Environmental Film Festival

Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, 7 p.m.

Ága, directed by Milko Lazarov (Yakut with English subtitles, 96m, 2018)

In this meditative and revelatory film, elderly indigenous Nanook and his wife attempt to live day by day on the frozen tundra in harmony with a world increasingly thrown out of balance.

Introduction and discussion after the film with Professor Nathan Andersen (Philosophy & Film Studies, Eckerd College) and Professor Christina Petersen (Film Studies, Eckerd College)

Co-presented with the Eckerd College International Cinema Series

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, 7 p.m.

Sea of Shadows, directed by Richard Ladkani (English, 2019, 105m)

Through an investigation of the plight of the vaquita, the most endangered cetacean in the world (of which only fifteen are known to still survive), this documentary illuminates the dual role of technology (nets, drones, moving images) to help as well as hinder efforts to save the species from exploitation by organized crime.

Featuring an introduction and discussion after the film with Eckerd College graduates and members of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Team Aaron Barleycorn and Jason Allen about their work with the vaquita rescue effort.

(The film will be preceded by a screening of the short film Homecoming: Journey to Limuw, produced by NOAA and written and edited by Eckerd College Film Studies and Environmental Studies graduate Shannon Shikles ’16)

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, 7 p.m.

Honeyland, directed by Tamara Kotevska & Ljubomir Stefanov (Macedonian, Turkish, and Bosnian with English subtitles, 2019, 87m)

Kotevska and Stefanov’s observational documentary about a Turkish beekeeper in Macedonia unfolds like a fictional portrait of a lifestyle on the wane. When a young family moves into this small hive-like community, they disturb the local ecosystem as much as local tradition.
Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Featuring an introduction and discussion after the film with Professor Nick Corrao (Film Studies, Eckerd College).

(Honeyland will be preceded by a screening of the short film The Journey of Compost, directed and edited by Eckerd College Environmental Studies major Kylie Litaker ’22).

Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, 7 p.m.

The Green Lie, directed by Werner Boote (German with English subtitles, 2018, 97m)

In this participant documentary, filmmaker Werner Boote goes on the road with a green advocate to investigate the little “green lies” that we tell ourselves about sustainable consumerism.

Featuring an introduction and discussion after the film with Professor Joanna Huxster (Environmental Studies, Eckerd College).

(The Green Lie will be preceded by a screening of We Have a Plastic Problem, produced by Eckerd College Environmental Studies major Anne Flaherty ’20.)

Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, 7 p.m.

The River and the Wall, directed by Ben Masters (English, 2019, 109m)

Worlds collide when two filmmakers, one river guide, one conservationist, and one field ornithologist travel the length of the US-Mexico border to consider the ecological effects of building a border wall. Immersive and engaging, this documentary explores the environmental side of a popular political issue.

Featuring an introduction and discussion of the film with producer Hillary Pierce.

Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, 7 p.m.

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch, directed by Jennifer Baichwal, Nick de Pencier, & Edward Burtynsky (English, 2018, 87m)

Research has confirmed that we have now entered the Anthropocene, a new epoch in which human activities create change in the environment on a scale greater than all other natural processes combined. This wide-ranging documentary explores the reality of this new era from around the world, from intimate changes to massive transformations.

Featuring an introduction and discussion of the film with director Jennifer Baichwal.