afterearth

Last year, I had the unique opportunity of watching the screening for afterearth. In this shortfilm, Jess X. Snow and Kit Yan construct a culturally-rich collection of testimonials from a variety of people with different perspectives, identities, and backgrounds. From Hawai’i, the Philippines, China, North America, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, Snow and Yan, through the use of skilled cinematography and aesthetic elements, emphasize the importance of family, culture, and environmental awareness while incorporating the recurring connections to the Earth. 

In the beginning, refreshing sounds of waves crashing and ocean breezes blowing slowly ease the viewer into a kind of dream state. But then, the screen goes dark, and this dream state suddenly becomes interrupted by a slow motion ignition of a match: fire. Light gradually makes its way back onto the screen, and again, the viewer is immersed in a misty blue environment in which the speaker begins to sing and recount the tales of his/her personal history. “ ‘Stand tall my Hawaii’ ” he/she says while perching on the fire (volcanic rocks) that the world must strive hard to preserve. The cycle of how the past and current live to strengthen the future and how the future (children) lives to care for/uphold the past (parent) can be seen as an allusion to how current generations must protect and care for the environment in order to sustain a livable future. As the camera zeros in on the polaroid photo of the speaker’s family before transitioning to the next element, the words “ ‘I give my all so that my legacy lives on’ ” strangely echo throughout the short film.

Birds. Feelings of Vastness. Airy Landscapes. Sounds of leaves crumbling beneath the soil. “ ‘When my body is not at home in this world, how can I be at home in this body?’ ” A mother voices over English words in a native accent. “ ‘When you sing to this ocean, our ghosts will sing back.’ ” Blue gradients. Calming atmosphere.

I felt as if all of these images, sounds, and feelings connect more to the world I live in. It was as if the Earth seemed more organic, pure, and beautiful without all the hustle and bustle of our current lives. And part of me believed that this aesthetic was intentional and necessary in order to bring to light the beauty and innocence of the Earth, whether that be family, culture and tradition, or environmental soundness.

October 31, 2019

Noelle Escobal