Termite TV presents Understories: Undergrowth
Coordinating producers gabe castro & Debbie Rudman
Oyster Spells by Ingrid Raphaël – A Meditation on Oysters
The Food of the Yard by Michael O’Reilly – Explores the understory of the maker, his family, and their backyard.
Tunnel Under World by Anula Shetty A subway journey exploring underground abandoned tunnels
Lava Tubes by Michael Kuetemeyer – Cooling from the top forms an insulating skin. The heat, now contained, allows the inside to stay molten, flowing forward.
The Moray Dance by Francesca Lally – A rotoscoped underwater ballet, a sinuous manifesto. The eels have been watching us, and this is what they have to say.
Shrooms by the Ghouls Next Door – Two friends conduct a ritual in hopes of making a meaningful connection with the spirit realm.
Tiny Worlds by Karen Lefkovitz – utilizes macro photography to reveal hidden worlds, which are a gateway to larger questions about human perception.
What is Mycelium by Alan Powell – Mushroom Talk/Dance
Alda and the Fungi by María Teresa Rodríguez – For over two decades, Dr. Alda Rodríguez has harnessed the power of soil fungi to combat pests and diseases in plants and livestock. These microscopic allies are at the heart of her mission to eliminate agrotoxins from our food and to regenerate our soil and ecosystems.
Ice Cocoon by Kathleen Sweeney – explores winter wandering in open sensory symbiosis with nature, a rewilding search for refuge within breathing cycles of bird song, coyote calls, snow, ice and melt. “Ice Cocoon” seeks, scans and discovers, traversing woodland transitions, a metaphoric metamorphosis in cycles of seasonal transformation.
Credits Featuring footage from Phytography workshop led by Craig Scheihing, with contributions from Termite TV and OKSG participants.
Sound mix by: Lorne Peart, Adam Cooper-Terán, with contributions from the PhillyCAM Sounds from the Understory workshop.
PHILLYCAM PRESENTS UNDERSTORIES
Coordinating producers Joy Waldinger (J. Eliza Wall) & Laura Deutch
WELCOME TO THE UNDERSTORY
by Gabrielle Patterson
MARI POSAS
by Frances Almodovar – An experimental short that reflects on forced migration through the Puerto Rican diaspora in Philadelphia, using vintage 1980s souvenir slides and the guidance of butterflies-symbolic ancestors-to explore the quiet sacrifices of migration, inviting us to reclaim wonder and rediscover beauty in the familiar.
HOPE AND ANTS
by Natalie Thomas – An experimental piece that explores sense of self within community while using understories of the local insect community.
REWILD
by Joy Waldinger (J. Eliza Wall) – “I contain multitudes” -Walt Whitman. This piece explores the delicate balance of the gut microbiome through themes of overgrowth and undergrowth.
THE SUSURRUS BETWEEN LIGHT AND SHADOW
by Nicole Dupree – An exploration of dancing light and shadow, and the wisdom echoing through thriving understories, captured in a series of anthotypes with turmeric-dyed paper.
THE FIRE INSIDE
by Tamara R. Jackson – Explores the raw physicality of anger and the transformative space where destruction gives birth to growth.
STAND TALL WITH COPING SKILLS: AVA’S GIRAFFE JOURNEY
by Dr. Jenine Lowery – A short documentary introducing young children to coping skills for managing their feelings.
INCUBATOR OF LIFE
by Gabrielle Patterson