Scientists have named a newly discovered Amazon treefrog species after the late filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 classic film, “A Clockwork Orange.”

The award-winning film was based on the 1962 Anthony Burgess novel of the same title. Kubrick’s dystopian film follows the story of a young Beethoven-loving criminal named Alex (Malcolm McDowell) as he’s placed in an experimental criminal reform program.

The researchers say they chose the unusual name for the frog (D kubricki in Latin) because when Burgess explained the origin of the book title,  he said: “I’ve implied the junction of the organic, the lively, the sweet – in other words, life, the orange – and the mechanical, the cold, the disciplined.”

“Without knowing, he was also giving a good metaphor to describe ecosystems,” the researchers said.

“Nature works as the interplay between life and its cold, mechanical, and disciplined physical matrix.”  

The frog also looks the part bearing bright orange patches on its arms and legs.

A Clockwork Orange was discovered in the Amazon Basin along with another treefrog species whose name translates to “devil” (D kamagarini). The treefrogs had both been previously misidentified as members of another species. The research is published in a recent issue of the journal ZooKeys.

Frogs are critically important indicator species and play critical roles in the food chains of their ecosystems. 

The discovery further validates the need for habitat preservation and continued research efforts into the functioning of earth’s ecosystems.

Stanley Kubrick, considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, made more than a dozen films including “The Shining”, “Dr. Strangelove”, “2001”, “Barry Lyndon”, “Full Metal Jacket”, and “Eyes Wide Shut.” He died in 1999.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

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The “Twin Peaks” reboot on Showtime has brought a whole new audience of viewers into the world of David Lynch. Whether you are new to the work of Lynch, or a long time fan since the beginning, here’s a rundown of some of the other must-see works of David Lynch.

David Lynch is one of the greatest American directors. He’s actually a Jack-of-all-trades or even a Renaissance Man who lends his creative talents to directing, screenwriting, painting, acting, painting, photography, and even making music. No matter your taste preference for his work, it cannot be denied that his artistry has left an indelible mark on modern American cinema (and the small screen as well).

Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: the Return” (created in conjunction with Mark Frost) has introduced his work to a new generation as well as reinvigorated those already familiar with his work. We take a look at some of Lynch’s best films, so you know what to watch next.

5 Must See David Lynch Films

1. “Blue Velvet” (1986)

This film is one part noir, one part horror, and if you appreciate the creeper aspects of “Twin Peaks,” then this one might be right up your alley. Kyle Maclachlan makes his debut in this film–and not as Agent Dale Cooper (or alternative Agent Cooper), but as a young man who becomes infatuated with a beautiful lounge singer (played by Isabella Rossellini) and gets mixed up in some very bad business at the hands of a creepy gangster played by Dennis Hopper.

2. “Mulholland Drive” (2001)

Naomi Watts, another regular Lynch collaborator, makes her Lynchian debut in what may be Lynch’s most critically-acclaimed film. Mulholland is another neo-noir film with a mystery of sorts at its center that involves Watts and a mysterious woman who survives a car crash on Mulholland Drive. The narrative isn’t linear so it can be quite disconcerting, but in a good way.

3. “Dune” (1984)

While not a success at the box office, or with the critics at the time, Lynch’s take on the Frank Herbert sci-fi novel by the same name, “Dune” is still worth seeing. The film features Lynch mainstay Kyle Maclachlan as well as ex-Police frontman, Sting. The special effects are certainly dated and somewhat cheesy when looking back at the film today, but it’s a thrilling story and seeing Kyle Maclachlan riding a giant sand worm is something to behold.

4. “Wild at Heart” (1990)

“Wild at Heart”, which came out after just after the original “Twin Peaks” series ended can boast about having maybe the most actors from Twin Peaks as part of its cast. Laura Dern, Harry Dean Stanton, Sherilyn Fenn, Sheryl Lee are all “Twin Peaks” actors (including the original and the return) and act alongside Nicholas Cage, Isabella Rossellini, and others. The story is of young love on the run and while the reviews were a mixed bag of both good and bad, it’s worth a trip back to 1990.

