BBFF2021 Meet the Filmmaker: Jake Taylor
Green Is The New Black is a story of passion and purpose behind an ambitious environmental feat of one of Australia’s leading heavy music acts, In Hearts Wake.
A carbon off-set documentary that captures the twists and turns of the band’s urgent mission to stop at nothing as they face backlash, bushfires and an unprecedented global pandemic, we spoke to In Hearts Wake frontman and co-director Jake Taylor about his pioneering endeavour.
Screening at Palace Cinemas Byron Bay
Saturday 18 December at 6:15pm, with an introduction and Q&A with the filmmakers
Saturday 18 December at 8:45pm, with an introduction by the filmmakers
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What you do in Green Is The New Black is ground-breaking for the music industry in many ways. Since its inception, are you aware of any other artists who are planning to follow the lead of In Hearts Wake?
A few artists have reached out, but many are still waiting to see the film to find out how they can do more. I know of several other artists out there who are making strides for change, but we are definitely still the minority. It's all about raising awareness.
Through creating this film, what legacy do you hope to achieve?
An earth aligned blueprint for the music industry.
What were some of the biggest challenges in bringing Green Is The New Black to life?
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed down production and made it very difficult to complete things. On top of that, the band’s touring was halted for two years, so funding became quite difficult. Needless to say, where there's a will there's a way.
As the world is slowly emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and international air travel is set to resume, how has the creation of Green Is The New Black impacted your plans around this? For example, will you consider doing more live streaming shows?
Live streaming isn't necessarily the answer. Although it's a potential solution, it will never replace the feeling of being in the same room with an audience. The people want live music. It's in our DNA to move together. That being said, it will never replace touring. Instead, we must find smarter ways of touring. Quality over quantity and mindfully routed tours.
Greens Member for Parliament Tamara Smith appears in the documentary and is very supportive of your cause. Did you approach many politicians of varying parties to lobby for their support and if so, how was your proposal received?
Tamara acknowledged In Hearts Wake in a community recognition statement in parliament. We were contacted by their office asking if we'd like to collect the certificate issued by her party. It all happened organically. From there we asked her if she'd like to do an interview for the film we were creating. Thankfully she said yes.
In Hearts Wake is renowned for their environmental activism and related activities, like arranging beach clean ups with fans. Do you envision creating another film detailing your efforts in these areas?
Anything is possible. The future is so unforeseeable, even more so now. With that being said, I am just grateful we were able to get Green Is The New Black out there.
At the moment, Australia is struggling with a poor reputation around environmental management due to the policies and standpoints of our elected officials. Have you considered using filmmaking to exert more pressure on politicians to drive positive change?
First and foremost, we are musicians and artists. We hope that our film speaks to the fans, artists and music industry in general. If we can create ripples of change within our ecosystem, then our film is a success. If it's meant to influence other areas organically then that’s a bonus. But we have no interest in taking on parliament right now.
You are working on an interesting array of personal projects, for example, with your brand Earthwalker. What can you tell us about your upcoming plans?
Earthwalker is a home for all the nature lovers out there. It originally started as an eco-camp brand, providing sustainable garments and goods that celebrated nature. But it has since evolved into sharing earth-based skills including fire by friction, natural weaving, tracking and nature immersion. The next step is to open an official Earthwalker Camp here in the Northern Rivers.
What environmental films and artworks are you most inspired by?
Off the top of my head, pretty much everything by David Attenborough, Damon Gameau's 2040, and My Octopus Teacher. Basically anything with a deep reverence, respect and connection to nature that feels like it’s helping humanity step back into the right relationship with the Earth.
We are very grateful that you have chosen to premiere the film at BBFF2021. What influenced your decision in choosing this festival?
Home is where the heart is.