Radical stems from the Latin radicalis, meaning “of the root.” Radical (like a radish), tapped into the deep, ancient wisdom of soil. 

I was well into my thirties when I learned that the radical definition of ecology stems from the Greek oikos, meaning “home” and logos, meaning “study” or “story.” It was one of those moments in life when I felt like a splendid, poetic truth had been revealed to me.

I began celebrating the fact that ecological means so much more than environmental. This word, ecology, supposedly coined in 1866 by a German scientist, seemed to have its roots in more ancient wisdom. I came to synthesize the radical definition with my own Indigenous perspective to understand that ecology is the knowledge, the story, of home. Attainable, holdable, transmittable, imaginative. 

Every year, as I review the many films shared with the Portland EcoFilm Festival from around the world, I feel very connected to the pulse of ecological and environmental storytelling swirling around this big beautiful planet.

There are always themes that emerge from Earth’s various cities, forests, creeks, canyons, and corners, where filmmakers dare to dream and document. This year, I marveled at the many movies we received containing themes of homecoming. In FROM GOD TO MAN and TENTSÍTEWAHKWE, people return to their ancestral lands, languages, and customs, rekindling connections to gain true and tender powers. BRING THEM HOME and WELCOME HOME show what good can come from people advocating for the restoration of buffalo and wolves to their rightful territories. In HITOLÁAYCA, Devin Reuben trains to become the first Nimiipuu whitewater guide of his generation. Bravery and perseverance, a cultural homecoming, a confluence.  

This year, we are thrilled to bring regional premieres of 40 excellent ecological films to big screens and open hearts at the Hollywood Theatre.

They are here to inform, inspire, and even entertain. They are here to broaden our horizons and remind us where our joys, sorrows, celebrations, and struggles diverge and reconvene. They are here to call us home to an important understanding, that the ancient gift of storytelling, made new by cinematic tools, holds infinite knowledge about this world, our home. Together, equipped with this ology of oikos, if you will, we are capable of inhabiting our home ecologically, and protecting Earth for all living and future generations.

Thank you for caring about ecological storytelling—and for supporting important cultural institutions like the Hollywood Theatre. There’s a lot of wonderfulness in store, such as our upcoming podcast, which will provide more imaginative ways to uplift the global community of ecological filmmakers and invite listeners into the important stories they are sharing.

With appreciation and care,

Rozzell Medina

Festival Director and Programmer
The Portland EcoFilm Festival

Rozzell Medina is a multicultural artist, activist, and Educator with roots in Hopi-Tewa, Coahuiltecan, and European land and traditions. He grew up in Oklahoma, Texas, and San Francisco, California. He has directed the Portland EcoFilm Festival since 2021.