5. “Eraserhead” (1977)

The one that started it all was “Eraserhead”–Lynch’s first feature film. And from the Lynchian cannon it is probably the most surreal–even considering some of the strong surrealism from the series “Twin Peaks: the Return.” The film stars a much younger Jack Nance and Charlotte Stewart, who respectively played Pete Martell and Betty Briggs (the wife of Major Briggs) in the original “Twin Peaks.” Shot in black and white, it’s a surreal horror film that plays with themes of darkness, industrial bleakness, and generally leaves one with a disturbing feeling. While it’s not the easiest film to watch, it’s important  in the pursuit of understanding the creative world of David Lynch.

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What are the best Alan Rickman films to watch to honor this great actor?

It’s been a bad week. First we lost David Bowie and then we lost actor Alan Rickman. So far, 2016 hasn’t been all that great for treasured and adored iconic figures in music and film. We really should form a protective circle of love around Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Patrick Stewart.

Alan Rickman’s career, for millennials who might not be aware, consisted of many more iconic roles besides that of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. While his performance as Snape certainly earned him all the adoration that came his way, he proved himself in many other films as well. Rickman was lucky enough to be in some really great films–and he was such a stellar performer that he could even save a dud of a movie.

Here’s a list of some of Alan Rickman’s best and most iconic performances, excluding his role of Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. Honor this tremendously talented and versatile actor and spend some time enjoying his other films.

“Dogma,” 1999

Written and directed by Kevin Smith (of “Clerks” fame), Alan Rickman plays the part of Metatron, the surly angel who acts as the voice of God (played by Alanis Morissette). This film is at the top of our list for good reason.

“Sense and Sensibility,” 1995

In this adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel by the same name, Rickman brings the honorable, yet boring, Colonel Brandon to life. He is actually quite dreamy in this role. Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, and Hugh Grant also star in this film.

“Truly, Madly, Deeply,” 1990

In this made for BBC rom-com, Rickman stars as the male love interest, who also happens to be a ghost for much of the film. He also sports a somewhat cheesy mustache.

“Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” 1991

This may be the film that debuted Alan Rickman to the American audiences. He plays the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham, and in our view steals the show from Kevin Costner, who played Robin Hood.

“Love Actually,” 2003

In this film, that follows the lives of eight couples whose lives are loosely interrelated, Rickman plays a scoundrel. His story arc involves him pursuing a much younger woman, even though he is married. This film has quite an impressive ensemble cast featuring Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, and many more.

All film images via Wikipedia.

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Top Image: Alan Rickman via Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com

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We so often turn to our modern amenities to give us answers, but sometimes we need a reminder of the power of nature to keep us balanced. 

Many of us have turned to nature in search of answers. In search of solitude. In search of healing.

Because we are so often separated from nature, if we give into it, nature has the power to pull us back in, to transform.

Personally, my most transformative moments have always been in the outdoors. They have come through feeling vulnerable, through being challenged to work through fear, through facing breathtaking beauty and feeling insignificant in comparison. If you have nature, you have everything.

Whether we are urbanites or make our home in more rural areas, I think we all have this connection to nature in some way shape or form. Nature is raw. It’s where we are born from and where we return when we pass.

“The Coast” from NRS Films on Vimeo.

“The Coast”, a beautiful short film by Skip Armstrong, captures exactly this: the power of nature, not only to heal, but to make us live.

“Life gets messy,” says Hayden Peters, the subject of “The Coast”. “The ocean puts things in perspective for me. In shows me in a very clear, undiluted form who I am.”

In the beginning of the film, Peters shares that he was faced with a potential diagnosis of a genetic diseases that would greatly shorten his life. He sought out the waves of the Oregon coast for solace. “The Coast” is a reflection on the power of waves, but whether we are souls of water or the mountains, the message remains the same. We may run, we may paddle, we may ride, but whatever and wherever we do it, nature remains a constant.

