Meet
the
Director
filmmakers statement
It was about 3 weeks after COVID-19 really hit home here in BC Canada, we were beginning our first lock down and I was spending all my time at home. I got to know my back yard more intimately and began a routine of taking my coffee outside during the full tilt of spring, and writing poetry without agenda. I began a practice of presence, which often looked like sitting, witnessing the birds, the smells, the vibrancy of colors and being open to what words needed to come through me.
It was in my garden where ‘Returning Home’ was born, a poem written from the Earth’s perspective from the beginning of time to present day Pandemic reality. A message for the human collective to let sink in and understand what is truly at stake if we continue down this direction of unsustainably taking, consuming, wasting, and living without a conscious thought of our Home. Our true Home.
I realized how much more powerful the piece was when performed via spoken word, something I had never done before but witnessed how much I and the poem came to life through this medium. This triggered the question “How can I make this message come to life even more?” A flood of images poured into my minds eye of beautiful aerial footage of this planet and the abundance of nature. Interwoven with bustling cityscapes, barren landscapes to portray the Earth’s beginning and footage that demonstrates the destruction of our natural resources.
Being a freelance photographer in the lower mainland of British Columbia with no film equipment or film experience, I knew I needed to connect with talented individuals. Not only do they need to be highly skilled in their craft, but they also need to align with this project and have a passion for the environment. In order to capture the various landscapes this planet has to offer, I needed to work with individuals who have travelled all over the world capturing her beauty, progression, and destruction.
I reached out to my friend Peter Fiorino, who is a talented and well travelled videographer with the personality of a comedian. While none of his footage ended up in the film, he connected deeply to the story and words of the poem and shared a similar poem he had written. I loved a segment of his poem so much so that we ended up collaborating to intertwine them together in the film.
When a friend recommended Jasper Newton’s videography work, I checked him out on Instagram @jaznewt and instantly was captivated by his array of wildlife, wilderness and real-life human moments recorded through stunning cinematography. I thought having Jasper’s work in my film was hitting the jackpot, but he also pointed me in the direction of Ross Reid, another talented videographer who happens to live across the Sea to Sky highway from my own home.
I had a very clear concept of the type of videography I was looking for and outlined a list of scenes and particular imagery that would unfold fluidly with the spoken word. Both Jasper and Ross sent me footage that surpassed even my wildest dreams. For example, I had asked if either of them had any footage of “a woman or man gently interacting with nature, running their hands through plants” and Ross sent intimate clips he had filmed of a woman gently moving through the jungle in Australia, slowly touching ferns. When I first viewed his footage, I was overcome with a deep reassurance that I was meant to be working with these talented artists. Everything was aligning so beautifully, each of them expressed their resonance with this project, and it showed furthermore through their film storytelling.
The only missing piece was the barren, desert like landscape I needed for the beginning of the film. I was almost going to give up and use something that was close to but did not quite capture the “beginning of Earth” feeling I was looking for out of the landscape. I followed a gut feeling and reached out to a fellow freelance photographer in Tofino BC who sent me Cristóbal Ruiz’s contact information. Cristóbal’s production company ‘Pachamama Film’ just so happened to have ample footage of the Chilean desert, his home country. It all felt like destiny, not only having the opportunity to connect with wildly talented individuals who capture this earth so raw and serenely, but who are also deeply connected and dedicated to protecting the natural world, their medium being through film. Words cannot express how captivating the work of these videographers are, I excitedly invite you to check out their featured films and cinematography reels if you are craving more.
Once I had all the footage from Jasper, Cristobal and Ross, the only thing left to do was to learn how to put them together and make a film. Over the summer while living in a 25’ trailer with my fiancé and our 80 lb dog Ranger, I taught myself how to use Adobe Premiere Pro and created this film over many sleepless nights, filled with frustration, exuberant passion and bursts of creative joy.
It is a great honour to have ‘Returning Home’ selected to be in Cinema Verde’s 12th annual International Environmental Film Festival.