Hyundai Shines a Light on Challenging Journeys of Grassroots Innovators in ‘for Tomorrow’ Documentary

Hyundai Motor Company and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) present ‘for Tomorrow’, a captivating feature-length documentary about grassroots innovators, at the Lincoln Centre's Walter Reade Theatre in New York City. The film’s premiere took place in close proximity the United Nations General Assembly. 

Showcasing the notion that ‘anyone can shape the future,’ the film shines a light on the challenging  journeys of five grassroots innovators. All five have had a profound impact on their communities and dedicate themselves to making the world a better place. Filmed by local crews in Vietnam, Sierra Leone, Azerbaijan, Peru, India, Korea, United States and Guinea during the pandemic, the film beautifully demonstrates how bottom-up innovation must be included to fight our most urgent  sustainability challenges around the globe. 

Narrated by ‘Star Wars’ actor Daisy Ridley, directed by An Tran and produced by award-winning documentarian Elliot V. Kotek, the film’s New York premiere included opening speeches, panel discussion and media Q&A. Starting September 16th, it will be released on the ‘for Tomorrow’ YouTube channel and will also be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other markets soon.

“It's an incredible honour for me to be the voice of ‘for Tomorrow,’ an inspiring story on grassroots  innovators around the world finding solutions to combat the sustainability challenges we all face,” said actor Daisy Ridley who narrated the film. 

“The passion and the drive of the innovators on the for Tomorrow platform was undeniable. I knew that their infectious energies would inspire viewers. I wanted their personalities to shine through and to tell a story from their perspectives, to show them as real people – not just heart warming news clips,” says An Tran, director. “It was important for us to not only show resilience, but also the vibrant spirit from these communities and how this fuels ingenuity. This was also a chance to reframe how we think about innovation and remind everyone that this power is within us all. Technology can be found in our past. Intelligence and innovation aren’t only found in laboratories and corporations – it’s happening in nature, kitchens, farms and school yards.”

“While systemic solutions for environmental and social issues are still lacking, our goal is to show that there are everyday individuals who are tirelessly dedicated to creating solutions to these problems that affect our communities,” says Jean-François Légaré, editorial creative director at Sid Lee. “As a creative company, we are immensely proud to be a part of building a platform that helps connect people to one another and towards solutions for a better tomorrow. We hope that sharing their stories will help widen viewers’ perspectives on what’s possible, because this is the kind of project that matters in the long run.”