“I see the magic of life,” Peters says in the film, “I see the things that truly are meaningful to me. The experience that makes me a human being, that makes me alive.”

“The Coast” is a beautiful reminder that no matter what, nature is always there. There to embrace us, challenge us, force us to work through our problems and move forward, not only in the big, frightening moments, but in the small ones as well.

If there was a perfect ode to the guiding power of nature, “The Coast” is it.

Image: The Coast

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Critics and audiences are buzzing about Fox Searchlight’s “12 Years a Slave,” which opens October 18th. Here are five reasons why you should see it.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood,” Dr. Martin Luther King expounded on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

King’s iconic speech has become the cultural cornerstone for racial equality in the United States. But are we there yet? It’s what we aim towards, but at times seems like nothing more than an inspirational dream. After the 2008 election of the nation’s first African-American president, it seemed like you could sail away on the optimistic stream of hope about a colorless society.

“The post-racial era, as embodied by Obama, is the era where civil rights veterans of the past century are consigned to history and Americans begin to make race-free judgments on who should lead them,” Daniel Schorr of NPR wrote in 2008. But then Schorr cautioned that “the nation may have a way to go yet to reach colorblindness.”

Five years later, I’m sure Trayvon Martin’s family would agree.

The United States is currently in a crisis of confidence when it comes to race. King’s dream seems just over the horizon, but still frustratingly out of reach. Why? The reasons make up a multitude of arguments and are endlessly debatable. But we can do without contest is to look backwards to examine the earliest origins of race in this country.

By understand where we’ve been, it is possible to see where we are going—and to maintain the growth towards King’s vision of an egalitarian world where people aren’t judged by race. If we face the most terrible parts of our history, we can begin to understand where we are today. And this way, perhaps we can steer the course to where we need to go and where so many of us deeply want to be.

“12 Years a Slave” is the movie to help us do that.

This movie is why cinema matters. It’s the true story of the life of Solomon Northup, a 19th-century free black man and musician from upstate New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. From acclaimed director Steve McQueen and writer John Ridley, “12 Years a Slave” conveys an eloquence and horror which has critics in a frenzy, calling it “extraordinary” and “surreal in its evil.”

Why, specifically, should we invest our time and money into it?

1. Because “there hasn’t been a filmed project that engages with the subject of slavery this deeply since the television miniseries Roots.”

Or so writes Kyle Buchanan over at Vulture, who believe the film will win Best Picture. This film offers us a time portal into the brutality of living as an enslaved African American like few have ever done before.

Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gushes “Believe the Oscar buzz. Britain’s Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame) nails the horror of America’s slavery shame but also finds humanity in one man’s determination to free himself and return to his family.”

William Goss of Film.com rhapsodizes “Northup’s story was a true, terrible thing, and by virtue of telling it, the burdens of all American slaves are unflinchingly realized by Ejiofor and McQueen alike.”

2. Because director Steve McQueen is brilliant.

Coming off his win at of the People’s Choice award at the recent Toronto Film Festival for “12 Years a Slave,” Steve McQueen is said to be “deeply grateful” for the accolades his film is receiving. But this is not the first time the British director has wowed audiences.

In 2008, he received the first-time director, or Caméra d’Or Award at Cannes for “Hunger,” his depiction of the 1981 Irish hunger strike. His second major theatrical release, “Shame,” featuring “12 Years” star Michael Fassbender as a sex addict, also received likewise high praise in 2011 and 2012.

3. Because the performances will become iconic.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays Solomon Northup in “12 Years a Slave,” gives a career-defining performance. As he told CBS News, “It sort of drifts away from being this complicated tale of these terrible times into really a story about the human spirit and I think everybody can connect to it.”

Brad Pitt, who also produced the film, plays a Canadian abolitionist. Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson are haunting as the Epps, a couple of impossibly cruel slave owners. Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alfre Woodard and Paul Dano also have key roles.

Lupita Nyong’o, who plays horrifically-abused slave Patsey on the Epps plantation, has been called the break-out star of the film. As the native Kenyan actress told CTV News, “At the end of the day, Patsey was my reward and everything else is welcome and overwhelming and beautiful.”

