From February 13 to 17, the Wild and Scenic Film Festival happens in Nevada City and Grass Valley. The event features films from all over the world, from Nevada County to Egypt to Sweden to The Western Democratic Republic of the Congo, all of which celebrate and explore the way nature crosses boundaries with people — and vice versa.
The Fest is a unique and wonderful event, a chance to explore our beautiful planet in cinematic form while also taking in some fascinating viewpoints – often delightful, sometimes sad, always with an eye to this amazing planet we live on.
In my first of several guides to the films at the fest I’d like to recommend to you a four-pack of films which put our local region at the heart of the story, along with a couple more which talk about nature close to home.
Reforesting California After Wildfire is an important film to watch while the tragedy of the LA fires is still fresh on our minds. A straightforward presentation by American Forests, this film wonderfully spotlights the important tactical work being done on a daily basis to mitigate the risks of wildfires in the northern parts of California. This film reminded me that we all have a role in preventing fires from ravaging fires in our area, and of the small but essential steps being taken every day by American Forests to prevent the dangers.
This film also reminded me that even the most devastating fires can bring new growth, how the ash and fallen trees can provide for new life to come afterwards. It’s small consolation to our friends who were in the fire zone, but “Reforesting California” is a timely reminder that life can continue to go on and even thrive, if we are brave enough to be agents of change.
A Radical Thread is a reminder of the rich history of Nevada County. When you step into the theatre to see this feature-length documentary, be sure to look to your left and right. The white-haired person you see walking into the theatre might be featured in this very film. “A Radical Thread” tells the story of the San Juan Ridge Community in the Sierra Foothills, a complex and fascinating story of young back-to-the-land activists who put down roots in the Ridge. Thread tells the story of the ups and downs of these settlers as they built their community, raised families, build schoolhouses, and grew old together.
True to form, the community came together in a special way to commemorate the past: with a set of a dozen large tapestries which chronicle the most essential events of the Ridge community in a colorful, beautiful way. This film shows how work was done on the thread as well as telling the history chronicled in the tapestries – and the story is as colorful and remarkable as the tapestries. This should be required viewing in all local high schools.
Nevada County – A Case for Legal Cannabis is another straightforward reportage, this time about the intelligent approach the Nevada County Council took to licensing and regulating marijuana growth in the county. The film chronicles how an approach to reasonable regulation helped to enable a strong flow of income to legal farmers who embraced sustainable agriculture. “A Case for Legal Cannabis” also shows how the act of licensing cannabis growers helped to push out the lawless element who once would grow pot and then run away, leaving only garbage and destruction in their wake.
This film is a reminder, too, of how collaboration and partnership between law and the community can help drive solutions which help everybody.
I enjoyed all three of the films I’ve discussed so far, but Wingspan really scratched my outdoors itch. This wonderful short film brought me up onto high mountain peaks to watch California’s majestic condors in flight. I still remember as a kid reading about condors in my old Ranger Rick magazines, marveling at the pictures of these massive birds. “Wingspan” brings us up close to these creatures as we watch wildlife photographer Joshua Asel avidly take photo after photo with his massive telephoto lens, leading eco-tour groups to see these endangered animals.
In fact, Asel is more than just a photographer. He’s part of a large team of men and women who track, care for and even feed the condors as part of their life’s work. These birds won’t go extinct while these people can help them. There’s a lot of magnificent video of the condors flying around cliffs and on the hunt, and the film quality is amazing – we can see practically see feathers flex as the wings flap. Asel’s love of his work brings even more joy to the watch. Catch this on the biggest screen you can.
From giant birds to tiny birds, and from Pinnacles National Park to Victoria, Canada, The Bird in My Backyard is the story of a citizen scientist, Eric Pittman, and his deep love for the humble and beautiful hummingbird. Much like Wingspan, “Backyard” features some astounding photography, all by Pittman, which allows viewers to see the lives of hummingbirds in some magnificent and sumptuous detail.
I’m a bird lover myself. I find it hard to choose a favorite winged friend. But there’s something heroic about hummingbirds, tiny little creatures with miniscule bodies and incredibly fast wings. Their lives are almost heroic. Heck, after watching this documentary, watching the incredible amount of work that goes into building nests, seeking out food, and scratching out a living in a sometimes-forbidding environment, it does seem like a miracle for these humble birds to find their place in our urban wildlife.
I’ll close today’s article with another reminder that nature is all round us. Here the Wild Things Are tells the story of the City Nature Challenge, a chance for urban ecologists to explore their cities and find the little weird and wild pieces of nature all around. Part of the City Nature Challenge, “Wild Things” tells us about the competition between Christchurch and Wellington, New Zealand, to uncover as many unexpected elements of nature as possible.
It feels empowering to see these urban explorers find mushrooms in the middle of sidewalks, exotic creatures walking up tree trunks, and unexpected insect colonies coexisting in city parks. Sometimes it feels like mankind is paving every square inch of the land. It’s wonderful to see how nature abides and always finds a way.
WHAT: SYRCL’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival
WHERE: Nevada City & Grass Valley
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.theunion.com ’
