Jennifer Baichwal has been directing and producing documentaries for over 20 years. Her award-winning films include “Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles,” “Watermark,” and “Act of God.” Her film “Manufactured Landscapes” was named as one of 150 Essential Works In Canadian Cinema History by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2016. Baichwal is a Director of the Board of TIFF and an ambassador of the Share Her Journey campaign, a five-year commitment to increasing opportunities for women behind and in front of the camera.
“Anthropocene: The Human Epoch” will premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 25. The film is co-directed by Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
JB: “Anthropocene: The Human Epoch” is a cinematic meditation on humanity’s massive reengineering of the planet. It follows the research of a group of scientists who are investigating whether our current geological epoch has ended and given way to the Anthropocene epoch. Their 10-year research points to overwhelming evidence that humans now change the Earth and its systems more than all natural processes combined.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
JB: This film is the third in a trilogy of work with photographer Edward Burtynsky, following “Manufactured Landscapes” and “Watermark.” Our goal was to make this unknown — and somewhat unpronounceable — word Anthropocene and what it represents part of the vernacular.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
JB: I want them to reflect on their implication in global landscapes that they are connected to or responsible for — mines, landfill sites, etc. — but would never normally see. Hopefully this reflection helps to shift consciousness without polemics or blame. We are all in it together, some more profoundly than others.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
JB: The film took four-and-a-half years to make and was part of a larger project that includes museum exhibitions, virtual reality experiences, two books, and an educational program. The multi-faceted nature of the production was challenging and had us all working to capacity. Editing the film was particularly engrossing but also daunting because our shooting ratios are high, around 250:1. It took me and our longtime editor Roland Schlimme almost a year to edit the film.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
JB: In Canada, we have excellent support at the federal and provincial level for film, so we are lucky to be able to access that. We also have long time relationships with supportive broadcasters, and some continuing philanthropic support.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
JB: I was an academic on my way to a PhD in Theology and Philosophy, but I became frustrated with the method of enquiry. I turned to documentary as a more lateral way of exploring the issues that still interest me—metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, identity, aesthetics. I learned by doing and felt I had discovered my vocation. That was 25 years and ten films ago.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
JB: Best: Look to the margins to illuminate the center. You can’t see the center if you are in it.
Worst: Give up.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
JB: Don’t give up, and look to the margins to illuminate the center.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
JB: I can’t—there’s too many. To name a few: Alanis Obomsawin’s “Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance”; Chantal Akerman’s “Sud”; Jane Campion’s “Sweetie”; and Astra Taylor’s “Examined Life.”
W&H: It’s been a little over a year since the reckoning in Hollywood and the global film industry began. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?
JB: I actually think it is too soon to tell whether there is or will be any lasting, meaningful change. And some recent events—the nomination process of Brett Kavanaugh, for example—seem to suggest we have gone backwards. But I do notice that there is a lingering tentative tone, instead of the usual swagger, from many of the white, middle-aged men who continue to dominate the industry. This is welcome.
