Filmmakers Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper got inspiration for their new film Metamorphosis from wanting to create a poetic love letter to a planet rocked by climate change. Ami says it all started just over four years ago when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, killing over 6,000 people. Due to her close connection with the country, Ami couldn’t help but be affected by the tragedy.
“It really got us thinking,” says Ami. “We started talking about how an event like that could change somebody. That led to questions about how humanity is changing as a result of this climate crisis that we’ve created. So then we started talking about, ‘How do we deal with change? How do we adapt? How do we resist change? And how do we move through it?’ That really became the catalyst for Metamorphosis.”
The filming of Metamorphosistook the couple around the world to film various effects of climate change in California, Mexico, Milan and beyond. Their now three-year-old son, Phoenix, who was born during production, accompanied them on their travels. The family hit the road to film in Vanuatu when Phoenix was four months old—an experience the couple admits was both challenging and inspiring.
“We carried him on our bodies when we filmed, and it was a really wonderful experience to be able to make a movie, especially Metamorphosis, with a baby,” says Ami. “It really reminded us of our mission. We also questioned what our role was as parents as well as filmmakers in terms of, ‘How do we protect him for what’s coming next?’ And also, he’s a symbol of hope for us and for the future.”
Another symbol close to the couple’s hearts is the butterfly—a metaphor used throughout the film. In their journey to capture the evolution of the creature, Ami and Ripper found their family of three at El Rosario monarch butterfly sanctuary in Mexico, an experience Ami says was life changing.
“To be immersed in that environment with millions of butterflies waking up and sleeping… Just to see where they rest, it was really quite a magical experience,” says Ami.
Ripper echoes her sentiment, recalling a moment when Ami was holding a then-one-year-old Phoenix in her arms. The child slept in his mother’s arms, both cocooned in a blanket of butterflies.
“At one point a butterfly landed on his nose and he woke up,” says Ripper. “The look of wonder in his eyes captured the beauty in the natural world.”
Metamorphosis
4:45 pm and 7 pm Sunday, June 24 (filmmakers in attendance)
7 and 9 pm Monday, June 25
$7.75, Cinecenta
cinecenta.com