by James Fletcher
Of all the social movements to have gained international traction over the past few years, the most significant, and far reaching has to be the Climate Crisis, which even with its undeniable science, has still managed to not just be politicised, but has somehow morphed into a slogan-based personal-opinion tirade that has seen grown men troll teenage girls and special interest lobbies spitefully throw funds at harmful economic agendas.
And while the current pandemic, which in itself is an ironic wake-up call, has sent a tsunami of media fuelled misinformation across our society, the why and how of the situation has widely been ignored. So, it’s not without a small sense of timeliness that Melbourne based documentary filmmaker and cinematographer Reilly Archer-Whelan’s latest short The Last Extinction arrives.
A detailed, but accessible examination of nature’s intricate eco-system, Archer-Whelan deftly unravels the ways in which the smallest component in a complex environment can decimate entire regions, the results of which are currently fuelling a new mass extinction within the natural world, which ultimately, will include us.
“Firstly, I’d like to say that I’m not qualified to answer the question,” replies Archer-Whelan when asked whether The Last Extinction could be seen as a metaphor for the current corona-virus wrecking havoc on the human population.
“But if you’d like my opinion, not as a scientist, but as a general citizen, it is that viruses are a natural part of life, pandemics have occurred for thousands of years throughout human history. So, while I don’t believe that this virus is due to some act of god punishing us for encroaching on environments we aren’t meant to inhabit, I do believe that our global wildlife trade, agricultural intensification, deforestation and urbanisation gives viruses more of an opportunity to infect us.
“The film is about the interconnectivity of all life on earth and how the loss of one species has a chain reaction on everything else.
“So, you’re not wrong, the film could work as a metaphor for the current pandemic in that we should be aware of how our actions affect the planet. There needs to be a cultural shift about how we treat animals, our understanding of the dangers and biosecurity we’re exposing ourselves to. That means leaving the ecosystem intact, not destroying them. It means thinking more long term.”
Shot over a nine-day period in an African wildlife reserve, the documentary captures truly awe-inspiring footage, from the threatening behavioural antics of apex predators to the detailed social structure of insect colonies. When asked about the challenges of shooting in such remote locations, Archer-Whelan explains how the environment, and the animals themselves, quickly established the parameters of the shoot.
“I shot The Last Extinction on an FS7, Sony A7Sii, GoPro and a DJI drone,” Reilly reveals. “The most important piece of equipment though was the 150-600mm lens. A lot of animals captured in the film are very dangerous – hippos kill an estimated 500 people per year! So, having a lens that could capture the intricate behaviours of wild animals, while maintaining a safe distance was very important.
“At first, I was a bit sceptical about filming lions from a safari vehicle that had no doors but eventually I felt very safe in the hands of the incredible park rangers at the reserve. The biggest challenge was actually having patience. A lot of the time as filmmakers, we barge into our environments with all of our equipment to get the best shot but when you come in quietly, remain calm, give the animal hours or even days to feel comfortable with your presence, that’s when the magical moments reveal themselves.
“I knew it was important to include anthropomorphism in the film because I wanted the audience to connect to the animals and care about their conservation. In some cases, it wasn’t until I was in the environment and up-close with the animals, that the story started to unfold.”
Making its official premiere at the 2020 Melbourne International Film Festival, The Last Extinction will be having a special 3.30pm screening on May 23rd at Cinema Nova in Melbourne.
Having founded the production company RAW Films, Archer-Whelan’s interest in social activism has led her to create works around the refugee crisis in Australia, class struggle in South Africa and now the implications of ignoring sustainable conservation.
“I’d like to bring the mass extinction crisis to the forefront of our conversations,” she explains, referring to the film’s ominous, but apt title. “I hope the audience will realise how urgent the situation is and that we need to be putting more pressure on our leaders. We can’t possibly make these changes as individuals. Our governments need to make big changes now and they can start by incentivising green initiatives.
“During the pandemic, the world caught a glimpse of a future with cleaner air, without fossil fuel pollution from our vehicles and with more space for nature. So, I believe that the pandemic has strengthened the economic argument for renewable energy. I believe awareness has heightened on an individual level, but we need our leaders to take action on a national and international level.”
Tickets are currently available to The Last Extinction screening this Sunday 23rd of May at Cinema Nova. Future screenings will be announced on the Facebook page or on Instagram @lastexintction