4. Because it continues the dialogue on race in our society.

“12 Years a Slave” offers up an unflinching view of the atrocities committed in the name of commerce and culture from the African-American perspective. But acknowledging this horror bridges our understanding from all angles.

So where to go from here?

A national best-seller and winner of the National Book Award, Edward Ball’s “Slaves in the Family” continues the vital conversation. Written by the descendant of slave owners and traders in South Carolina, Edward Ball embarked on a quest to understand the intertwined history of his family and the black people they enslaved. What emerges is an incredibly insightful look at how race has shaped one family—and in turn, our country at large. This book is a fantastic companion piece to McQueen’s film.

5. Because it’s a true story.

“Twelve Years a Slave,” Northup’s real-life narrative detailing his abduction and life while enslaved, was published in 1853 in the United States to wide acclaim. Abolitionists and sympathizers rallied to the book, which sold 30,000 copies throughout the north on the eve of the Civil War.

Considered one of the best accounts of American slavery ever written by a slave, it was Northup’s “shrewd observations” which catapulted the narrative into the consciousness of the American public. It described the day-to-day life of a slave as never before seen, which helped fuel the atmosphere which eventually led to the destruction of this American institution.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” had this to say of the memoir: “It is a singular coincidence, that Solomon Northup was carried to a plantation in the Red River country—that same region where the scene of Uncle Tom’s captivity was laid—and his account of this plantation, and the mode of life there, and some incidents which he describes, form a striking parallel to that history.”

“12 Years a Slave” will be commercially released by Fox Searchlight in the United States on October 18th.

Related on Ecosalon:

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Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

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Let’s take a moment to appreciate that the ballistic bat-craziness of the summer movie season will soon be a distant memory. Johnny Depp’s Tonto and his crow-hat will soon fade into our misty nightmares. Battling robots and monsters will rest until the next temperature rise. Instead, let’s settle in for some impressive movie characters making their fall debut.

Summer blockbuster’s “woman problem” is well known, with most big-budget films made up battling male heroes pitted against supernatural or super-circumstantial forces. And with the exception of more artful characters like Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine”, a richly complex type battling inner demons, most female summer movie characters are regulated to supporting roles.

Lucky for us, riding in on the crisp winds of fall are some incredibly fun and forceful females to grace our big screens. From Sandra Bullock’s terrifying take on a space walk to Jennifer Lawrence return as our favorite rebel-with-a-cause, here are six female movie characters ready for their close-up.

1. Dr. Ryan Stone in “Gravity”—October 4th

Sandra Bullock’s Dr. Stone takes the trend of “female supporting” and sucks the oxygen right out of it. An unfortunate spacewalk bashes Stone around piñata-like in space while she grasps frantically at non-air. Soon, she’s floating around our planet with limited oxygen and communications outside her link to the other surviving spacewalker, George Clooney’s Matt Kowalsky.

Director Alfonso Cuaron recently revealed that he had to fight to keep his lead female. “When I finished the script, there were voices that were saying, ‘well, we should change it to a male lead,’” Cuaron told a panel at Comic-Con. “Obviously they were not powerful enough voices, because we got away with it. But the sad thing is that there is still that tendency.” If Cuaron’s most recent trailer is any clue, Bullock’s voice for Stone is loud, proud, and definitely the future narrator of our worst stress dreams.




2. Winnie Mandela in “Winnie”—September 6th

Many of us first found Jennifer Hudson in her Academy Award-winning turn as Effie White in 2006’s “Dreamgirls.” She left us mimicking her tour-de-force performance to anyone who would listen, which may or may not have included belting out “And I am telling you…I’m not going!” to a hapless spouse who wants you to run to the store. Or visit your in-laws. And scene.

Now J.Hud revisits the big screen as Winnie Mandela, in the film adaptation of Anne Marie du Preez Bezrob’s biography “Winnie Mandela: A Life.” Despite lackluster reviews and a bit of controversy, including Winnie Mandela herself blasting the film, it is difficult to imagine Hudson not adding Winnie to her list of impressive movie characters.

