Curro Mossel Bay learner stars in international eco-documentary
21 May 2025Thirteen-year-old Megan Kilian, a learner at Curro Mossel Bay, has been cast in World of Walls – a European science fiction documentary that explores life in a near-future ecological crisis. The film, directed by Slovakian filmmaker Lucia Kasova, imagines a world where the worst predictions from the Paris Agreement have come true.
Megan was selected from a group of 60 children during a film workshop at a Johannesburg private school, before she joined Curro Mossel Bay in mid-2024. Although she had no prior acting experience, her natural presence and spontaneity made her a perfect fit for the role.
Exploring a future shaped by climate inaction
Set in a world devastated by environmental collapse, World of Walls follows the coming-of-age journey of 13-year-old children from different backgrounds. The story examines how global inaction on climate change has reshaped childhood and forced young people to confront extreme weather, resource shortages, and migration for survival.
The film invites viewers to step into the children's world and understand how they make sense of a reality shaped by adult decisions. The narrative connects psychological insights with pressing environmental questions.
Filming in South Africa
The production team chose South Africa for its real-world parallels to the film’s imagined setting – including power outages, water scarcity, social unrest, and high migration. These elements mirror what many scientists predict could become widespread elsewhere if global temperatures continue to rise.
Filming began in Johannesburg, where Megan attended Midstream Ridge Primary School. After her family relocated to Mossel Bay in June 2024, the production was adapted to accommodate the move, with scenes rewritten to follow her story.
‘Since it’s a documentary, we don’t have to learn lines,’ Megan says. ‘We just act naturally and make up our own dialogue as we go. It’s been a lot of fun.’
About the filmmaker
Director Lucia Kasova is known for character-driven documentaries that explore freedom, identity, and resilience. Her debut feature The Sailor premiered at HotDocs in Toronto and went on to win major international awards, including the Grand Prize for Best Feature Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Her previous work includes Orchestra from the Land of Silence (2020), which followed Afghanistan’s only all-female orchestra and was screened widely in schools and youth festivals. She studied documentary directing in London, Valencia and Bratislava.
What’s next
World of Walls will launch in 2026 across several European countries, including France, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic. The trailer has already received recognition at FIPADOC in France, a leading international festival for documentaries.