A wonderfully subtle short by Tel Aviv-born, Los Angeles-based filmmaker Marina Michelson. Inspired by the 2008 recession and the resulting trend toward rooftop gardens and pickling start-ups, “Biophilia” tells the story of a former Brooklynite who relocates to her boyfriend’s old family ranch to live the dream of self-reliance. While touching on themes of power and emotional abuse, Michelson offers a different kind of story than the mythic (and traditionally masculine) experience so often depicted in popular culture. As she explains:
“In recent years, the question of what it means to be self-reliant triggered me at dinner parties where I veered into uncomfortable territory by asking the guests if they would kill the animal we’d be feasting on if they had to. Nature provides tests of character unknown in civil society. Biophilia pits the lust for land against the REALITY of subsisting off it.”
Watch “Biophilia” above and see full credits below!
Starring
Meryl Jones
Dan Pfau
Julie Eccles-Benson
Written & Directed by Marina Michelson
Produced by Devin Shepherd, Nora Unkel, Simran Mahal,
Marina Michelson & Meryl Jones Williams
In association with Destro Films and Script Pipeline
Cinematographer: Lowell A. Meyer
Edit: Sam Fuller
Production Design: Eloise Ayala
Original Score: Igor Kogan
Sound Design: Chase Everett
This video was submitted by Marina Michelson and selected by our team. Click here if you have a project you’d like us to check out!
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