We & The Wonder & The Woe
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | The Hollywood Theatre
Wonder and woe, though seemingly opposites, are deeply interconnected aspects of contemporary ecological experience. This program features regional premieres of new short films from around the globe, exploring the angst, awe, complexity, and joy of being in our living world. A community conversation with directors follows. (Approximate running time with conversation: 120 minutes)
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SEAWEED STORIES
USA | 2024 | 30 minutes | Dir. Jake Sumner
Narrated by Forest Whitaker, this globetrotting documentary offers an enjoyable glimpse at the wonders of seaweed. Spend time with some of the extraordinary people whose lives have been entangled by this often overlooked marine organism, which may hold answers to some of humanity’s biggest challenges. This includes insights from Indigenous Shinnecock kelp farmers using seaweed to prove their sovereign right to coastal land, a Silicon Valley startup creating plastic alternatives from macroalgae, and a scientist in South Korea supporting seaweeds’ sexual reproduction to create new species that can withstand the effects of climate change.
IN MY TIME
The Netherlands | 2024 | 23 minutes | Dir. Katalin Fikkert
When millennial Julia is forced to move back in with her boomer father Piet, the generational conflict is reflected in whether or not to cut down the old tree in front of the house.
AMERICAN GRAIL
USA | 2023 | 16 minutes | Dir. Andy Sarjahani
The siren call of the Ivory-billed woodpecker lures a New York based tantra and sex educator into the swamps of the American South on a 17-year journey to prove that the iconic bird still exists. Along the way, he finds a tendril of hope in the face of extinction and climate change.
THE HIDDEN COST (EL COST AMAGAT)
Spain | 2024 | 29 minutes | Dir. Pablo Zareceansky Montserrat
While decarbonization and green transition in the global north are touted as great solutions to the world’s ecological woes, materials to power this movement are largely extracted from the global south. In countries like Chile and Argentina, individuals and communities suffer and resist. This documentary invites us to bear witness to their stories, to question the way we live in the world, and to imagine how we might actually do it better.
ALDO'S BUG EXTRAVAGANZA
USA | 2024| 6 minutes | Dir. Neil Losin and Aldo Losin
Join 5-year-old Aldo and his dad on a backyard safari filled with tiny wonders. Equipped with a camera, Aldo embarks on a bug-finding escapade, narrating his discoveries with charming wit. As the journey unfolds, Aldo's wide-eyed observations subtly echo the timeless wisdom of the naturalist Aldo Leopold, making for a delightful and endearing ode to the joy of boundless curiosity and nature's smallest marvels.
