As Above, So Below

50 minutes, 2012

For thousands of years, alchemists toiled to synthesize rare substances and universal cures, to manipulate the speed of natural processes. Today, a woman has her husband’s ashes transformed into a memorial diamond. Precious metals are extracted from obsolete electronics. What was once the world’s largest landfill—now also the final resting place of the World Trade Center’s remains—is being converted into a public park. The film intimately examines various transmutations, both microscopic and massive, that reshape matter and its meanings. What separates the permanent from the impermanent, the things we discard from those we preserve?

MoMA Documentary Fortnight; Ann Arbor Film Festival (Jury Prize); L’Alternativa Film Festival de Cinema Independent

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(16mm, 50 min, 2012) Shedding light on local and global acts of alchemy, "As Above, So Below" is a thought-provoking reflection on the ephemeral life of material objects. Christman’s intimate documentation of her family’s decision to have her stepfather’s ashes transformed into a memorial diamond frames a larger exploration of the recycling of matter. The story ranges from Belgium, where precious metals are “mined” from discarded electronics, to New York, where a long-term reclamation project is converting what was once the world’s largest landfill into the city’s second largest public park system. Overturning common conceptions of a disposable culture, this beautifully-composed essay film underscores the vast and unimagined potential lying dormant in our waste. 2013 MoMA Documentary Fortnight Jury Prize, 50th Ann Arbor Film Festival Directed by Sarah J. Christman With Jolley Christman, Robin Nagle, and Thierry Van Kerkhoven Cinematography, Editing and Sound Design by Sarah J. Christman / Lighting Design by David Kimelman / Sound Mix by Kevin T. Allen / Trailer music by The War On Drugs sarahchristman.com