Between Earth & Sky Discussion Guide

Renowned ecologist Nalini Nadkarni studies "what grows back” after a disturbance in the rainforest canopy. After surviving a life-threatening fall from a tree, she must turn her research question onto herself to explore the effects of disturbance and recovery throughout her own life. 2023 Big Sky Documentary Film  Festival - World Premiere, Winner Best Short; 2023 Hot Docs - International Premiere; 2023 Sheffield International Documentary

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of human connection and is designed for people who want to use Between Earth & Sky to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which participants try to convince others that they are correct, this document envisions conversations undertaken in a spirit of openness in which people try to understand one another and expand their thinking by sharing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the issues in the film. Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that best meet your needs and interests. And be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning the following steps can help people leave the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit https://communitynetwork.amdoc.org/.

About the Author, Swetha Regunathan

SWETHA REGUNATHAN is a writer and filmmaker with an MFA from NYU’s graduate film program and a PhD in English literature from Brown University. Her films as a writer, director, and producer have played festivals like Tribeca, True/False, MDFF, Big Sky, and HollyShorts, and on platforms like NOWNESS, Hulu, Short of the Week, and NoBudge. Her scripts were selected for the 2023 NYU Purple List, 2023 NYU Production Lab Development Studio, 2020 Cine Qua Non Lab, and 1497 South Asian writers lab. She was a finalist for the Showtime® Tony Cox Screenplay Competition, and she’s received awards from the BlueCat Screenplay Competition, Peter S. Reed Foundation, Rhode Island Foundation, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. She was also a 2020–21 Gotham (IFP) Marcie Bloom Fellow. Regunathan has published in Huffington Post, n+1, Guernica, and other publications. In 2009 she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for best American essay.

DISCUSSION GUIDE PRODUCERS

Courtney B. Cook, Phd | Education Manager, POV 

C. Rees | Education Assistant, POV

THANKS TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED AND CONTRIBUTED TO THIS RESOURCE

Natalie Danford | Copyeditor