Nature and Communication

THE ROCK

Directed by Hamid Jafari - 25 min | New Orleans FF (best Short Doc); Visons Du Reel (Best Short Doc)

Swathed from head to toe in black, a woman is breaking stones out of a rock wall using a crowbar and her bare hands. The stony, reddish moonlike landscape of southern Iran and the traditional way of life lend an almost biblical atmosphere to this serene, aesthetically filmed visual poem.

THE GREAT NORTHERN TURTLE 

Directed by Zachary Keifer – 18 min

The Wood Turtle is both a secretive and highly intelligent animal that makes its home in the wilds of the Northeast whose existence is under threat. In addition to exploring the turtle's life in the wild, the film also details efforts to protect this beautiful creature.  

THE STORY OF VERMONT’S QUIET DIGITAL REVOLUTION 

Directed by Peter Strauss – 23 min

In the most rural reaches of Vermont, a local online service, Front Porch Forum, has begun to change the way people interact with each other at an exponential rate.