"I continue to be speechless. Epically brilliant. Outside of Todd's passion of advocacy and love for this planet, we so luckily get to be hosted by, her artistry, talent and commitment are extraordinary." - Chelsea Bonosky, Performing Artist
Under Review: Katahdin
A young boy creates a loving friendship with a tree and her saplings, but as the boy ages he follows his family lineage and becomes a logger.
Synopsis
Under Review: Katahdin tells the heart-wrenching story of our evolving relationship with trees.
A boy grows up spending his days amongst the trees. Through his daily visits of climbing, playing and swinging from branches, he develops a loving friendship with the tree and her saplings. But, the boy grows up.
His visits become few and far between and he loses his affection for the natural world. He follows his lineage into the field of logging; therefore he must choose between protecting or slaughtering his beloved family of trees.
"What a beautiful, important, inspiring film." - Susan Misner, Actress and Choreographer
"I felt the film viscerally. It was so clear, and really...seeing bodies as trees, and representing and seeing the destruction of the trees while also celebrating this beautiful land was really impactful. Many people haven't seen that kind of logging production in person, and the way Todd showed it on film was powerful." - Rebecca Margolick, Dancer and Choreographer
While currently referred to as Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, this location was once and still is today the ancestral, unceded homelands of the Penobscot Nation.
Under Review was created to bring to light the fact that these precious wildlife grounds were added to a list of National Monuments under review for industrial development.
While not depicted in this film, we wanted to recognize and acknowledge the continual displacement and violence perpetrated against Indigenous people and people of color in the United States.
This acknowledgement does not serve as a stand-in for the actual decolonization work and is something we will bear in mind as we go forward in our commitment to accountability and equity for those who historically have been systematically oppressed.
Cast
Paul Zivkovich
Tori Sparks
Ryan VanCompernolle
Austin Tyson
Tyler Phillips
"Riveted by the approach Todd took. Anthropomorphizing the trees into people created a visceral connection to loss and deforestation. We were moved by the performer's embodiment of that destruction and the way Todd made us see the critical environmental issue through a human experience. New and evocative.” - Thryn Saxon, Performing Artist
“I loved watching it and the mastery of all aspects of it - the storytelling, the performances, the cinematography, the aerial shots, the editing and color grading. It is just sublime and I'm in awe of Todd and the amazing team." - Ben McHugh, Actor
Crew
Director: Kelly Ashton Todd
Director of Photography: Tyler Sparks
Producer: Ernest Revia, Shanthi Blanchard, and Kelly Ashton Todd
Executive Producer: Sally-Ann Huang and Alexis Huang
Associate Producer: Chris Frost
Choreographer: Paul Zivkovich, Tori Sparks, Ryan VanCompernolle, Austin Tyson, Tyler Phillips, and Kelly Ashton Todd
Editor: Natalie Deryn Johnson and Kelly Ashton Todd
Co-Editor: Tyler Sparks
Sound Design: Marc Cardarelli
Costume Design: Allison Dyke
Colorist: Julie Hotz and Tyler Sparks
Genre: Environmental, dance, thriller
Target Audience: Environmental activists, dancers and nature lovers
Fiscally Sponsored by Fractured Atlas
Generously Supported by:
LEIMAY Fellowship
Brooklyn Arts Fund
Puffin Foundation
Walmart E-Commerce
New York Foundation for the Arts
Keshet Makers Space
After completing the film, we have held several discussions about who truly has ownership of these wild lands, how we as a nation can unlearn our own bias and ignorance, what efforts we can make to stop the exploitation of limited untouched wildlife and nature that is happening every day in this country, and how to move towards a more equitable future as a society for all.
In honor of Earth Day 2021, we have partnered with the Penobscot Nation, and ask that you please consider making a donation to the Nation. All proceeds raised will help protect the integrity of the lands and waters, and assist the Penobscot Nation with legal fees in their battle to acquire their ancestral lands under the 1980 land settlement.
