Raising questions about the pervasive whiteness of the outdoor community and its inaccessibility for BIPOC people, Netherlands-based director Lidewij Hartog and cinematographer Yannick de Jager connect with members of the Black Canary 030 collective in Berlin for short documentary Black Canary.

Seeking to destabilize the stereotypes that detach Blackness from the outdoors, and the ingrained narrative that conflates BIPOC communities with urban settings, Black Canary 030 is reclaiming nature for Berlin’s BIPOC and FLINTA population through collective engagement with outdoor space.

Developed with Off the Richter, Black Canary spotlights the collective as a starting point for self-discovery, new connections, and a breaking down of systemic barriers, inviting deeper exploration of the natural landscape beyond the city’s limits. Shooting only on analog film, cinematographer de Jager and Hartog pour the experiences of the group’s members into a poetic visual language, translating both the complexities of the conversation at the film’s core, and the beauty of nature through the bonds forged under its influence.