Title: Seeing the haunting past and an uncertain future in 21 eyes: exploring the post-apocalyptic climate change narrative in Youth v Gov. (2020)

Authors: Mrinalini Kumar; Niru Sharan; Srikant Pandey

Addresses: Amity Institute of Social Sciences, Amity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India ' Amity Law School, Amity University, Sector-125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India ' Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi, New Moti Bagh, Netaji Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi, India

Abstract: The past, present, and future are entangled, yet synchronous, in how they dictate our course of action; climate change is a case in point. With Anthropocene's realities rooting us in the numbness of inevitability, breaking out of this inertia could provide us with a lifeline. Consequently, this paper seeks to dissect the climate change narrative in Christi Cooper's Youth v Gov (2023), a documentary that immortalises the landmark lawsuit led by young climate activists against the US Federal Government, wherein twenty-one plaintiffs dragged the government to the witness box to ask questions that stemmed from their fear of the uncertainty of their future. This documentary is a testimony to the multi-dimensionality of climate change and the solutions one can seek. This paper seeks to explore Youth v Gov through the post-apocalyptic lens that can inspire action in the face of adverse climatic realities.

Keywords: climate change; court; documentary; government accountability; human rights; inter-generational justice; post-apocalyptic narrative; Youth v Gov.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRCS.2026.150552

International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies, 2026 Vol.13 No.1, pp.83 - 95

Received: 08 Apr 2024
Accepted: 24 May 2024
Published online: 17 Dec 2025 *

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