Archipelago of Earthen Bones – To Bunya

Archipelago of Earthen Bones - To Bunya traces alternative cartographies of time, rooted in the very geologic formations of our planet. Examining volcanic time as a means to comprehend and express Earth’s geological history, the film seeks a mode of sensing and knowing that recognizes the divergent nature of the time scales that surround us. From almost instantaneous catastrophic ruptures to the formation of mountains over millions of years, the film invites us to immerse ourselves in time. Using tectonic plates as imaginary maps, Szlam films a constellation of ancient landforms, from the eroded remnants of volcanic activity to the relics of the Gondwana Rainforest, tracing a path along the central eastern ranges of Australia, illuminated by the afterglows of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption. Szlam films on 16mm and edits in-camera, creating dazzling landscapes through multiple exposures. The vibrations, murmurings and signals of Earth form the soundscape composed by Australian artist Lawrence English. Archipelago of Earthen Bones — To Bunya evokes the layered histories of Mount Beerwah to the titular Bunya Mountains, rendering a unique perspective on the shifting faces of our environments.