Wild Hope tells the story of our deep spiritual connection to the natural world, a connection that has the power to rewire our brains, take us back to our deepest roots, and change how we think and act in a world needing our care.
Using personal story, science, and passion in a unique mix, Wild Hope inspires viewers to protect wild ecosystems against an unrelenting materialistic culture that’s producing social malaise and an uninhabitable planet.
Our economic system fails us, but our tie to the natural world is elemental. Scientific studies document the power of awe produced by nature to humble us, increase our pro-social behavior, and make us healthier. This awe turns our attention away from ourselves and invites us to transcend our day-to-day agendas , to un-self and to care.
Wild Hope challenges the economic underpinnings driving climate change, and awakens us to the
possibility of a more meaningful life—a life defined not by consumption, but by compassion.
The time to spread this crucial message is now.
Suez Jacobson
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I grew up in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains and found my solace hiking and backpacking in the Twin Peaks, Lone Peak, and High Unitas wildernesses near Salt Lake City. Although I liked to say my aspiration was to be a ski bum, eventually I got a Ph.D. in economics and became a financial analyst and professor. But my heart was always in the wild, and I struggled to reconcile my head and my heart. What bothered me was that the common link people forged between wilderness and economics was the idea that people should support wilderness because it contributes to economic growth in nearby places. What I found obvious was that the pursuit of ever more economic growth, which ironically has not contributed to more happiness and makes no sense on a finite planet, would mean the end of wilderness. My reconciliation came when I realized that wild places and the magic of awe in nature have the power to be the antidote to economic growth, the power to be the catalyst to think differently about the value of more .
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Living in Colorado, I never tire going into the Rocky Mountains, even for the most mundane purposes. For some it may have become just a ‘commute,’ but for me every trip is always an adventure in some way. So, when Suez had run into a budget roadblock and came to me for help finishing Wild Hope, I didn’t hesitate. Most of the interviews had been recorded, but she needed help editing the film in order to bring her dream to life. While I would have loved to go tramping around pristine wilderness, shooting beautiful nature footage, it didn’t coincide with the carbon-conscious message of the film – and was definitely well beyond the budget she had left. So, the challenge was to convey her message: saving wilderness in order to preserve our own humanity - and do it on a shoestring budget. It was a challenge I accepted. While the film took months researching the right stock footage and the assembling all the elements, I never tired listening to the expert advice and knowledge of the journalists, academics and environmental leaders who use their voices to help save the one planet we have. Each edit session was re-energizing and motivated me to finish the film and get it out to the public. If Wild Hope encourages or changes the attitudes about consumption and preserving wilderness, even for only a handful of people, it was well worth it.
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David Devine
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Production and financial support
DAyton Memorial libraryThe Regis University Library, in support of the University mission, is dedicated to serving the Regis community by providing a full range of library services and resources for academic research and personal enrichment.
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GREAT OLD BROADS FOR WILDERNESS
Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a national grassroots organization led by women that engages and inspires activism to preserve and protect wilderness and wild lands.
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