HACK THE PLANET, 31min., Netherlands
Directed by Floris Tils
Technology is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the protection of nature. In “Hack the Planet” we follow two tech-wizards from the Netherlands who developed a smart camera system that could be groundbreaking in preventing human-elephant conflicts and catching poachers. They believe that their technology could save elephant and human lives.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

When I came across the work that Tim and Thijs were doing and read about the inventions they were making to help save the forest elephants and catch poachers in the middle of the jungle, I was immediately hooked. I found it hugely interesting that they were using technology for nature conservation purposes and I felt that it was a combination that could be hugely successful. Also it could make for tensive and exciting scenes in the middle of the forest, with dangerous elephants and poachers roaming the same area. So I sent Thijs a message right away, that I was interested in making a documentary about their process of creating and testing the tech, and showing the audience that their technology is actually working.

In my work, I want to inspire people to use their own skillset to benefit our home planet. This is exactly what Tim and Thijs are passionately pursuing. By showing this, I hope other people will also feel inspired to start using their own skillset to create a positive impact.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I started filming with Tim and Thijs in the summer of 2021. A few months later I followed them to Gabon for their first deployment. The idea was to go back to Gabon to a more dangerous area to also deploy another type of technology that was solely dedicated to catching hostile poachers. This took a lot of time and eventually never happened, and that is when I decided to finish the film as it was, more focused on 'human-elephant conflicts'. We finished the edit about 2 months ago, late in the summer of 2023.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Nature & Technology

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

It was hard to carry the whole production on my own in Gabon. I was not working with any crew, so I had to juggle every role; directing, camera, sound and production. It made the trip harder because I had to wake up earlier then everyone to prepare my shooting day, and would go to bed the latest every day because of data handling, backing up footage and charging batteries. It was also hard to not be able to go back to Gabon to finish the documentary the way I wanted. But in the end, I am very happy with the final product.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It was awesome to hear the audience talking about the film! They pointed out what they liked about the film and I could not find a lot of negative feedback. So it is very great to hear that people like the film and find it interesting and beautiful to watch.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I realised that I wanted to make films for the rest of my life when I was 19, on a rocky beach in northern Iceland in a snow blizzard while filming a professional kiteboarder. It was one of my first bigger productions for which I was traveling. It was a hugely adventurous trip that really ignited the fire in me to make films for the rest of my life. I love the adventure and travel that comes with it.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

That would be The Revenant, with Leonardo DiCaprio directed by Alejandro Iñárritu and shot by the amazing cinematographer Emmanuel Lubeszki. All three of these gentlemen won an Oscar for their work on this film. And rightly so!

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Some sort of industry event would be cool. I am still looking for a distributor for this film, and an (online) event that connects industry people to independent filmmakers would be hugely interesting for me, especially with this film at this point.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I think FilmFreeway is great!

10. What is your favorite meal?

Vegetarian Green Curry is one of my favourites.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Currently I am working on another environmentally themed film which will be called 'The Seal Mystery' it is about a huge environmental problem that is occurring in the waters around Cape Town, South Africa. The cape fur seals there are dying in huge numbers and are starting to have seizures and attacking people and everything that comes in their way. I am following a group of marine researchers who are researching the cause of this. At the same time a very artistic storyteller and painter Theko takes us on a spiritual journey and goes on his own path to learn more about the seals and what is going on with them. Here is a private link to the teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=091-q2dyHsg