Just Above the Surface of the Earth (For a Coming Extinction)

Synopsis

A poetic portrait of contemporary wildlife conservation, JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH reflects on empathy, agency, and the role of hope in the midst of a sixth mass extinction. This debut nonfiction feature examines scientists and citizen scientists who conduct surveys of frogs, which serve as an indicator species; study sea stars threatened by disease; track bats whose populations have been decimated by white-nose syndrome; and collect data on insects declining at unprecedented rates. Set primarily at night, the film weaves together observational and lyrical sequences, texts written by authors including W.S. Merwin and Adam Nicolson, and an otherworldly soundscape. JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH is a visceral, sensory meditation on what it means to live in a broken world.

Director Biography

Marianna Milhorat is an American-Canadian filmmaker and artist based in Montréal. She has presented her work at festivals and galleries worldwide, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Whitechapel Gallery, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Curtocircuíto International Film Festival, Kassel Dokfest, Videonale, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Her work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and Finlandia Foundation Nation