The Mojave desert has recently been inundated by ravens, and those ravens are causing tortoises to inch toward extinction. A field biologist, Tim Shields, has come up with an unconventional way to halt the issue, however: wage biological war on the ravens. Whether it be by drone, green lights, or something else entirely–this man is determined to save his favorite animal. Eco-Hack is the true story of this man’s journey.
I don’t know what I was expecting when turning on Eco-Hack, but I wasn’t expecting this (and I’m laughing as I write this because the story is truly wild). I could have never guessed that a biologist would wage war on ravens, and certainly not in such hilarious, aggressive, and interestingly humane ways. I was immediately captivated by the content of this short documentary, and the constant progression, the constant ability of this team to reel me in kept me wanting more. Eco-Hack is truly brilliant, and I’ve honestly never seen anything like it before.
While Eco-Hack is a documentary, the way in which it’s framed and the pacing of the story allows it to play out like a narrative. Directors Brett Marty and Josh Izenberg, while they don’t choose the location per se, they are able to use the vast desert landscape to their advantage, to create suspense, comedy, and drama. This is a perfect example of using what you have available and working within your means–and the duo of Marty and Izenberg do such a stellar job of bringing this short film to life. While Shields is a mastermind in his own right, in regard to finding new and humane ways to rid the world of its raven issue, this directing duo is just as brilliant in terms of filmmaking. They create beauty and humor out of seemingly thin air, and those things transcend the entirety of the film from its opening moments.
Tim Shields is just as important to this film as anyone else–and not just in the sense that he’s the subject of the film. He possesses a quality that not everyone does, and he’s able to command the screen and take over a screen as if he were a Broadway performer. He’s genuine, vibrant, and his ability to connect with viewers and make sense of everything throughout Eco-Hack is akin to something you’d see from the world’s greatest performers. To be clear, he’s not one of those individuals where he’s so animated that he feels fake, that he feels like he trying to put on a front for his potential audience–he’s so effective in conveying emotion and bringing Eco-Hack to life, that not a word from his mouth can be questioned.
Eco-Hack is quick, and with that it never has the opportunity to let up, to take a step back, or even evaluate itself during the telling of Tim’s escapades. I really did enjoy the fast-paced nature of the film, and the directing duo ensures that nothing happens too fast, and the addition of Tim helps to make things clear, to allow viewers to truly understand and appreciate Eco-Hack’s content. From the opening seconds of the film viewers are able to see its beauty, and as the film barrels forward, viewers are introduced to new and exciting elements that never relent.
Directed by Brett Marty & Josh Izenberg.
Starring Tim Shields, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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