Documentary - 25 mins
Director/Producer
Nalini Nadkarni is a world-renowned ecologist who climbs trees in the rainforest canopy to study “what grows back” after an ecological disturbance. In 2015, her rope snapped on a research climb, and she fell fifty feet from a tree and nearly died. After making a miraculous recovery, Nalini begins to explore a new research subject - herself.
BETWEEN EARTH & SKY follows Nalini as she prepares for another research climb in Monteverde, Costa Rica, before considering retirement from the field. In the process, she unearths the roots of other disturbances she faced throughout her life, as the daughter of mixed Indian-Jewish immigrant parents who prized high achievement and contribution above all else.
As a child, trees provided a place of solace and safety to Nalini, so much so that she swore an oath to protect them. Now, Nalini is doing the work of untangling the roots of her past and bringing family secrets to light, in order to understand how each impacted her life's course. In an attempt to heal, she revisits the site of her fall on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, where her past, present, and future converge.
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Now Streaming on POV.org and the PBS App
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PBS / POV Shorts Announces Sixth Season Acquisitions | American Documentary
2 Critic’s Choice Documentary Awards 2023 Nominations | Variety
Cinema Eye Honors 2024 Shortlist | The Hollywood Reporter
IDA 2023 Documentary Awards Shortlist | The Hollywood Reporter
DOC NYC 2023 Shortlist | The Hollywood Reporter
Jackson Wild Media Awards Finalist | Breakthrough Film
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FESTIVALS
Winner: Best Short | Big Sky Doc Fest | World Premiere
Hot Docs | International Premiere
Sheffield DocFest | European Premiere
Winner: Audience Award | DC Environmental Film Fest
Mountainfilm Festival | Colorado Premiere
Nantucket Film Fest | IndieWire
Indy Shorts Intl Film Fest | Official Selection
Cervino CineMountain Fest | Italian Premiere
Sidewalk Film Fest | Alabama Premiere
Winner: Best Short & Connecting with Nature Awards | NatureTrack Film Festival
Winner: Best Short Documentary | Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
Between Earth & Sky won the IF/Then x The Redford Center Nature Access Pitch at DOC NYC 2021
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PRESS
2024 Oscars Predictions | Variety
Review | ShortStick
'POV Shorts' S6 Aquisition Announcement | American Documentary
10 Early Favorites for the 2024 Doc Oscars | ShortStick
Filmmakers Empower Audiences at Indy Shorts | Cinema Femme
Highlights at the 2023 Indy Shorts Fest | RogerEbert.com
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“Through breathtaking cinematography and dynamic editing, this film sublimely captures the inspirational resilience and bravery of forest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni. The filmmaker weaves Nalini's unyielding quest to heal the planet and the forest with her own journey to face and overcome her own deeply personal trauma.” - Big Sky Jury Statement
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