Pangea Day

Guide Note

On the first Pangea Day, May 10, 2008, six international cities linked together to broadcast short films to millions of people around the world. The films were made by local filmmakers on every continent, some using digital camcorders for the first time. The goal of the four hour event was to foster unity between peoples through the sharing of stories. By witnessing our shared humanity, it was hoped that tolerance and a sense of global camaraderie would begin to grow.

Fast Facts

1. Founder: Jehane Noujaim
2. First Pangea Day: May 10, 2008
3. Six cities broadcasting: Cairo, Kigali; London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Rio De Janeiro
4. 24 films were shown
5. Pangea was the single original continent on earth that eventually broke into the current separate continents

A Wish Comes True

Pangea Day was the vision of Egyptian filmmaker Jehane Noujaim, who made her dream public in a speech at TED 2006 and won the $100,000 TED Prize. With the help of the prize money, free digital video devices distributed by Nokia, and two years of planning, her wish became a reality.

The Broadcast

The 24 films screened at the Pangea Day event were chosen from over 2,500 entries for their ability to help people see the world from someone else's perspective. The winning films were broadcast in seven languages and interspersed with music presentations and speeches by celebrities and world leaders. The show ended with a global drum circle.

Quotes From Pangea Day

1. "How can films change the world? They can't, but the people who watch them can. By changing minds, we change the world."—Cameron Diaz
2. "We have the capacity and tendency to separate 'us' from 'them.' Once established, we're more tolerant to those we call 'us' and more brutal toward 'them.' But increasingly, science shows there's no limit to who we define as 'us.' Eventually, someday, there might not be any more 'thems.'"—Robert Kurzban
3. "Everyone you love. Everyone you know. Everyone you've ever heard of... lives upon a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."—Carl Sagan