Burden of Proof

Our coasts are the next frontier of industrialisation, at the cost of many of the planet’s wild ecosystems.

The salmon industry – a reckless global force that uses a familiar playbook of government coercion and scientific manipulation – is increasingly responsible for industrial-scale ecosystem damage, animal cruelty and disease, and the exploitation of coastlines which all of us have the right to enjoy.

And yet, it is those who actively defend the environment that are diminished and mocked by a media that is incentivised to fuel division and suppress protest. Worse still, it is these defenders who are jailed and fined by lawmakers and the police, when those causing the environmental devastation are protected.

Burden of Proof addresses this urgent global crisis of biodiversity loss, driven by this imbalance of power, and asks why those doing the damage aren’t the ones being punished.

Burden of Proof stands in solidarity with activists – offering an independent, high production value platform to amplify their humanity and courage. Rejecting any fear-driven messaging, Burden of Proof focuses on care, perseverance and sacrifice as the connective threads between diverse acts of environmental resistance. Through participatory storytelling, the film restores agency to activists, seeing them reclaim their narratives with dignity. Working with impact partners to reach community and parliamentary audiences, we seek to inspire empathy, solidarity and political engagement.

By working in collaboration with environmental groups to support their specific organisation-led goals, especially those around salmon farming, this film will invite audiences into the mindset of activism. Through community-driven screenings and events, Burden of Proof will help groups engage and rally individuals to their causes, creating fertile conditions for bottom-up change, and lobbying for top-down reform. Digital cross-promotion with partner organisations will reach baked-in audiences through targeted online campaigns, while social media platforms will funnel engagement to the film’s website which will publicise details about how to host community screenings and all updates related to relevant campaigns.

This film is built on Director Clancy Walker’s long-term, trusted relationships with key participants who he has known through years of working together in activist communities. Born in Tasmania, Clancy has followed the participants’ journeys closely, fostering a mutual respect and deep understanding. This close connection has granted rare access to their personal and activist lives, enabling an intimate portrayal grounded in trust. Participants have given ongoing, informed consent throughout the project, actively shaping their representation and narrative. Letters of support and signed release forms have been supplied, confirming full agreement. This collaborative process ensures the film reflects their truths authentically, while allowing Clancy to explore his own path as an activist filmmaker within this community.

Burden of Proof invites audiences to move from awareness to action. Screenings will serve as community call-to-arms events, connecting viewers with grassroots organisations, petitions, and local campaigns opposing destructive salmon farming, logging, and connected issues. The film encourages audiences to host their own screenings, support frontline defenders, and demand political accountability from elected representatives. By showing the courage of ordinary people, it urges viewers to see activism as an act of care, not extremism. The call is simple but powerful: protect what you love, stand with those who do, and help shift the public will towards environmental and social justice.