Urban Nature is an abstract film by director Eger Tiitus.

As of 2017, the UN estimates that more than half of the world’s population is currently living in cities and towns. By 2050, just under 30 years from today, two out of three people in the world are expected to be living in urban settlements. They pamper us with opportunities and convenience, cocooning us from the elements of mother nature.

Urban life is very human-oriented. Our everyday troubles are centred around ourselves as a species, disconnected from the life that’s “out there, in the wild”. It’s likely that nearly everyone knows about the ongoing climate emergency, with politicians and prominent thinkers from around the world having voiced their grave concern for many years. So isn’t it strange that a large proportion of people still feel that climate change may not affect them personally? In the US, more than half of the people feel this way! And many of those who do care, seem to be concerned about the effects on nature alone.

The cocoon of urban life has created a false sense of invulnerability. Urban Nature challenges this by using the urban environment as a canvas to tell its story through video projections. Observe how different stages of natural development are projected onto artificial surfaces, built to satisfy our urban needs. Notice the links between the events happening in nature and the state of these manmade objects. Realise that despite any illusions, when all seems lost and barren, sooner or later, mother nature will make a return, with or without us. It always has.

In this climate emergency, don’t pity the nature, pity us.



Nature has always held a special place in my heart, yet, finding a special interest in topics concerning the connections between urban life and the environment happened rather recently. In 2019, I produced the Garden of Coventry, an immersive exhibition focused on making the city of Coventry a more sustainable place to live. This was a monumental project for me because it made me think critically about the environmental impacts of city life. A year later, I produced Vicious Cyclist, an interactive story outlining the importance of investing in sustainable means of transport within the city of Tallinn.

Urban Nature builds on this theme with my own observations regarding people’s attitudes to the ongoing climate emergency. Despite there being a lot of talk about the need to change our course, with the tipping point being ever closer, in reality, not even nearly enough has been done to prevent an imminent catastrophe. People tend to perceive it as a distant issue, being more of a matter of preserving nature as opposed to saving themselves - saving mankind.

The film is my interpretation of how closely the state of the environment and our own urban wellbeing are linked. It’s a narrative entirely conveyed through visuals and audio, with an emphasis on evoking emotions. Although each viewer may interpret the film in their own way, my hope is that, ultimately, these emotions will make each viewer question what the climate crisis is about for them and realise how vulnerable we really are.




Eger Tiitus
Director

Eger is originally from Estonia and is currently living in Sweden. He is an interdisciplinary filmmaker with an international background, having worked in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and Kenya. A lot of Eger’s work is focused on inspiring and encouraging social change through new media and experimental storytelling. In 2019, he premiered his short film 1.22.1 at Birmingham Film Festival, where the film also received a nomination for Best Editing. Eger is majoring in BA Media Production at Coventry University.



Mariette Vassus
Production Assistant, Film Consultant

Mariette is an avid film lover from Estonia, currently majoring in English at Tallinn University. She has previously collaborated with Eger on several of his film projects, such as Eger’s first film Gustav Adolf Grammar School after Estonia’s Re-Independence and more recently, Vicious Cyclist. She is passionate about equality and sustainability.



Darío Cervera Jordà
Composer

Darío is a composer and musician originally from Spain. He acquired a Master’s degree with distinction in keyboard and composing from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2019. He also studied at the Conservatoire de Paris in France as well as Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. His compositions have premiered across Europe, including in Belgium, Estonia and Finland.