(UN)EARTHING - PLANT
KNOWLEDGE AND DREAMS
by Louise Boer
About the film:
commission for The Public Learning Workshop's 'Ecopoetics' project (Glasgow based charity) • UK & Netherlands • 8:28 • English & Japanese
The film is an ambient dream journey; recalling memories and personal stories of healing with plants. A lot of the once common knowledge around medicinal plants has gone lost through the violent processes of capitalism, church and colonialism, disproportionately affecting women. Therefore, remembering, reclaiming and sharing this knowledge is a personal as well as a political act. By meeting and using local, widely available plants, often labelled as ‘weeds’, we can take control over our own health, as well as the health of society and the environment in order to heal and re-enchant the world.
About the filmmaker:
Louise Boer // Lou Zon (she/they) is a filmmaker and visual anthropologist teaching at Goldsmiths, University of London. Their film work spans documentary and experimental film but revolves mostly around music; from performing improvised live visuals to creating produced and live music videos. Lou's work has a distinctive poetic and dreamlike aesthetic, characterised by creative and intuitive editing, hand-held camera work and a strong focus on natural elements and textures. Lou’s performs internationally with their live visuals and is part of various bands and projects, such as Clay Kin (in collaboration with Dan Nicholls and Julian Sartorius) and Plants Heal (Dave De Rose and Dan Nicholls).
Lou curates and organises Free Movements; an event series in South-East London, which aims to weave together some of the many threads that can intersect through rave by making spaces of sound, movement, community and deep listening.
Instagram: @lou_zon
Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/louiseboer
YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP_QAOeMAI1QqmOSl0dZ3g4uqYyKpGM9q&si=oE4RP0AwzcMv6J2G