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In this powerful Youth Spotlight episode, filmmaker Jina Song joins Harvesting Wisdom to discuss her six-minute documentary Altyn-Kazyk: The Golden State — officially selected in the Youth (18 & Under) Category for the Skyfire Environmental Film Festival, happening March 27–29 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Home to over 16,000 people, the community of Altyn-Kazyk in Kyrgyzstan lives beside the region’s largest landfill. Many families — especially women — rely on waste sorting for survival, working in dangerous conditions surrounded by toxic smoke and pollution.

Jina shares how her background in sustainability activism in Seoul, combined with her family ties to Kyrgyzstan, inspired her to tell this story. What she discovered was not just climate injustice — but dignity, resilience, and hope.

Through powerful storytelling, her film reveals a community guided by the symbolism of the North Star — a reminder that even in the harshest conditions, light and direction remain possible.

Don’t miss this inspiring conversation and the opportunity to see her film at Skyfire in Phoenix.

Why You Should Listen
-A global youth perspective on climate justice
-Behind-the-scenes insight into a powerful six-minute documentary
-A reminder that resilience and dignity exist even in the most overlooked communities
-A conversation about sustainability, waste systems, and policy change
-An inspiring story from a student filmmaker making global impact

This episode isn’t just about environmental injustice — it’s about hope.

00:00 – Harvesting Wisdom intro
00:00:25 – Meet Jina Song
00:02:20 – What inspired the film
00:03:43 – Inside Altyn-Kazyk: Life near the landfill
00:05:47 – Filming process & production timeline
00:07:16 – Community size & impact on children
00:09:06 – Health risks & lack of government support
00:10:51 – Pollution parallels in Seoul
00:12:53 – Why this film matters
00:14:05 – The meaning of “The Golden State” & the North Star
00:17:04 – Jina’s future in sustainability & policy
00:19:06 – Skyfire Environmental Film Festival mention
00:20:29 – Closing remarks

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