Plays April 24 - May 8
Directed by Louie Schwartzberg
2019, USA, 81 min
Fantastic Fungi: The Magic Beneath Us is an incredible journey through the healing properties and magical powers of the mushroom. From pizza toppings to yeasts in beer, wine and cheese: the mushroom is a miracle. Through amazing time lapse photography focusing on the beauty and magical properties of the fungi kingdom the film explores everything from how fungi breaks down plant life in the forest to healing the body and expanding the mind. Mycologists (the branch of biology leading in the study of fungi) like Paul Stamets, authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone and Andrew Weil speak with awe about the wonderful healing power of the fungi. There is stunning animation of the roots beneath old growth forests. In an eerie section the film even references the search for anti-biotics to avoid another crisis like the Black Plague and flu pandemic of 1918 We also discover the fungi’s ability to kill termites and bedbugs as well as its psychedelic properties in magic mushrooms (psilocybin). We have only just begun to understand the healing power of the over 1.5 million species of fungi around the world.
Cinematheque at Home – curated by the Cinematheque – will offer new theatrical releases to our audience every week through Vimeo on Demand. Cinematheque at Home will offer new programs (individual feature films and/or shorts programs) each week, which our audiences can pay to stream through our website (by clicking the ‘buy tickets’ button). This is not only an opportunity for our patrons to see new cinema, but is an important way that they can continue to support independent film during this pandemic.
