Can we listen to those whose voices are fading into silence amid the ecological crisis and human aggression? NeoKin reimagines a fragmented ecosystem, once thriving, now disrupted. Within this damaged landscape, Physarum polycephalum* navigates a terrain of e-waste and fossils, embodying resilience where nature and culture are now inextricably intertwined.

Inspired by Ukraine’s war-altered environments, global social unrest, and environmental crisis, NeoKin amplifies nonhuman voices, mirroring both the destruction and regeneration of landscapes affected by conflict. This immersive film, based on time-lapse footage of Physarum’s growth, transforms into a shifting map of Ukraine, mirroring how living systems navigate volatile environments. It acts as a bridge between the micro and macro scales, between the small, fragile existence of Physarum and the vast, war-altered terrains of Ukraine.

Through these interconnected elements, NeoKin challenges anthropocentric perspectives and redefines home as a shared, evolving space where technology, biology, and land intersect in an ongoing negotiation of survival, adaptation, and resilience. Hopefully, we can learn how to regenerate and live within balanced ecosystems.

The film is made using the stop-motion technique, incorporating animation elements, speeding up the timescale of Physarum's growth, where every second is equivalent to one hour for the slime mould.