Netflix & Change - July 2022 Edition
Written by Nina van Zyl
It can feel as if documentaries often resort to intense emotional doomsday scenes to bring their messages across, leaving viewers feeling cynical, helpless and depressed at the end. Fantastic Fungi is not such a documentary. Overflowing with stunning visuals and an optimism that is infectious, Fantastic Fungi is a refreshing film about the importance and value of fungi in solving today’s problems.
This month’s Netflix & Change will stir up your appreciation of nature, starting with the smallest forms of life. Let’s take time to look around us, to observe nature in all its beauty, and we may notice the most extraordinary things. 🍄
July’s binge: Fantastic Fungi
“Imagine an organism that feeds you, heals you, reveals nature's mysteries, and could help save the planet... today.”
Described as a time-lapse journey showcasing the “magical, mysterious and medicinal world of fungi”, Fantastic Fungi invites us to be curious about an aspect of the natural world that is often overlooked. Through the eyes of fungi-enthusiasts, including renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, viewers are shown the extent to which our world relies on fungi. The film tells us that the as-yet-undiscovered solutions to our problems may come from nature, reiterating the need to protect natural landscapes for our own sakes and the planet’s.
The sustainability factor
Overall: 3/5
Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to vulnerable and endangered species around the world. Yet, many of us don’t realise the far-reaching effects the destruction of natural ecosystems can have, not only on the natural world but also on ourselves. By losing ecosystems such as forests and their inhabitants, we lose out on the potential solutions for many of our problems.
The film makes the case that nature, in all its forms, is deserving of respect and protection, even those parts that make us instinctively go “yuck!” Fungi aren’t typical beauty queens, but their ability to break down matter is a simple cause for life on earth. Rejuvenating soils by putting nutrients back underground, the world as we know it would cease to exist without their superpowers.
The Viatu review
Themes:
Underneath every forest floor, expanded between roots and connecting vast distances, lies a vast network of mycelium. Like the fungal version of the internet, this network of mycelium allows trees (yes, trees!) to communicate with one another, exchanging nutrients through the network as needed.
Nature’s clean-up crew, Fungi also play an important role in breaking down plant and animal matter, thereby clearing waste and redistributing nutrients. In fact, the future fungi might possibly be used to clean up oil spills, breaking crude oil down into organic matter that is redistributed into the food chain.
Another exciting use of fungi is in the world of medicine. Not only do we have fungi to thank for the life-saving antibiotic penicillin, but it might also prove an essential tool in psychological treatment. Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine on the use of psilocybin in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and terminal patients battling depression have shown immense potential and positive outcomes. Psilocybin, it seems, has the potential to rewire the brain.
Production:
With its mesmerising time-lapse footage of growing, sprouting fungi in all shapes, sizes and colours, as well as impressive CGI, Fantastic Fungi is a visually impressive cinematic journey directed by Louie Schwartzberg. The film gives voice to fungi (narrated by Oscar-winning actress, Brie Larson), making it the protagonist, an optimistic and friendly character worthy of our time. Interspersed between the stunning visuals are a variety of talking heads, although the focus is mainly on Paul Stamets, who relates how a love of fungi changed and enriched his life. Released in 2019, the film has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What makes it different:
Not quite a nature program, nor your typical health documentary, Fantastic Fungi seems like more of a celebration of an essential player in life on earth. It reminds us that there is magic in nature in ways that we might not yet understand. It suggests that by looking around us, we might just find what we need. The film’s inherent optimism makes it a great watch, especially if you’re looking for something uplifting to reinvigorate your faith in Mother Nature (as well as the people that care for her).
This month’s Netflix & Change shows us that even an unobtrusive part of the natural world like mushrooms can play a vital role in life on earth, and that we have so much to learn from it. Nature, it seems, really does have the answers. We just need to be willing to find it.
Here at Viatu, we love all things nature. Follow our journey on Instagram and find out how you can explore some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes out there, sustainably, with us.