3. Tauriel in “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”—December 13th

Evangeline Lilly’s elf Tauriel has the unique distinction of being a movie character created by director Peter Jackson and partner Fran Walsh partially to help bring more well-tressed elves to the screen, and partially to flesh out a female character in the heavily-male dominated cast. Tolkien purists might protest, but those of us with carefully-preserved Eowyn dolls are psyched.

As Lilly describes Tauriel, “She’s slightly reckless and totally ruthless and doesn’t hesitate to kill.” We’ll be clutching our Evenstar necklaces in anticipation.



4. Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”—November 22nd

Dystopian ethos? Check. Good versus evil? Double check. A window into the voyeuristic consumer media we have today, placed in a totalitarian regime? I am so there.  Jennifer Lawrence is back as our spirit-animal, Katniss Everdeen, the conflicted heroine of “The Hunger Games” trilogy.

While we were used to seeing Katniss excel at survival in the first film, now we see her more vulnerable side. “She’s struggling with post-traumatic stress from the Games,” Lawrence told a recent Comic-Con panel via Digital Spy, “and she has this new life now where she never has to worry about food. She’s living in the Victors Village, and that kind of leaves her feeling useless.” Useless, of course, until an epic futuristic war of human rights explodes on her doorstep this fall.



5 and 6. Emma and Adele in “Blue is the Warmest Color”—October 25th

Winner of the 2013 Palme d’Or, director Abdellatif Kechiche’s romance brings us the story of two teenagers in love. With an almost generic premise, we first meet Lea Seydoux as Emma, the blue-haired bohemian who falls for Adèle Exarchopolous’s Adele, a 17-year old student searching for the big wild world. But these be no ordinary schoolgirl crushes, called “an extraordinary, prolonged popping-candy explosion of pleasure, sadness, anger, lust and hope, and contained within it – although only just – are the two best performances of the [Cannes Film] Festival” by at least one critic. Emma and Adele promise to give us a dazzling view of love, loss, and class in relationships.

Photo Credit: Color Force/Lion’s Gate

For Further Reading:

Katniss Everdeen as a Feminist Role Model

5 Essential Documentary Films for Anyone Who Cares About Women

The post Coming this Fall: 6 Female Movie Characters We Can Hardly Wait For appeared first on EcoSalon.

Is sustainable consumption an oxymoron? Forward-thinking companies are increasingly using storytelling as a branding device to educate and engage consumers who want to know the impact of their purchases.

Another fire in another factory. The murder of a labor leader fighting for garment worker’s rights. Rivers turned indigo by waste water from denim manufacturing. How long can we keep yet another worrying headline separate from our love for cheap clothing?

As we recognize what consumption is doing to our planet, changing consumer patterns reflects both a yearning for simplicity and an expectation of transparency – especially among the younger consumers companies covet. That quality of wholeness we prioritize in our food – the connection to the handmade, local and distinctive, quality ingredients, and the story behind the artisan and the passion for her craft – is beginning to inform all of our purchasing decisions.

One way brands are beginning to respond is by using video to simply and powerfully communicate the story of sustainability behind the products and services they’re selling.  While the ability to reach out to style-lovers without negating fashion’s design and feel-good focus can be challenging, evocative visual stories can be a powerful tool in sharing the importance of a more considered approach. Here are some of our favorite video visions for the future of fashion:

Honest Us from Vinícius Bobsin on Vimeo.

1. Honest By founder Bruno Pieters tells the story of his enigmatic brand and what it means to live an authentic life in ‘Honest Us.’ Directed by Vinicius Bobsin and lasting only a few seconds, the mesmerizing short captures the mood of the innovative Honest By collection perfectly.

piece x piece from Elizabeth Brunner on Vimeo.

2. In this video, San Francisco-based designer Elizabeth Brunner shares the inspiration and process behind her visionary line, Piece x Piece. Bringing to life the story behind her innovative garments – which take months of collaboration, exploration and experimentation to make – she illustrates the power of how a simple decision skillfully executed can create meaningful change.

