Hi Sahill, thanks again for the invite to this film, it was a thought provoking experience and I thought I would set down a view comments /observations .
Firstly I thought the cinematography was stunning and had shades of David Lean ( desert) and the Blair Witch project ( campfires) and of course the music was very appropriate. It was a pleasing film to watch.
Secondly here are some thoughts which may have been raised before but I find inspired to set these down
In no particular order
Although the film was entitled ‘Down to Earth’ I thought it also brought out the key elements of earth, fire, air and water as being a holistic view of nature.
There were some great moments round the campfire and it is interesting to note how much commonality there is in respect of these elements around the globe. If there is to be a follow up film I think exploring campfire wisdom might be a good theme.
There were some memorable quotes, about birds do not nest in the air, elephants and insects as well as some interesting thoughts about rocks and how man had shaped the environment ( Machu Piccu). Each elder relating their own individual philosophy to their local environment and what they knew.
The message that was also consistent was that time really has no meaning. Modern day management techniques talk about ‘mindfulness ‘and ‘being in the moment’, these elders talked about a longer timeframe and had a more of a curation approach to life, merely being part of a long chain of humanity.
It was interesting also the juxtaposition of thinking on different continents and there were some real leadership type behaviour when elders talked about respect for the environment. It was also interesting that there was mention of dis- ease when heart, mind, soul and environment were not in harmony and that certainly strikes a modern day chord when we talk about sustainability and models of the planet.
I am sure there were equally some great moments that landed on the cutting room floor but it really was an enjoyable event. It would be equally interesting to hear what the children got out of it and the perspective of the other children they met because there was a comment about how children played without a common language which I found particularly interesting.
What was also evident was a common respect for their (literal) elders
What resonated with me was the singular theme of respect for nature which was not dependent on climate or topography but the same comments kept coming out (albeit via different metaphors) that really there is only one landscape and one life.
This was a really interesting film and I am sure when I see it again I will get something more out of it.
This was a film that deserves a wider audience. I am not sure how it would go down with a bunch of MBA students and how relevant it would be without some guidance, so I would be interested to hear your views on that and also general reactions to the screening from Renata and Rolf .
I think the message was quite clear but I am not sure whether it will be retained in the longer term memories of a younger ( than me) audience without some form of continuous or periodic reinforcement because their exposure to Capitalism and short term gain may just mean some of the important messages in the film may get forgotten.
I think this last point is very important and the role of the Family and Elders in western societies probably needs revisiting.
I am trying also to weave some of these key themes into some of the presentations I will be doing to MBA students
Apologies if this email sound a bit like a cross between a film critic and a philosopher but it really was a memorable oeuvre.
