How Storytelling Helped Topple a $47 Million Development That Threatened Local Wildlife

In late 2019, I moved to the US with big dreams of advancing my career as a documentary filmmaker and photographer. I secured a huge project, filming the official trailer for Olympus’s new camera, but the pandemic abruptly shut everything down. By the time life resumed, my wife and I had a newborn and a giant puppy, and she asked me to consider moving to Florida for family support. Reluctantly, I agreed, despite my initial misgivings about the state.

But it didn’t take long for Florida to surprise me. A producer connected me with 17-year-old Luca Martinez, a local photographer making waves with his Everglades explorations. Our collaboration turned into a deeper appreciation for Florida’s nature, leading us to work together on conservation efforts, including stopping the Miami Wilds project—a development that threatened the endangered bonneted bats. The project solidified for me that filmmaking is more than just a job—it’s a way to protect the beauty of the world.