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Rock Bottom Riser

Rock Bottom Riser

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This excavation of nature and knowledge, molten lava and rock, and space-age science on sacred sites weaves playful and profound connections across Hawaii's historical struggle under settler colonialism.

Details About the Film

True/False 2021 Official Selection
 
"As rivers of lava weave a molten web across the islands of Hawaii, a pulsating electronic beat grounds us in the age of technology. In his feature debut, experimental film veteran Silva playfully teases out surprising connections between humankind, geology, and the cosmos, composing an anti-extractive riff on Hawaii's checkered history. Tourism churns the capitalist machinery of the island, while native Hawaiians contemplate the most effective means to stave off sprawling development and the effects of climate change — might Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson help? As another telescope is proposed on the sacred grounds of Mauna Kea, unchecked scientific advancement becomes the new colonialism. Simon and Garfunkel's refrain "I am a rock, I am an island" is re-imagined in this dazzling exploration of the push-and-pull between the natural world and our desire for unlimited knowledge."
– Angela Catalano, True/False Film Fest 2021
 
"Silva approaches an idyllic yet troubled archipelago with a cosmically open-minded humanism that remains rooted in the struggles of native Hawaiians, ultimately suggesting that though the heavens belong to all of us, Hawaii belongs to its original inhabitants."
– Slant Magazine

"A singular film, one that feels in harmony with the spiritual essence of Earth's eruptions and mankind's efforts to control them... a bird's-eye-view of our world in crisis"
– Film Stage

Rating:
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Director(s): Fern Silva
Year Released: 2021
Runtime: 70 minutes
Country: United States
Language(s): English
Content Warning(s): 
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