Free admission

Screening and panel discussion. Coraltheca: Elvira’s legacy to the reefs of the Colombian Caribbean

Coraltheca: Elvira’s Legacy to the Reefs of the Colombian Caribbean is a documentary short film that seeks to raise public awareness about the urgency of the fight to restore coral reefs in Colombia, through the story of Elvira Alvarado, whom we affectionately call “The Mother of Corals,” who has dedicated her life to studying these organisms and the ecosystem they form.

Coral reefs have been threatened for decades. Rising water temperatures, diseases like tissue loss, mass tourism, trawl fishing, and many other pressures have brought them to a point of no return. It is Elvira who, through her work, has been a source of inspiration for many, managing to unite a multidisciplinary group of people and organizations working for life in the oceans.

This documentary has a concrete call to action, which seeks to mobilize its audience toward joining efforts for the creation of the first rescue and larval breeding center in the Parque Natural Nacional (PNN) de las Islas del Rosario, called Coraltheca. Through sexual reproduction of corals, this center aims to find the colonies most adapted to climate change and attempt to restore the coral reefs of the Colombian Caribbean.

The main objective of this documentary is to make visible the severe problem these ecosystems face and to pay tribute to this woman and her legacy, showing us that there is hope and that together we can help coral reefs continue to provide us with food, coastal protection, tourism-based economies, and all the ecosystem services they represent.

Documentary length: 35 minutes

Activity of the Audience Development strategy of the Secretaría de Cultura Ciudadana of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín.