Three compelling documentary shorts by Bay Area filmmakers about people finding new ways to understand, protect, and live with the natural world and a changing planet: from fire and urban wildlife to one man’s extraordinary journey of walking, listening, and reconnecting with nature. Join us after the films for a lively conversation and Q&A with the filmmakers and a climate expert.
Presented by the Albany Rotary Environment Committee and Albany FilmFest
PROGRAM
The Fire Poppy, Sashwa Burrous (Documentary, 11:00) As our planet warms, fire is often feared as a threat. Yet fire is also a natural and necessary part of our ecosystem. Firefighter Sasha Berleman recognizes and uses the alternate power of fire as a valuable tool to heal and protect the natural landscape.
Don’t Feed the Coyotes Nick Stone Schearer (Documentary Short, 28:00) It’s not a story about saving coyotes, but about appreciating life that finds a way. A look at several years in the lives of San Francisco’s urban coyotes, two very different researchers who observe them, and the lines we’ve drawn between people and the natural world.
Planetwalker Dominic Gill, Nadia Gill (Documentary, 27:00) In 1971 John Francis witnessed an oil tanker collision in the San Francisco Bay. The sight of oiled birds on the shoreline caused him to give up motorized transport and rely solely on his own two feet. Months later he took a vow of silence, convinced that listening was the way forward. Not talking but communicating nonetheless, he kept on walking clear across the country and back again, connecting more deeply with the world and its people.
Stay after the films for an interactive Q&A with the filmmakers and climate experts David M. Romps, Professor of Climate Physics at UC Berkeley, where he studies the fundamental physics of climate and educates students and the public about global warming; and UC Berkeley affiliate Michael A. Ranney, whose research explores the nature of explanation and understanding. His work is intended to foster the incorporation of challenging information such as global climate change, and his main area of interests are Climate Change Cognition, Climate Change Cognitive Science, Climate Change Psychology, and Climate Change Communication.