"One of the most important biographies of the last 50 years...Everyone who is interested in living things, evolution, or the environment must watch this." Perry Marshall, author, Evolution 2.0

Note: To inquire about inviting the filmmaker, John Feldman, to take part in your screening in person or via Skype, please contact jfeldman [at] hummingbirdfilms [dot] com.]

SYMBIOTIC EARTH explores the life and ideas of Lynn Margulis, a brilliant and radical scientist, whose unconventional theories challenged the male-dominated scientific community and are today fundamentally changing how we look at ourselves, evolution, and the environment.

As a young scientist in the 1960s, Margulis was ridiculed when she first proposed that symbiosis was a key driver of evolution, but she persisted. Instead of the mechanistic view that life evolved through random genetic mutations and competition, she presented a symbiotic narrative in which bacteria joined together to create the complex cells that formed animals, plants and all other organisms - which together form a multi-dimensional living entity that covers the Earth. Humans are not the pinnacle of life with the right to exploit nature, but part of this complex cognitive system in which each of our actions has repercussions.

Filmmaker John Feldman traveled globally to meet Margulis' cutting-edge colleagues and continually asked: What happens when the truth changes? SYMBIOTIC EARTH examines the worldview that has led to climate change and extreme capitalism and offers a new approach to understanding life that encourages a sustainable and symbiotic lifestyle.



Grade Level: 10 - 12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2018     Copyright Date: 2018
DVD ISBN: 1-948745-00-3

Reviews "Wonderful film. Informative, engaging, moving and inspiring. Just what a film about a powerful new way of thinking should be." James Shapiro, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Author, Evolution: A View from the 21st Century "Riveting. A wonderful achievement." Dr. Douglas Zook, Professor of Ecology, Boston University "Thoughtful and moving...This film should be required of many introductory college courses, from the physical and life sciences to the social sciences." R. Mark Leckie, Professor of Geology and Earth Systems, University of Massachusetts - Amherst "Symbiotic Earth conveys one of the most important biographies of the last 50 years. It's no exaggeration to say that Lynn Margulis' contribution to science is in the same league as Jim Watson, Francis Crick, Stephen Hawking and Barbara McClintock...Everyone who is interested in living things, evolution, or the environment must watch this." Perry Marshall, Author, Evolution 2.0: Breaking the Deadlock Between Darwin and Design "It was a wonderful experience to watch and feel its message. The film celebrates the scientific mind the passion of the individual and the bumpy roads that science sometimes requires us to navigate. Your film is just brilliant - like Lynn!" Julie Brigham-Grette, Professor of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst "Beautiful and powerful film...The film not only captures Margulis' work so vividly and elegantly, it also left room for some fascinating and nuanced disagreements." Yarden Katz, Fellow in Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School "Symbiotic Earth leaves us looking at the world in a new light, understanding it better and yet more than ever aware of its essential mystery." Dr. Robert Sternberg, Science Communication Unit, Imperial College London