The unrelenting and disastrous wildfires of 2020 made fragile the one thing we thought we could rely on: the sun providing the earth with light. When a wildfire ignites, where can we find assurance that it will ever be extinguished? We put our faith in weather systems and work crews, when really our environmental future lies entirely in our own hands.

The fuel driving us to create this film was a shared sense of urgency after weeks of dense smoke and a dim red glow. As artists, we study the light - it is our muse and our sustenance. When the air is opaque, we are forced to sense our new environment and begin the process of adaptation. We might not be able to clearly see, but we can painfully feel our probable futures.

Our work was conceived in relation to plant life and sunlight. It is a wondering about a world without clean air, fresh water, and fertile top-soil. Like plants bending towards the light, we must adapt to evolve in a world where our vegetal co-laborers risk becoming merely relics.

This film offers an opportunity for empathy. Through a shared sensory experience, we emphasize commonalities between ourselves and our environment. These points of connection present a hopeful worldview where multi-species relationships within the natural world bring potential for progress and healing.

Directed by Melissa Dawn and Alayna Rasile.