It turns out that the Na’vi and the technology world have a lot in common.

The fictional species of extraterrestrial humanoids at the center of the popular “Avatar” movie series come to life on the screen through a decade-long partnership with Dell Technologies Inc. As part of that relationship, film director James Cameron, owner of “Avatar” producer Lightstorm Entertainment, appeared at Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas this week and discussed a wide range of subjects with Dell’s chief marketing officer and executive vice president, Allison Dew, including the importance of environmental sustainability.

“It was really inspirational to hear about his creative process, the use of technology … and what he’s doing around sustainability and environmentalism more broadly,” Dew said. “He talked a lot about recyclability, use of renewable energy, veganism on set and then also the behaviors and patterns of others whom he can influence to make for a better world.”

Dew spoke with theCUBE industry analysts Dave Vellante and Lisa Martin at Dell Technologies World, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed Cameron’s session at the conference and Dell’s work in the sustainability arena. (* Disclosure below.)

Unknown frontiers

Dew noted that Cameron’s discussion of sustainability resonated with her because of Dell’s own ambitious environmental goals. The company has publicly committed that by 2030, for every product a customer buys, it will reuse or recycle an equivalent product. Dell also has a goal that 100% of its packaging will be made from recycled or renewable material.

“When we set our 2030 goals, we didn’t know how to achieve all of them and that’s what makes them a moonshot goal,” Dew said. “You’re hoping that the technology curve accelerates, and you can get to a place (of success) … in terms of recyclables and renewables in our products, that we don’t technically know how to do. But if we don’t push into those unknown frontiers, we’ll never get there.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of Dell Technologies World:

(* Disclosure: Dell Technologies Inc. sponsored this segment of theCUBE. Neither Dell nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE