The Last of the Nightingales
Bernie Krause, the legendary pioneer of Acoustic Ecology, takes us on an immersive journey to understand the roadmap that natural soundscapes can offer for overcoming the climate crisis.
Interview with Director/Producer/Editor Masha Karpoukhina
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I already had an idea for a series of films that would honor the places and ecosystems around the globe that are in great decline due to the human-caused climate crisis. But we were still very much in the development phase. I was driving my car one morning and a short show came on KPFA (a wonderful, independent station in the Bay) featuring Bernie Krause. He talked about the significance of natural soundscapes and how he noticed through his work that the biophonies of the world were getting drastically quieter. Basically, our planet is descending into silence as we choke the life out of it. We have looked at the climate crisis through so many different lenses, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak about it from a perspective of a planetary voice. I wanted to understand more and I wanted to hear that voice and share it. That's why we made the film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film invites you to experience the rich acoustic beauty of the living world through Bernie’s ears, exceptionally attuned over decades and reconnect with that world before it fades right in front of us. Well over half of the ecosystems recorded in Bernie’s immense archive are now completely silent or will never be heard in their original voice again due to the profound effect climate change has had on the stability, biodiversity, and resilience of virtually all ecosystems on Earth. I hope that this film can remind us that it is not too late to begin listening.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Even 10 or 15 years ago, we thought that the climate crisis will be an issue for our grandchildren. A sorrow, but a distant one. Now, even hardened scientists are surprised by the ferociousness and the speed of change. This will touch absolutely everyone personally. It is us, our generation, who will have to step up and steer the planet towards the path of survival or the path of absolute self-consumption inside our limitless hunger. But we have to decide now. And this is universal. Bernie's personal love and relationship with the sounds of our world leads us to a fundamental question of our own identity and our place inside The Great Animal Orchestra.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We are filmmakers, so by default, we are very visually oriented. I think we can safely say that our society is very visually oriented as well. Over the course of the film, we had to learn how to be quiet and how to listen. We had to think of how to portray some aspects of the film in a way that is not visual, but auditory. That was a great challenge because it was easy to gravitate toward a visual solution. But we knew that we had to diminish that part of the film so it would not interfere with the auditory sense of our audience. I don't think we were fully successful, but we tried.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We've received some very positive feedback in all of our private viewings, but the film is yet to be released to the wider audience.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I look forward to a challenge.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We would like our audience to take a quiet moment, a breather, in their complex lives, and take a listen to the soundscapes of the natural world. The planet is alive and she has a voice. She has an urgent message for us, if only, we listen.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are looking for distributors to help us amplify the message, journalists to put their own perspectives on it, and buyers to help sustain our messaging efforts well into the future.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
A quiet one. Let me elaborate :) Loud impact/quiet a reception.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
In the hierarchy of human needs, where would you place our need to connect with nature? What role does sound play in our connection to nature?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
This film is a part of a series of six. They are a document and a love letter to the places, the beings, and the habitats that we can no longer save. We plan to explore the remote islands of the Russian Arctic, the sinking atolls in the Pacific Ocean, and the dwindling jungles of Sumatra - a home of the few Orangutans that remain, amongst others.
Interview: January 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The Last of the Nightingales
Bernie Krause, the legendary pioneer of Acoustic Ecology, takes us on an immersive journey to understand the roadmap that natural soundscapes can offer for overcoming the climate crisis.
Length: 32:26
Director: Masha Karpoukhina
Producer: Rose Wyatt
Writer: Masha Karpoukhina
About the writer, director and producer:
MASHA KARPOUKHINA is an independent director, cinematographer & editor. After completing her bachelor's in Directing for Film & Television at the Academy of Art University Masha has produced, directed and shot narrative and documentary films that screened in festivals across the globe. Her recent film, Bernie Krause-A Life with The Great Animal Orchestra commissioned by Fondation Cartier Pour L’Art Contemporain premiered at the Peabody Essex Museum & will show at the Sydney Opera House & The Exploratorium later this year. She prides herself on being a working-class filmmaker & has spent the last 10 years producing short, documentary content for socially minded organizations. Masha is deeply passionate about nature, human rights, climate change & indigenous communities & seeks to create films that deepen our understanding & connection with these issues.
ROSE WYATT is a producer, artist, and environmentalist who values the natural world and all of the species in it. She is fascinated with the myriad of ways humans conceptualize "home" and value their relationship with the planet. She is obsessed with good art, collaborative models of action, community strength, movement building, and transformation. She currently names the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia her "home."
Key cast: Bernie Krause (subject), Katherine Krause (subject)
Looking for: distributors, journalists and buyers
Website: www.intothatgoodnight.com
Other: Vimeo
Funders: Self Funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Wild & Scenic Film Festival/Grass Valley, CA - 02/17/2023;
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival/Missoula, MT - 02/23/2023;
Colorado Environmental Film Festival/Golden, CO - 02/24/2023