Website for Fate of the Elms
Today, I launched the website for my documentary film, Fate of the Elms: Myth, Memory, and the American Elm, currently in pre-production.
I am extending my still photography project into a feature-length documentary, incorporating all three aspects of the photographic series: The Washington Elm, Under These Trees, and Return of Elms. Below is my current statement about the film, including what I am thinking and what I would like the film to accomplish. http://www.fate-of-the-elms.com
A Washington Elm, Loveland, Colorado, 2023
My work has always focused on how landscape and history intersect, and "Fate of the Elms" begins as a biological investigation into how urban development and environmental stressors collide with the myths we tell ourselves about the land and its history. For a long time, the story of the Washington Elm centered on a single revolutionary moment in 1775. Still, scientific evidence—confirmed by dendrochronology—reveals a much younger tree that struggled to survive amid the rapid industrialization of Cambridge. I am interested in the tension between that legend and the actual physical cost of progress, such as the trolley tracks and soil compaction that eventually claimed the tree in 1923.
In my filmmaking process, I view the participants and the environment as collaborators. I have learned to let the subject’s own presence guide the story rather than forcing my preconceived ideas onto the material. This commitment to honesty is also reflected in my technical workflow. I utilize an intensive mapping and research process to bridge the gap between archival data and modern landscapes. This methodology allows me to manage the vast amount of information I’ve gathered through GPS coordinates, Google Maps, and Flickr archives, turning a complex research phase into a streamlined workflow for my solo production.
Ultimately, I want this film to show that the Elm is still very much with us through its genetic clones and the ongoing science of arboriculture. It is also an opportunity to look beyond the revolutionary myth and to bring forward the history of the Massachusett people who stewarded this land for thousands of years before Europeans came. In documenting these trees, I investigate our impulse to curate a species and preserve a living legacy within a landscape that has fundamentally shifted since the first scion took root.
