Short films on systems for saving the world

“We’re taking bricks from the walls of our own house and expecting it not to collapse”. These words, voiced in a short film by Jacob Levi have never felt more haunting. In an age where the leader of the free world denies the existence of climate change, a giant question mark is forming over how the next generation is meant to educate themselves on how to stop the world from bursting into flames flooding or freezing over. When we were younger, the idea of “saving the world” felt like a fantasy – something for Captain Planet to swiftly sort out in 30 minutes of afterschool telly.

However, with London hitting dangerous levels of air pollution in the first week of 2017, unsafe factories continuing to produce garments in countries such as Bangladesh, and polar caps melting away like ice-lollies in the sunshine, Selfridges is taking action with “Material World”. The two-month project will play out amongst the store’s windows, online conversations, in-store experiences and product releases.

To help do our bit, we’ve teamed up with London visionaries such as Stroma Cairns, Neverland Clan, Maisie Cousins, Ma-tt-er and the aforementioned Jacob Levi, to create a series of short films that ask “What does sustainability mean to you?” For an increasingly complicated issue, the messages are simple; learn to share; define the difference between need, want and greed; look to the future – ideally, before it’s too late.

With the film premiere taking place at a private event at Selfridges tomorrow evening, we premiere teaser clips and speak with the artists behind them.

JACOB LEVI

What does sustainability mean to you?

Jacob Levi: Sustainability is building a world that works fairly for ALL people today as well as the children of tomorrow. Sustainability means equality in opportunity, in housing, education, healthcare, water, food, clothing and energy for all, including future generations. Sustainability is knowing the difference between NEED and WANT.

Tell us a bit about the film and your inspirations behind it.

Jacob Levi: Currently, the world is unsustainable, unstable and unequal. Quality of life is vastly imbalanced. In order to make viewers think critically about our planet, the choices we make and the multiple realities that each individual lives in. We interviewed 20 different people of all walks of life, and ask them what sustainability meant to them. These will show different ways of producing energy, eating, travelling, making clothes etc. There are complex landscape shots to show the natural beauty of the world and make us think of climate change and the environment. The film also features short comic and lighthearted experiments to reference the sustainability issues around making clothes.

What was your process when making the film?

Jacob Levi: By interviewing 20 different inspiring thinkers, do-ers, movers and shakers, young and old, we researched peoples’ thoughts and priorities regarding sustainability. We were inspired by the interviews and summarised these comments in text-on-screen.

What areas of sustainability do you explore?

Jacob Levi: I am interested in sustainability in terms of climate change, equality, access to healthcare, education and housing for all people currently living on the earth and future generations.

MA-TT-ER

What does sustainability mean to you?

Ma-tt-er: Optimism.

Tell us a bit about the film and your inspirations behind it.

Ma-tt-er: Fungi (mushrooms) are an abundant resource that happen to grow in, almost, every single landscape with a considerable amount of potential. We wanted to consider a whole systems thinking approach as the world is fast running out of natural resources.

With the help of mother nature and emerging technologies mushrooms are being transformed into one of the most versatile materials creating fashion, footwear, bricks, furniture, packaging, biofuels and even antibiotics.

One focus, one material, many applications.

What was your process when making the film?

Ma-tt-er: Research, foraging and supermarket visits, similar to a chef’s process.  

Perspectives from the micro, macro and the world at large in relation to one single ingredient - the Fun-Gi.

What we do at Ma-tt-er is all about process the application differs depending on what we are communicating. Creating the Fun-Gi enabled us to explore the identity and characteristics of the fungi and relate it to how we could utilise one ingredient and all of its attributes.

Sustainability comes in many forms and we wanted to view the film through an optimistic lens as materials new and old are fast becoming the answer to living more sustainably.

Our team consisted of Seetal Solanki, DK Woon, Dilesh Solanki and we all have the same holistic approach of the connectedness between all types of matter.

What areas of sustainability do you explore?

Ma-tt-er: Ma-tt-er is a materials research consultancy that works across industries such as architecture, interiors, food, fashion, retail, editorial and events implementing a more responsible direction of how materials can shape the immediate, near and far future.

Most materials have an infinite lifecycle; they can be reused, reformed and redesigned with a new purpose very much like the fungi. Everything is made of something and that is the material which can in turn affect and implement social, economic and political change.

If using one ingredient to its full potential across multiple sectors is applied to other materials; can this provide the answer to the future of how we might live today and tomorrow?

Leaving us feeling optimistic about living in the future.

MAISIE COUSINS

What does sustainability mean to you?

Maisie Cousins: Making a space for nature to be itself.

Tell us a bit about the film and your inspirations behind it.

Maisie Cousins: I wanted to celebrate nature and the small things that get overlooked, like bugs and worms

What was your process when making the film?

Maisie Cousins: I worked with set designer Penny Mills who is a very passionate about animals, she makes sure every animal and bug that is hired is treated with the best care

What areas of sustainability do you explore?

Maisie Cousins: I try to always shop either second hand or from a reliable company.

STROMA CAIRNS

What does sustainability mean to you?

Stroma Cairns: To me, sustainability simply means sustaining our environment, and protecting our only mother nature. It means considering the processes used to create man-made products. I’m interested in looking at how well we can connect with the natural elements of the earth.

Tell us a bit about the film and your inspirations behind it.

Stroma Cairns: The film is inspired by the Buddhist beliefs around nature, that the earth’s elements are not in an endless supply and the act of greed will affect us in the long run. I shot the film in England’s Peak district for its beautiful landscape and interesting horizon lines. It is also home to industrial quarries. Having lived in an industrial town in the Midlands I was familiar with the factories and power plants within the area.

What was your process when making the film?

Stroma Cairns: Every process used to make this film was an exciting challenge. Shooting on film has an uncertainty about it, as you can’t play any of it back until it is all processed. It meant I had to pick and choose what I would want to shoot – instead of shooting endless amounts – which connected with my ideas of sustainability. Shooting the material being dyed was a similar experience, as once the fabric met the colour there was no re doing it.

What areas of sustainability do you explore?

Stroma Cairns: The imagery In my film hints at using materials and resources all made here within the UK. I’ve explored the positive outlook of sustainability and captured the beauty we could lose.

NEVERLAND CLAN

What does sustainability mean to you?

Neverland Clan: Sustainability means to flow with the cycle of life and to be one with your environment, recycling etc. are all good things to help this.

Tell us a bit about the film and your inspirations behind it.

Neverland Clan: The film is about doing regular everyday things and how they can fit into sustaining the world around you, it was mostly inspired by sports GoPro footage.

What areas of sustainability do you explore?

Neverland Clan: Guerilla upcycling.