Utopia Now
Samuel Bunn Remo RauscherA dialogue between two utopian thinkers sharing visions and recipes for a 'better' tomorrow to reflect upon the complexity of our universe.
According to NASA Climate change reports, the current global warming trend is particularly significant due to increasing human activity since the mid 20th century. Pollution, extinction and forced migrations are some of the consequences we continue to face due to this urgent crisis. ‘Eco-Warrior’ recognizes the efforts of those amongst us that continue the fight against human-made mass extinctions and emissions. You will meet children, plants, animals, tribes, communities, artists, activists, grassroots organizations and future generations whose sole ambition is to leave the world better than they found it. Resistance and collaboration are the core values driving these forces to involve, educate and inspire others to join in the fight.
- Ivy Akinyi
A dialogue between two utopian thinkers sharing visions and recipes for a 'better' tomorrow to reflect upon the complexity of our universe.
Water Warriors is the story of a community's successful fight to protect their water from the oil and natural gas industry. In 2013, Texas-based SWN Resources arrived in New Brunswick, Canada to explore for natural gas. The region is known for its forestry, farming and fishing industries, which are
Faced with the injustices of this world, Margot has lost all hope in the future. Giving up on politics, she decides to entrust her fate to the Dardu, a legendary carp that supposedly predicts the future. But the lake's rules have changed: fishing is now forbidden. Face aux injustices du monde, Margo
Mama Qota is a seventeen minute documentary interviewing Aymaran men (native Peruvians) in thier own language (subtitles in English). These community representatives (the women wouldn't speak on camera) illuminate our understanding of how this culture relates to the lakes in thier home land as an ex
Has Iceland always been a treeless land? Can any forests grow on this island of glaciers and volcanos? The film responds to these questions by telling a story of the forestry in Iceland. It explains why considering the genetic aspects of seeds, cuttings and seedlings is key for resilient forests in
An alternative reality scenario where a group of animals has become organised and are committed to making themselves heard by humans, guerrilla style.
A personal perspective on coming home after nearly a decade abroad and finding that something is off in the familiar paradise. A warning that profound change is coming. Change that will influence future generations. In 10 years everything changes...
When Arnold returns to his native community in the Peruvian Amazon after living in the urban world, he remembers the stories told to him by his grandfather and the great importance of maintaining balance with the jungle.
We travel for a bit besides a little girl that will show us her view on how to take care of nature.
The film on the ZAD focuses on Europe's largest autonomous territory, located close to Nantes in France. The ZAD (zone to defend) emerged from the struggle against a new airport. In 2012 the French state's attempt to evict the zone was fiercely resisted by more than 40,000 people. The police have no
This ecological tale takes us to the heart of the underwater world, between night and light, following the rhythm of a whale's meditations, a privileged witness of human activity on the oceans.
For the downstream communities of the high mountains of Quimsacocha, water is sacred. So when the giant Canadian company set their eyes to mine their land for gold and copper, 30-year-old Bolivar and 73-year-old Isaura were not happy. Isaura and Bolivar rely on water for their livelihood. Isaura own
A work about collaboration and process, "The Shouting Flower" approaches political resistance from multiple subject positions--plant, child, filmmaker--in an attempt to model what Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing calls "work across difference." Using images processed in plant material that was gathered at key
A garden between Oakland and Berkley where its inhabitants, marginalized by gentrification, plant fruit trees and flowers to pay homage to their loved ones who died in battles against poverty. This is a space of love and freedom cared by Brian for the last 25 years. The island resists, as a living l
This film was shot on the north shore of Cuba looking towards the Gulf of Mexico, just months before 4.9 million barrels of oil was spilled by Deepwater Horizon between April 20-July 15, 2010. Wave patterns fill the frame, tearing apart the filmstrip itself. Selected Screenings: Berwick FIlm & Media
In 60 Elephants , Michael Klein and Sasha Pirker portray the thoughts and work of Yona Friedman, a ninety-five-year-old French architect and humanist who was awarded the Friedrich Kiesler prize in 2018*. Friedman developed visions of an improvisation-capable, mobile architecture for a migrating glob
Alex lives as a hermit on the Atlantic coast of Ireland. He rarely socializes with human beings, sharing his life with animals instead – birds, geese, donkeys. Smaller creatures also find shelter at his place. Observing flies and spiders through a jeweler's loupe, Alex takes pains that the law
The Ballad of Holland Island House is a short animation made with an innovative clay-painting technique in which a thin layer of oil-based modelling clay comes to vibrant life frame by frame. Animator Lynn Tomlinson tells the true story of the last house on a sinking island in the Chesapeake Bay. To
This short animation by artist and animator Evelyn Lambart offers a wordless plea for the right of all living creatures to a clean, unpolluted environment. With rich colour and intricate animated motion, the film features birds, butterflies and other woodland creatures succumbing to air pollution ca
This Oscar®-winning short film is comprised of a lecture given to students by outspoken nuclear critic Dr. Helen Caldicott, president of Physicians for Social Responsibility in the USA. Her message is clear: disarmament cannot be postponed. Archival footage of the bombing of Hiroshima and images
A little boy of 10 years joyously walks in the jungle, enjoying the beauty of the waterfalls and animals. Decades later, a child, while watching such sceneries on TV, is drinking canned water. The original location of these sceneries shown on TV, have been transformed into residential areas after wa
The year is 2183. Earth is dead. With all evidence of organic life lost, a cosmic archaeologist travels faster than light into deep space to capture images of the once vibrant planet. When his vessel is damaged he must take matters into his own hands, risking his life to witness humanity's lost home
Every individual matters, every action counts. A group of passionate and adventurous young people leave their known worlds behind to spend 100 days in the jungles of Borneo. Their mission is to confront one of the great global challenges of our time, saving rainforests and giving hope to endangered
After the seas have disappeared, a courageous young pilot fights against vicious sky pirates for control of the last remaining source of water: the clouds.
