FORESTR POEMS [Danddara's CSF 2022 Pitch]

FORESTRY POEMS sculpture by Eduardo Coimbra, Castro Maya Musuem RJ BR

one videopoem series for human-forestry peace from DANDDARA, with love

TREATMENT / DESCRIPTION Simplicity and truth, straight to the heart. We begin with a trilogy, comprising three 03 min video-poems. Each one starting from a pre-recorded audio, adding archive stills and footage to covey its core message. The first poem, TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, (transcribed bellow), has been written originally in English. The other two pieces include exerts from Charles Darwin and Jean Baptiste Debret, describing the emotional impact that Rio’s Atlantic Forests produced on them. Beyond the informational task, of sharing content of obvious relevance to wild life protection and Rain Forest development, we mean to access the unconscious root of topophilia affections, and blow away the anti-forestry dust that’s been accumulated onto our souls, since the West’s (rather primitive) Industrial Revolution took off. Though out dated, and even nonsensical to contemporary standards, such XIXth century bias continues to influence macro and micro behavioral decisions toward our Rain Forests nowadays. Sad but real, from the indigenous fire-cleansing of agricultural lands, to Bolsonaro’s pushing of anti-forest legislations. Moreover, we regard this initiative as a language test, which may open the way to a collaborative Series of unforeseeable extension. Starting from three, and counting…

POEM 01 – TO WHOMIT MAY CONCERN To whom it may concern: my Amazon Woman Soul has packed Her goods up, shaken the dust of the centuries off Her shoulders, deposed Her sword and white weapons, gotten married, reshaped inner patterns and moved… on and on, far… far away miles and miles from any previously inhabited place; Her neighbors being all beasts, owls, snakes, dragons… and other of Her sibling wild things; who kill to devour their preys

eat to survive, endure and rise and rehearse reproductive sex in an every-day-life basis.

Though She kept no record of Her escape my Soul has lived up there ever since…

On a mountain peak where forests are always green, water springs healthily radioactive at the fountain, and each streamed river that cascades over round stones enjoys the luxury of a private rainbow escort service every single day…

So… one mustn’t be surprised that my Soul’s to be found nowhere, from the street grocery market to the world-wide-web, the fancy church service, or this pagan vanity’s fair.

For my Soul’s too busy homemaking and setting that small wooden table up for family prayers and friendly nirvana meals; too busy conceiving a new Earth for all Human children united in a Ghandi hug; too busy fly-fishing with Oprah,

wearing Obama’s shoes and celebrating masses with Desmond Tutu.

Happy, whole, holly… my Soul’s forever abandoned in the arms of Love and yet awake to spread the morning scent of fresh coffee and buttered corn bread…

To whom, if anyone, it may, indeed, concern.

DANDDARA, Ro 2012

PROUCTION BUDGET – 14,000 USD Archive stills / footage Legal / Accounting / Insurance Bio-security / Health services Image editing / post production Research / Translation Subtitles / sensorial accessibility Writer / Director/ Producer Sound production / post production

USD 5,000.00 USD 1,500.00 USD 1,500.00 USD 1,000.00 USD 500.00 USD…500.00 USD 3,000.00 USD 1,000.00

INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY

FILMING IN THE TIME OF CORONA 1) THE BIG QUESTION: Should I be filming at all?

This is a key question for any high risk project, regardless of Covid-19.

Should I be filming in a war zone? On a raft in the middle of the ocean? In the middle of a civil disturbance? In a subject’s home?

The way to assess any of these questions is the same: Is there a sufficient public interest to justify my filming now? And having assessed the risks (and safety measures) is the risk to the film team and others potentially affected by the project (subjects, field crew - including fixers, vulnerable communities, my family and work colleagues) proportionate to that public interest?

If not, the answer is a flat no and if in doubt, err on the side of caution. Ask yourself, would you be comfortable going into the scenario yourself?

The additional challenge of Covid-19 is that 1) Right now it has turned almost every location on earth, outside your own house, into a High Risk Location.

2) The circle of those we care about and towards whom we have a responsibility to act safely is much wider. It includes not only subjects, field crew and the communities we film in, but also our families, friends and the community at large.

The result is that the bar to justifying filming in the public interest is currently high.

