Unveiling the Muddy Realities in Earth's Rapid Transformations
ROCS postdoc and artist Rikke Luther's new film, Dust & Flow, takes a unique approach by seamlessly blending recent scientific research on mud and sediment flows, environmental DNA (eDNA), and the concept of deep-time with personal reflections on the planet’s swiftly changing landscapes. This 28-minute documentary seeks to elucidate how humans are attempting to make sense of the rapid transformations occurring in the Earth system.
“As a researcher with artistic outputs, I see film as a functional medium for how I work,” says Rikke. The ground beneath us now moves at human speeds, starkly representing the Earth's dynamic changes. Rikke's film captures this unsettling reality, illustrating the disconnection between powerful winter rains and groundwater, the emergence of new mud lakes in once-fertile fields, and unprecedented sediment flows into oceans, leading to unknown biochemical changes. The transformation of Lake Chad from a vibrant ecosystem to a dried-out mud scab epitomises the drastic shifts in natural foundations that once supported modern civilisation.
Rikke says that the research from which the film emerges is based on an empirical approach involving site visits, dialogues, and reflections. She explains, 'I use the anthropologist Anna Tsing’s concept of greater scale without changing the research question, which essentially means exploring scalability—moving from the local and particular to the larger framework of universal planetary existence and back again.' Dust & Flow examines the deep history of ocean-land relationships and the recent emergence of new mud-scapes. The film navigates developments on the islands of Gotland, Iceland, and Svalbard, integrating contemporary scientific research with our limited cultural understanding of history and time. It underscores the struggle to grasp the accelerated scale of movement and time these new landscapes demonstrate.
Luther's visual engagement with these fast-mutating landscapes stretches the boundaries of traditional documentary forms, incorporating her subjective interior dialogue. Actor David Bateson voices the script, performing as the narrator, Luther, her inner dialogue, and two additional characters. This approach adds depth to the narrative, allowing the audience to experience the film from multiple perspectives.
The film is not just a significant addition to research at ROCS, but also a crucial tool for people to think about the muddy stage we are entering. It interlinks elements that might otherwise remain separate, providing a comprehensive understanding of our rapidly changing world. The film and a short interview with Rikke Luther can be viewed online.
The premiere screening of Dust & Flow took place at the Geological Museum Auditorium in Copenhagen in June. The event was followed by a panel discussion featuring Katherine Richardson from ROCS and gene geologist Karina Sand, who shared their insights on the film and the scientific research it presents. The film is part of Luther’s postdoctoral project, The Ocean-Lands: Mud Within the Earth System. This project, based at ROCS and funded by Novo Nordisk, aims to outline the social, political, and biochemical implications of the rapid movements in the planet’s new mud-scapes. Learn more about Rikke Luther’s work by visiting her website.
Dust & Flow promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of our rapidly changing world. It offers new perspectives on the intricate interplay of mud, movement, and time while firmly aligning with ROCS's mission to understand and respond to these profound environmental shifts.