Steeped in a science fiction atmosphere, Fauna goes behind the closed doors of an animal testing lab where scientists are working to find a COVID vaccine. Outside the hermetically sealed windows of this sterile, claustrophobic environment, from which no creature will leave alive, nature stretches ahead for miles. Tucked into the landscape near the hi-tech facility, an elderly shepherd diligently watches over each animal in his herd, aware of the imminent disappearance of his traditional profession. This thoughtful and subtly humorous work juxtaposes two antithetical worlds that continue to coexist—though, perhaps, not for much longer. The filmmaker questions our need to control the world around us to ensure humanity’s survival while trying to protect it from the consequences of our own greed. (AAM)

Fauna