Word for World is Fire (2023)
2K Video, 9 mins
For centuries, the indigenous peoples of Northern California have used fire to protect and maintain their land. The US government outlawed this practice for 150 years, causing traditional ecological knowledge to erode and vegetation to choke the land. Today, the Yurok people are leading the way in reinstating their ecological rights and challenging our perception of fire, armed with the latest scientific data. Their fight is more important than ever in the face of the ongoing environmental crises. In October 2022, I travelled to the Yurok territory to meet Elizabeth Azzuz, co-founder of the Yurok Cultural Fire Foundation, in person after two years of virtual correspondence. Elizabeth learned to burn when she was just four, during a time when cultural burning was heavily persecuted. Recently, her work has taken on a new-found sense of urgency as the world grapples with rising temperatures and a growing number of wildfires. This short film is the documentation of our encounter.
Directed & edited by: Alyona Larionova
Cinematography by: Antonio Cisneros
2K Video, 9 mins
For centuries, the indigenous peoples of Northern California have used fire to protect and maintain their land. The US government outlawed this practice for 150 years, causing traditional ecological knowledge to erode and vegetation to choke the land. Today, the Yurok people are leading the way in reinstating their ecological rights and challenging our perception of fire, armed with the latest scientific data. Their fight is more important than ever in the face of the ongoing environmental crises. In October 2022, I travelled to the Yurok territory to meet Elizabeth Azzuz, co-founder of the Yurok Cultural Fire Foundation, in person after two years of virtual correspondence. Elizabeth learned to burn when she was just four, during a time when cultural burning was heavily persecuted. Recently, her work has taken on a new-found sense of urgency as the world grapples with rising temperatures and a growing number of wildfires. This short film is the documentation of our encounter.
Directed & edited by: Alyona Larionova
Cinematography by: Antonio Cisneros