The Power Beneath Our Feet (2026) is an interactive AI film directed by girl members (9-18 years) of the Cape Town NPO Black Girls Rising. The film explores the journeys of girls fetching water amidst risk, poor water services, and climate stress, and highlights the points of resilience they draw on in their communities, to advance water and gender justice.

The film was co-created with film and media artist-scholar Dr. Sarah Van Borek, as part of her Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, with the Environmental Learning Research Centre at Rhodes University. Through a “choose-your-own-path” film, blending actual and AI footage, we immerse audiences in girls’ lived experiences while creating safe spaces for girl-led water solutions. The film will be shared with strategic stakeholders to support policy and community changes.