Documentary Short AFIN 109
Mycelium: an Urban Food Uprising
Directed by 
Christine Schindler, Nathan Gibson
AFIN 2021 Nominee
- 2021
- 12m
-
Australia - English
Stills
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Credits
Written by
Produced by
Synopsis
When bushfires and a pandemic hit Australia in 2020, fresh produce skyrocketed in price, and supermarket shelves emptied. Tired of relying on fragile food systems, an inner-city Brisbane community, with the support of their local councillor, Jonathan Sri, planted an urban food uprising. A group of activists transformed abandoned plots into urban farms and orchards, gardening enthusiasts sprouted seedling swaps in their backyard, and neighbourhood residents planted sidewalk verges with shared edibles. This is a film about resilience in the face of crisis, how a community challenges state ownership of land, and how growing and giving away fresh food is an act of resistance.
Director's Statement
After COVID hit, what was supposed to be a short holiday in Australia became the beginning of a much longer journey. So when Jonathan Sri, Councillor for the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, invited us to make a short film about the community gardening projects his office was supporting, we couldn’t have been more excited. Filming over seven months, the film grew and developed organically, like the gardens it documents. Each plot became a hub of respite, hope, and renewal, and we watched as the community bounced back from crisis. As the year rolled on, they sprouted invisible networks between each other, much like the mycelium that grows beneath our feet. Inspired by a global network of garden activists reshaping urban communities, this film means to recast perceptions of our communal relationship with food, local politics, and land ownership. We hope to give our audience a greater appreciation of the transformative power that exists within their own communities to, quite literally, grow towards a brighter future together.
What makes this one special
- Nominated for Best Short Documentary
- A first-time filmmaker
Also selected at
1 official selection across 1 other festival
- SelectionBritish Documentary Film Festival
Recorded by the filmmaker on their entry.
Directors' Biography
Christine Schindler Nathan Gibson Directors
Mycelium: An Urban Food Uprising is the first collaborative short film by Christine Schindler and Nathan Gibson. While Christine calls the community in the film home, she has worked predominantly as a visual journalist in China. Nathan is from the UK. He has worked for over five years documenting the impact of tourism, economic change, and urbanisation on a number of small and remote communities in China and the UK. Now based in Australia, they are developing documentary projects that examine their shared concerns in human rights issues, the privatisation of public services, and environmental injustice.
Trailer
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Mycelium: an Urban Food Uprising was an official Nominee for Best Short Documentary at the AFIN International Film Festival 2021, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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