The Trillion Dollar Case

Documentary
2026  52 min. TV
Language:English
Location:Netherlands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, USA, UK, Egypt
Felix' role , ,

Broadcast scheduled for 15 September 2026 on ARTE

It all began in 2019 in a classroom in Vanuatu. Twenty-seven law students shared a vision: to take the issue of climate change to the world’s highest court. After battling political challenges for six years, they made history in The Hague. The Trillion Dollar Case follows this young generation from the South Pacific to the International Court of Justice, where they revolutionised international law. It is a gripping account of the courage it takes to dare the impossible in order to protect our future.

withCynthia  Houniuhi, Vishal Prasad, Ralph Regenvanu, Jule Schnakenberg, Aditi Shetye
and with thePacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change
and theWorld Youth for Climate Justice
and theDelegation of Vanuatu
 
DirectorFelix Golenko
Executive ProducerValentin Thurn
Line ProducerKatharina Hoppe
CinematographerFelix Riedelsheimer, Tobias Lindner, Jan Robin Weiland, Felix Golenko
Sound recordistsFelix Golenko, Bjarne Taurnier, David Hernandez, Marc Lehnert
EditorHauke von Stietencron, Alyssa Koske
Sound Designer & Re-Recording MixerBjarne Taunier
MusicSebastian Fillenberg
ColorgradingManuel Lebelt
Motion DesignChantale Eglin, Zoi Naum
MasteringSCANWERK
 
Commissioning Editor ZDF/ARTEMiriam Carbe
 
A production ofTHURNFILM
in co‑production withZDF
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
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Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
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Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess
Der Billionen Prozess

What began as a bold idea in a lecture theatre at the University of the South Pacific in 2019 has evolved into a global movement. Faced with the devastating effects of cyclones and rising sea levels, Pacific law students took a stand, deciding that they would no longer wait for non-binding political promises. Their goal is the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The documentary The Trillion Dollar Case tells the extraordinary story of this six-year journey. With unwavering determination, the students have mobilised a global youth movement. They are aiming to secure a legal opinion that clarifies states’ obligations regarding climate change under international law. What began as a student initiative grew to engage over 100 nations, who ultimately brought their case before the world’s highest court.
The film draws a parallel between the threatened coastal communities of the Pacific and the opulent halls of the Peace Palace. Thousands of kilometres from home, these young people finally appeared before the International Court of Justice. This is a historic turning point, as the climate crisis is being addressed for the first time not as an abstract environmental issue, but as a matter of human rights and legal liability.
This film portrays a generation that uses the law as a tool. It addresses the moral and financial responsibility for the damage caused in the Global South. It is a story of courage and perseverance, and of the hope that justice is possible if one never stops fighting for it.

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