QUESTION 01 – ANSWER TAKING ALL THAT’S BEEN SAID UNDER CONSIDERATION… I would say YES! If by one hand some might deem my poetics for Human-Environmental peace less important than war and crime challenges, by another hand my AV project, mostly comprised of archive footage collage, over pre-recorded audio narration, brings production risk near zero. In other words: I do think there’s public interest in simple AV pieces, that propose new regards toward rather common place questions. However, while metaphysical propositions may not be the priority in the urgent climate mess we got ourselves in, the low risk involved in my Production design raised the potential positive impact it has to the Public.

2. THE RISK ASSESSMENT: What are the consequences of going ahead?

If you think that there is sufficient public interest in filming at this time, you need to undertake a risk assessment to make sure you have thought through the practical implications.

We have prepared the checklist below to help identify issues you will need to work through with your team. We anticipate that after this assessment, some teams will decide that filming now is not practical or affordable (risk mitigation has significant cost implications which responsible funders/ partners should take note of - a Covid-19 section of the budget would allow for any necessary PPE, hygiene products or equipment to mitigate risks or unexpected costs such as increased production insurance costs or possible/unexpected medical attention). If that is the case, postponing or adopting alternative methods such as remote filming are more appropriate.

ALTERNATIVES

Have you first considered alternatives to physical travel to the filming location ( the highest risk), to remote filming (medium risk) to content generated by the subject (low risk) to not filming at all (no risk)? Have these been considered?

QUESTION 02 – ANSWER YES, WE DID! In fact, our production design was conceived to aim on archive footage, and editing. So no traveling will be needed. In addition, we’ve made comments in the checklist bellow.

THE CHECKLIST Area

Issue

More thought needed Y/N or NA (not applicable)

What does the law say right now, where you will be either travelling or filming, about behaviour of its residents? Travel restrictions? When and where to wear masks? Limiting the number of adults together? Social distancing rules? Limited reasons for being in public?

N NO more thought needed here

LEGAL The Law

Government advice may differ from country to country, state to state, locality to locality.

Before instituting your production protocol, consult and monitor the most up-to-date and evolving guidance on movement, health advice and labor laws (relating to the privacy and confidentiality of medical information, anti-discrimination laws and laws governing employer-employee relations) in the jurisdictions you are operating in.

Press rights

Do journalists have different rights? How can you assert your right to these?

 NA

Legal advice

Do you have access to legal advice on the project? Have you sought it? Are you aware of what any legal implications may be? Where appropriate, getting a formal risk assessment through an entity such as GFS will help inform a legal opinion.

 N We’ve PRO legal advice We’ll check GFS too

Handling police

Have you reviewed how local police are enforcing local restrictions?

N

Travel

Are you aware of the latest travel restrictions (such as quarantine periods on entry) both internationally and locally between home and where you plan to film? Are you aware of how easily & quickly if needed you could return home if filming overseas?

 NA

JOURNALISM

NOT APPLICABLE TO THE PROJECT IN FOCUS

Fact check

During a pandemic it's crucial that misinformation is not spread. Are you putting forward information or opinion about Covid-19? If so, how will you ensure that you are accurate and balanced?

 NA

Protecting sources

If your broader risk assessment has flagged that you have sources who need protecting, are you more vulnerable to government surveillance via any corona tracking apps?

 NA

INSURANCE Production Insurance Have you got production insurance? Have you tried to obtain it? (NB most production insurance policies now exclude claims arising from or linked to Covid-19). Can you self-insure if no production insurance is available? If there is no insurance, have you discussed with team members that they will not be insured under the production?

 Y More talk need. Happily our team is very small

Private Health Insurance

Do you need health insurance to access care in the country you live/ and the country you are filming in? Do you and your team have it? Are you able to obtain personal medical insurance cover for Covid-19?

 N Costs included in the budget

Life Insurance and Last Wills & Testaments

Have the team got life insurance and have they checked to see whether policies include restrictions on undertaking activities that are high risk?

 NA All work will be low risk.

Have the team made wills and are these up-to-date? Have these been discussed with next of kin?

Waivers of liability

Is your insurer or your broadcaster’s or funder’s insurer requesting that local teams in-country and subjects sign legal waivers accepting that filming (even with appropriate safeguards in place) may still place them at risk of infection and that having been made aware of such risks they agree to waive liability?

N Our legal adviser provides all docs we need to cover

this matter.

