Transitions

We are currently in the Anthropocene, the first geological age in which the surface of the earth has been radically and permanently changed by human activity. Particles of soot are turning the ice cap at the North Pole gray; where the Amazon rain forest once flourished, all that's left is a bald scar; and countless mines are creating pockmarks on the face of the planet. This is the picture at the macro level, but we can also see the influence of our human footprint with our own eyes, in our immediate surroundings. The most obvious example is perhaps in Las Vegas, the energy-guzzling gamblers’ paradise in the desert of Nevada. Inhospitable nature dominates outside the city limits: sand, wind and cactuses reign supreme. Then there's a sudden transition to prefab dwellings, asphalt and cars, leading to its climax in the casino playground of The Las Vegas Strip. This contrast between nature and culture is already extreme, but it's heightened even further when captured in slow tracking shots of completely deserted streets and neighbourhoods. All that we see is the "hardware" placed by people—the evidence of our presence. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)