Detroit Hives is a short documentary about an urban bee farm in East Detroit run by Tim Paule and Nicole Lindsey, a young couple working to bring diversity to the field of beekeeping and create opportunities for young Detroit natives to overcome adversity. Detroit ranks fourth in the United States f
Citarum river, Indonesia, is the world's most polluted river. A reporter teamed up with international scientists to investigate the causes and consequences of this pollution. One of the main polluters is actually the fashion industry : 500 textile factories throw away their wastewater directly into
Bison were nearly exterminated across North America. Thanks to the Shoshone tribe, the National Wildlife Federation and the coordinated efforts of a host of other individuals and organizations, bison have finally been brought back the Wind River Indian Reservation and a landscape that they once defi
Water Flows Together elevates the importance of acknowledging Indigenous land in outdoor recreation through the voice of Colleen Cooley, one of the few female Diné (Navajo) river guides on the San Juan River. The film is a meditation on the challenges Colleen and her community have faced, the
"There's two kinds of lakes in the South: them that's got Giant Salvinia and them that's about to have Giant Salvinia." Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in Texas, but its delicate eco-system is threatened by a seemingly unstoppable invasive species of floating fern: Giant Salvinia. There's Someth
Nearly all of Ethiopia's old-growth forests have disappeared. This film tells the story of Ethiopia's church forests—pockets of lush biodiversity that surround hundreds of churches—and the efforts to protect them.
Remixing Madagascar follows Ben Mirin on his exploration of Madagascar's wildlife, music, and conservation. Ben set out to explore the island and record the sounds of the country's unique lemurs, birds, and other animals. Utilizing these recordings, Mirin transforms the voices of nature, along with
Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has become one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife restoration stories. After a decade of renewed protection, Gorongosa's large mammal population has increased 10-fold to over 100,000 animals. But the Park must also find a way to co-exist with the 200,000 peopl
Located just outside Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Gramacho, Brazil, is the world's largest garbage landfill. Modern artist Vik Muniz works with the so-called catadores, the men and women who pick through the refuse, to create art out of recycled materials. Muniz selects six of the garbage pickers to pose
SILENT FORESTS is an intimate, character-driven portrait of conservationists and activists who are fighting against all odds to stop forest elephant poaching in Africa's Congo Basin region. After a study revealed that more than half the central African forest elephant population has been lost to poa
In the midst of a city-wide protest, a group of climate activists (Emma Thompson, Rakhee Thakrar, Tom Glynn-Carney, Gary Beadle & Francis Magee) meet with a senior conservative MP (Nicholas Rowe & Charlotte Hamblin) to discuss their demands. The seas are rising, the world is ending, but life continu
The District's Solar for All program is one of the most progressive solar mandates in the United States, with a goal of providing 100,000 low- to moderate-income families with lower energy costs through solar. Solar For All explores how the District is using innovation and equitable access to local,
The Wild & Scenic Rio Grande in Northern New Mexico is a stunning river that threads it's way through Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, flowing south through the heart of the state. But for Louie Hena and his family, the river is more than an office, more than a provider, it is home. Louie is
A young Indigenous woman sets out to document the traditional knowledge of the older women in her community — helping revive nearly forgotten customs as they work to restore their forest after decades of destruction.
It's the year 2055 and the world has been ravaged by climate change. London is underwater, Sydney is on fire and nuclear war has turned India into a wasteland. An archivist looks back at old footage from the year 2008 to understand why humankind failed to address climate change. From the director of
Experience Greenland through the eyes of Artist Zaria Forman, Nasa scientist, John Sonntag and Inuit Elder Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq "Uncle." Each character represents different ways we as humans internalize information. Heart, Mind and Spirit. Zaria travels back to Greenland to find inspiration for he
Located on the border between Pakistan and China, K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth. For many climbers, it is an even greater prize than Everest, with limited routes, a steeper ascent, and a harder push to its summit. Nicknamed the 'Savage Mountain,' K2's peak juts unprotected into the atmo