Of the many inaccuracies in the Bible, perhaps the most urgent in our time is the one that declares humans should have “dominion” over all other living things. As the new film Love Thy Nature points out, we are really participants in the natural world, but are out of alignment with the innate tendency of life to create conditions conducive to life.
Actor Liam Neeson narrates this cinematic journey into the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with nature, speaking as the voice of Homo sapiens, or “everyman.” Through gorgeous visuals and insightful expert opinions, he (and we) comes to realize we have been pulling back from nature for 35,000 years and need to renew our connection with planet Earth and all who share it.
“Progress has its price,” we’re told. We’re individually on continuous autonomic nervous system overdrive and subject to a multitude of stress-related diseases. Even worse, greenhouse gasses (that we are responsible for) are changing the dynamics of the planet, thus threatening our survival. Recent studies of infant umbilical cord blood show a horrifying average of more than 200 toxins.
WLT readers will be familiar with much of the content presented here, and it’s difficult to imagine Exxon executives sitting down to enjoy it in the boardroom. Still, amidst a profusion of bad news, a reminder of our need for the natural world is always welcome, especially when it’s so kind on the eyes. It’s also encouraging to learn there are an estimated one million organizations working to heal the environment. (In the Light Productions)
This film will be featured at the Illuminate Film Festival, a conscious film convergence May 27–31 in Sedona.
