, a non-profit initiative to conserve nocturnal habitats in India. At Wild and Dark Earth, Sriram is currently studying the life cycle, ecology and species diversity of fireflies in India and researching the impact of artificial lighting on nocturnal wildlife.