Organic Cotton – Grown in the USA from Patagonia on Vimeo.

3. An industry trail blazer, Patagonia was one of the first companies to tell consumers about the eco impact of its product line via the ‘Footprint Chronicles.’ In their latest video, they document the characters involved in the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative (TOCMC) one of the company’s first suppliers of organic cotton grown in West Texas.

Detox Fashion by Greenpeace.

4. Greenpeace effectively used Anime to describe a futuristic warning of things to come their latest  for their Detox Fashioncampaign. Overcoming difficult messages by using a fun, comic book style, the film remains a thoughtful and provoking on-topic perspective on why beautiful fashion shouldn’t cause toxic pollution.

Top Image: Piece x Piece

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When it comes to storytelling, film is a powerful medium. With visuals, we get pulled into the heart of a story; we take part at the same time that we learn. Skilled documentary filmmakers know the art of getting across a complex idea in a tangible way, one that’s not only informative but also touching. They can make us cry, they can make us laugh, most most importantly, hopefully they inspire us to take action.

If you care about women and women’s rights, there are some excellent documentaries out there, not only about women, but also directed and produced by women. That’s a good thing, because while the world of media is male dominated, with top grossing films often directed by and depicting men, the independent documentary world is more balanced, with women more likely to work on independent films and documentaries. In fact, 39 percent of directors working on independently produced documentaries in 2011-2012 were women.

Compare that with the dismal statistics of women and girls around the world: “Sixty-six million are currently out of school; 150 million are sexually assaulted each year; and in the past 30 seconds, about 13 were forced into arranged marriages,” as PureWow recently pointed out. We can’t have enough films about these topics. Films that addresses the state of women around the world are essentials to helping us pave the way forward.

The more films by and about women, the more we support women in general. Here are some excellent ones to start with.

1. Miss Representation

Why do we have certain images of women in the media? Miss Representation takes a look at that question, showing the link between gender inequality in power positions in media, and how that perpetuates stereotyped gender roles in our culture. Produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom – who we interviewed around the time the film cam out – it is a compelling look at the under representation of women from media to politics, and a call to action for those of us who want to make change.

2. Girl Rising

The format of Girl Rising is unique: it’s a film about the stories of nine girls from nine countries written by nine writers and performed by nine actresses. The equivalent of a short story collection, each segment features the real girl acting out an episode of her own life, giving us an intimate view of what girls around the world are up against.

3. To Educate a Girl

In 2000, 110 million children in the world were not in school—two thirds of them were girls. Moved by this statistic, two filmmakers Frederick Rendina and Oren Rudavsky traveled to Nepal and Uganda to find out what it actually takes to educate a girl. To Educate a Girl is a look at the lives of young women who are working hard to achieve their dreams despite living in situations of conflict and poverty.

4. Invisible War

Soldiers in the military are up against a lot, their everyday jobs often being physically and emotionally taxing. But for some it’s even worse than that. In fact, a female U.S. soldier in a combat zone is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. Invisible War is an investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, a difficult topic, but one that’s necessary to talk about.

5. Half the Sky Movement

Not a traditional big screen film, Half the Sky Movement is a four-hour PBS series that was shot in ten different countries to show women and girls living under the most difficult circumstances imaginable, yet fighting to change them. Inspired by the powerful book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, the film isn’t just a film, it’s a call to arms to end the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.

Want more? The National Organization for Women has an excellent extensive roundup of films about global women’s rights that are all well worth a watch.

Image courtesy of Miss Representation

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A powerful non verbal film that shows us the state of our world. 

In the day and age of information overload, it’s not uncommon that our brains shut down when we are overwhelmed with data. Statistics about how many people are dying from malnutrition, what percentage of our food we waste, how many parts per million of CO2 our atmosphere can sustain; at some point, we can only take in so much.

But then there is the power of visuals and music; two forces that can tell a story and pass along an idea without words.

