Dusk Chorus - Based on the project "Fragments of Extinction"
An exploration through remote primary equatorial forests, the project Fragments of Extinction uses sound as a medium to reflect on the current global extinction crisis. The film portrays the fieldwork of eco-acoustics researcher and project’s founder David Monacchi, who is on a quest to record 24-hour 3-dimensional sonic portraits in the area with the assessed highest biodiversity on Earth. Through beautiful and immersive cinematography and directing filmmakers Alessandro D'emilia and Nika Šaravanja follow the progress of this urgent project, incorporating Monacchi’s lecture footage, which manages to accessibly impart the complexity of the issues at hand. During the film the focus shifts from incredible images to a spectacular surround listening experience. It's as if the viewers themselves are in the middle of the rainforest – they hear insects, birds, amphibians, mammals and even trees in a three-dimensional polyphony of nature. The result is a careful balance between Monacchi’s scientific yet deeply philosophical relationship with the environment and the urgent plight of communities and creatures that are facing the impact of habitat loss, invasive industry and climate change.
Dusk Chorus is an enduring contemplation and poetic journey on some of the often-overlooked aspects that make an ecosystem diverse, unique, and fragile.
fragmentsofextinction.org
Credits:
Written and narrated by: David Monacchi
Director: Nika Šaravanja, Alessandro d'Emilia
Cinematographer: Alessandro d'Emilia
Editor: Otis Buri
3D soundscapes and Specrograms: David Monacchi
Sound design: David Monacchi & Anthony di Furia
Music: Corrado Fantoni & David Monacchi
Color grading: Alessandro d'Emilia
Graphics: Egle Kirdulyte
Production: Zelig & Fragments of Extinction
International Awards and official selections:
(11 Awards and 36 Official Selections – updated 28 July 2018)
1. Visions du Reèl – Nyon (International premiere)
2. Green Film Festival – Seoul
3. Cinemambiente – Torino AWARD – Best Italian Documentary
4. Durban International Film Festival – Durban AWARD – Best International Documentary
5. Iran International Film Festival – Teheran
6. DokuFest – Prizren
7. Global Eco Film Festival – Zurich
8. Innsbruck Nature Film Festival – Innsbruck AWARD – Best International Documentary
9. Bifed – Istanbul AWARD – Best International Doc (student jury)
10. Cervino Cinemountain – Aosta
11. Imagine Science Film Festival – New York (North-America premiere)
12. Planet in Focus Environmental FF – Toronto
13. CineEco Serra da Estrela - Portugal AWARD – Best International Documentary
14. Jihlava IFF – Prague
15. Cinema Planeta – Mexico
16. Jihlava International Doc Film Festival – Prague
17. Inconvenient Films Film Festival – Vilnius
18. Mountain International Film Festival – Graz
19. InScience Dutch Int. Film Festival – Nijmegen AWARD – Best International Documentary
20. Fricine Socioenvironmental FF – Rio De Janeiro
21. International Human Rights FF – Nurnberg
22. Environmental Film Festival – Washington
23. Signes de Nuit – Paris AWARD – Best International Documentary
24. Festival of Tolerance – Zagreb
25. Signes de Nuit – Berlin
26. Green Film Festival UEA – Norwick UK
27. Beldocs International Documentary FF – Belgrad
28. Green Image Film Festival – Tokyo AWARD – Green Image award
29. International Wildlife Film Festival – Montana
30. Ecozine Film Festival – Zaragoza AWARD – Best International Film
31. Festival Int de Cinema e Video Ambiental – Brazil AWARD – Best International Film
32. Trento film Festival - Trento
33. Signes de Nuit – Bangkok Special Mention - International Documentaries
34. Science Fiction Film Festival – Trieste
35. Savonlinna International Film Festival – Finland
36. Green Film Festival – San Francisco