If you are asked to incorporate waivers of liability, consider the ethics of requiring someone to sign one of these waivers, particularly if they hold less power or social agency.

Also recognise the effect it may have on the production and plan accordingly; it may mean local crew and/or subjects are reluctant to sign and either no longer wish to continue; or may be happy to continue but will not sign the form which then becomes an issue with your insurer or the broadcaster/funder’s insurer deciding if they will let filming take place.

HEALTH Covid-19 Information

Do you and the team have access to up to date information on Covid-19 symptoms, testing, selfisolation and self-distancing requirements including use of masks both in the country where you are based, and if different, where filming will take place?

N We’ve a nurse who assists us since April 2021

Do you have up-to-date information on infection and mortality rates in the area you intend to film in?

Underlying health

Have all team members and subjects at the start of production completed a health declaration stating: they are not suffering from any coronavirus symptoms and have not had symptoms in the last 7 days; they have not (as far as they are aware) been in contact with anyone with coronavirus symptoms within the previous 14 days; that they undertake to declare immediately any onset of symptoms or contact with anyone who has coronavirus.

Do any of the close family members of your teams have them or are they shielding?

Team members may have underlying health issues that might make their exposure to the virus more life threatening than to others. Whilst it is important to establish this before proceeding, data protection and confidentiality safeguards around the medical declaration data should be in place.

Additionally, if your teammates are employees, you may need to consider Covid-19 regulations promulgated by labor regulators in your jurisdiction which determine what health information may be requested.

We all have a duty to ensure this epidemic is not used to further discriminate against those with

N Same as above

chronic health conditions or people of certain ages. Rather we need to work together to assure full, and safe, access for all.

Self Isolation

14 days is currently the recommended period to be sure you are virus free on returning from possible contact.

How will you & your team achieve this? Will it need to be away from your families?

Local Medical Systems

Is the public medical system in the area you are filming already under significant pressure?

Are alternative medical services available if you or your team might require them?

Access to PPE

What Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is needed by the team and subjects given the situation you will be filming in? Has an allocation for this been included in the budget? Do you have enough? Where can you get more if filming on location?

 N Only crew members with negative tests and vaccine can work N Public system ok.

We’ll have private service too. N Our Nurse overviews PPE provision

Do you know how to put on and remove safely? Seek out advice and training for the team on how to put on and remove PPE safely.

Medical attention/ Extraction plans

If you should fall ill whilst working, what plans do you have in place to obtain medical assistance, self-isolate. Will you need an emergency medical extraction plan?

 NA

Emotional support

How are the team and subjects doing? This is a very stressful time and filming will add strain so give sufficient consideration to the psychological effect that filming Covid-19 related material or contracting the virus may have on crew members.

 Y Some more though needed here

What can be put in place to support the mental well-being of the team & the subjects? Consider after-care support if required.

Lockdown

If the country where you are filming imposes a lockdown, what escalation plan do you have to ensure you have access to accommodation, food, basic communication, transport and medical assistance if needed? Or evacuation if required.

N We focus on archive and editing work

CIRCLE OF CARE N Our Nurse overviews this map.

Mapping

Have you got a complete list of those for whom you have responsibility to act safely towards team, field crew (including fixers), drivers, subjects and team’s family and close friends? Do you anticipate interacting with other third parties and how can this be minimised? Do you have a system in place to allow contact tracing, if this becomes necessary?

Informed consent

How will you make the individuals you are working with (both crew and subjects) aware of the risks  N and safeguards to enable them to have adequate time to make an informed decision about taking Nurse and legal part? advisor on it.

Under no circumstances must members of the crew or subjects be pressured to obtain their informed consent. Be aware of the power dynamics at play; If any individuals have serious concerns — particularly subjects or junior members who may feel inhibited — they should be encouraged to speak up and share those concerns.

3. CORONA PROTOCOLS: What’s the safest way to organise the shoot?

QUESTION 03 – ANSWER: WE’RE AWARE of the international protocol summarized in CSFs guide. We already have experience in applying sanitary measures, before, during and after shootings. N pril2021, we won a grant, made by SONY, to reinforce sanitary protocols in the SET. We’ve hired a trained Nurse to organize and overview such protocols.

We’ve a legal advisor to check contractual implications of the COVID pandemic, and other health related issues.