death of the butterfly king
A logger turned forest activist, Homero devoted his life to protecting a 12,500sq acre forest in Mexico that hosts 80% of migratory Monarch butterflies every winter. It is a lifeline for the endangered species and for the Mexican people. After a suspicious disappearance, his body turns up at the bottom of a water tank in the forest he strove to protect. Who is to blame for the murder? Avocados, the cartels, colluding local politicians, and perhaps even the USFDA which has turned a blind eye to the human and environmental scourge of "Green Gold" for decades.
storytellers
In collaboration with tal yarden
Along the US-Mexico border, thousands of vulnerable peoples wait for their chance to request asylum in the United States. It means months of listlessness, hunger, and fear in cartel-run towns. Some attempt deadly desert crossings, many are caught and brought to immigration detention centers. Eventually, all routes lead to Immigration Court where judges who don't speak their language must determine their fate.
One thing that may help them successfully seek asylum: knowing how to tell their story. A group of artists sets out to teach the craft of narrative storytelling.
america's last nomads
In a normal year, a rodeo cowboy can spend 300 days out of the year on the road. Rodeo journalists, announcers, stock contractors and their families become part of this nomadic sub-culture. The speed with which the rodeo can come to town, perform, and then pack everything up in order to book it to the next big-ticket event is a modern feat. Their life consists of horse trailers, fast-food, RV homes or a series of "cockroach motels." At first, these are sacrifices made for the thrill of an 8 second ride. Quickly, it becomes a beloved way of life.
It is the last practicing nomadic culture in America. There are truckers and the latest phenomena of digital nomads, but they are solitary workers who return to lives back at "home." Rodeo is home for an entire ecosystem that moves according to the seasons: winter rodeos in the southwest; spring on either coast; summer is a mad dash across the mountain states; and in Fall, all roads lead to the NFR in Vegas. The community bonds are built on currents that run deeper than blood. This unique society is both extremely insular and yet engages with every regional and cultural peculiarity on the continent. Every day, this homegrown culture must negotiate the tension between preserving tradition and adapting to a modernizing world in order to survive.
