December 1, 2022 - Filmmaker Clay Antonatos (AN ELIXIR FOR THE EXTINCTION OF EXPERIENCE)

AN ELIXIR FOR THE EXTINCTION OF EXPERIENCE, 11min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Clay Antonatos
The threats of the climate crisis are more and more becoming a reality, posing immense challenges to human and ecosystem health, yet it continuously proves difficult to make any meaningful change. We can’t see meaningfully due to a result of our collective “extinction of experience” with nature driven by urbanization, industrialization, and digitization of our worlds.

From Clay Antonatos :

On a very superficial level, I made elixir to fulfill the thesis requirement for my undergraduate Environmental Studies degree without having to write 75+ pages… making a film sounded much better to me than having to spend the year sitting inside and writing! On a deeper level, though, I made elixir as a way to make myself and my audience more attuned to the natural world that surrounds us. I am a firm believer that a lot of our climate and ecological crises can be attributed to a lack of attention to, care for, and knowledge of the natural world. elixir was a way for me to begin to chip away at the artificial disconnect between humans and nature through an approachable medium (video) in a manner that emphasized personal outdoor experience over the often exclusionary realms of academia and scientific study.

Interview conducted by Matthew Toffolo

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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