94 elements

"We live in a finite world."

I recently found out about this project called "94 elements", a filmmaking project about the 94 naturally occurring elements available in this world, nearly all of which we use. This new project aims to define the elements in story-telling short films, while also exploring our lives through the elements.  The initial films already made for the project shows how much of a delicate balance is required for us to maintain  our natural resources. The deposits of Indium, used in manufacturing TVs, for example, could be used up in 10 years.

The film Oxygen spoke to me the most. It is an element that we seldom think of, but it's the very reason why we live. This film shows how Bob, a patient with breathing dificulties, relies on Oxygen supplementation to ease the workload on his heart. After watching the film, yes, I would plant a tree for Bob.

Oxygen is a simple human story, 7 minute long, so tender and so real - because it is. Here's what the filmmaker, Marc Isaacs, had to say about Bob:

"Myself and Guy King, the researcher, were invited onto a ward dealing with severe respiratory conditions in a London hospital and the first person we were introduced to was Bob. The hospital staff clearly liked him and I immediately understood why. Despite his desperate medical condition, he was extremely optimistic, remarkably kind and not without a sense of humor.

After a little consideration, I decided to shoot the film with Bob over one long night. I decided just to be there and experience something of his situation without any tricks, complicated structural considerations or big narrative ideas.

David Katznelson (cinematographer) myself and Guy stayed at Bob's flat all night, sleeping in the room next door so we could shoot him waking up. As we packed our kit in the morning, Bob couldn't thank us enough for taking an interest in him and his life."

How can you help? You can help by funding the projects, pitch your own film, or just by spreading the word (and the videos) to increase global awareness. Just think about how many Facebook friends you have, who you can tap to help save the world.