Terra Shorts
A thematic collection of short films that bring to focus life on our planet and its delicate balance.
Life Below Water
With the inimitable Morgan Freeman’s narration providing the ironic bona fides, this “nature” documentary “celebrates” the resilience, diversity and deadliness of the ocean’s most prolific species: plastics.
Resilience
Outdoor recreation is not a privilege, but a cornerstone of mental health, joy and resilience. Lesford Duncan of the San Diego-based nonprofit Outdoor Outreach, whose mission is to “connect youth to the transformative power of the outdoors,” offers himself as a case study in the healing that comes from being outside.
In-Person World Premiere
Izembek
For nearly four decades, there has been pressure to build a road through Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, a wild and remote landscape populated by grizzly bears and salmon runs, walrus, volcanoes and glaciers. Photographer Gerrit Vyn explores this untrammeled landscape to document its spectacular wildlife — and capture what’s at stake.
Colorado Premiere
Voice Above Water
Indonesian fisherman Wayan Nyo, 90, has spent his life on the ocean, listening to the waves, reading the weather, tracking fish and learning the rhythms of the sea. These days though, he is occupied with another task: removing what appear to be endless boatloads of plastics from the water. His story reminds us of how rapidly — and starkly — humans have changed the planet.
The Linesman
Years of logging has destroyed Myanmar’s forests, home to the Asian elephant. The deforestation, along with poaching, has driven these potentially dangerous animals into nearby farms where they destroy crops and terrorize villagers. One conservationist has made it his life’s work to install electric fences around the settlements and sugar cane fields to keep the elephants out. It’s not a permanent solution to the underlying problem of habitat destruction, but it’s a small step toward minimizing conflict and protecting both species.
Aguilucho: Dance of the Harpy Eagle
In a remote rainforest in southern Panama — Darién Gap — the harpy eagle isn’t just an animal, but a token of fortitude and an environmental beacon of hope in a land that is threatened by loggers and cattle ranchers. Deforestation is imminent in many of these sacred places, but the people of Darién Gap have created a conservation and education project to protect the harpy eagle and along with it, their home. The women of Darién Gap dance daily to the aguilucho (the young eagle), representing the bird in themselves. And as the eagle’s presence draws tourism, the natives are able to continue their work saving this threatened species and the boundaries of their homeland.
Colorado Premiere
One Star Reviews: National Parks
Classic American stereotypes come to life in one star reviews. For real. In a world where everyone’s a critic, the magic of our national parks is downplayed by couch potato tourists turned outdoor aficionados. Brief, beautiful and truly comical, award-winning director Alex Massey brings to light cringeworthy Yelp reactions to some of the most stunning natural wonders in America.