If you have seen films like Koyaanisqatsi or BARAKA you know exactly the power that non verbal filmmaking can have. SAMSARA, the new movie from director-producer Ron Fricke and writer-producer Mark Magidson (BARAKA and CHRONOS) which opens on August 24, 2012 is exactly that, a beautiful, and at times somber, compilation of visuals that showcases the world that we live in and leaves us to make our own conclusions.

Filmed over a period of five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on 70mm film, SAMSARA transports you to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders. The result is breathtaking.

“We’re trying to stay away from a real strong point of view. It’s a real fine line to walk with editorializing and having strong opinions. We’re trying not to interrupt that flow… where you guide the viewer through those locations and through that subject matter,” says Magidson.

Although it results in a strong cultural critique, SAMSARA, a Sanskrit word that means “the ever turning wheel of life,” is first and foremost about imagery that fits the film’s name, as Magidson puts it, “birth, death and re-birth.” That imagery is intended to allow the viewer to connect with what they see; focus not on facts or numbers but simply on a place and a feeling.

“Because it’s all non fiction imagery there is an essence and power that is hopefully captured in the imagery. You need to feel the totality of that when you’re finished watching that. Find how that connects together in a way you didn’t imagine,” says Magidson.

The intent is less about politics and more about emotion, encouraging the viewer to come to their own conclusions. “It’s not doing a documentary about food processing… we just try to show how all of this is interconnected,” says Fricke.

In this case, less is more, and the ultimate impact comes from the essence of what the viewer sees, not necessarily just the subject of what they are watching.

“In an abstract way, you are providing what you hope is a moving emotional experience… regardless if you are commenting on it in an intellectual way. A lot of people feel a sense of compassion. That is a pathway to a more activist reaction potentially. We’re not trying to say what people should do.. we’re trying to provide a strong profound feeling state,” says Magidson.

Learn more about the film and screenings near you here. 

The post SAMSARA: A View of Our World, Shot in 5 Years, 25 Countries and 5 Continents appeared first on EcoSalon.

You’ve seen those inspirational posters telling you to “just book a ticket and see the world already”- and you’ve thought to yourself “no way – I’d lose my job?” What if you could re-engineer your life so your job follows you around?

In 2008 Christine Gilbert was a Fortune 500 company manager – the twitchy, restless, always-staring-out-the window kind. She wanted to see the world, but she also wanted to develop her skills as a writer and photographer and build a freelance business for herself. Her husband, Drew, was a graphic designer – and they realized that both their jobs were potentially location-independent. They could do them from anywhere. So they bundled up their stuff, and they bought that ticket.

Skip to the present. Christine runs a popular travel blog called Almost Fearless, and she’s also a full-time digital nomad, working remotely on creative projects, garnering mentions from the BBC and Lonely Planet, and getting paid over the Internet as she travels around the world (38 countries and rising). She’s written guides to redesigning your life in a similar fashion (this one is both excellent and free – PDF download) and she’s cheerleaded a work-from-home lifestyle that more and more Americans are adopting – an estimated 63 million people by the year 2016.

And now Christine and Drew are making a film about some of those people.

The Wireless Generation looks at 18 individuals who have taken the concept of “work from home” and run with it until their legs have given out. Christine and Drew have been assembling this documentary for the last 2 years – and now it’s ready for a wider audience. Problem: editing and marketing such a massive project, plus airing it at film festivals and special screenings across the U.S., doesn’t come cheap. And that’s why they went to Kickstarter and said “let’s make this everyone’s project.”

As I write, they’re halfway to raising their funding target of $35,000 dollars. They’ve been mentioned in Mashable, and the project has been retweeted by Tim Ferriss (yes, that one) and MC Hammer (YES, THAT ONE). There are 12 days left on the clock, and contributions start at $5 with more & more perks as you go up the funding ladder, including a high-definition download of the whole film before it goes on general release…

Would you like to keep your job and travel the world?

(Back the project by clicking here).

Image: david.nikonvscanon.

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