Fauna Discussion Guide

An old shepherd and his flock live alongside a high-tech laboratory for animal experimentation. Two worlds that are two sides of the same coin. While the shepherd, afflicted with a bone disease, witnesses his profession disappearing, scientists are busier than ever researching the COVID vaccine. Fauna explores the relationship between humans, animals and science in post-pandemic times.

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the
power of human connection and designed for people who want to
use Fauna to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and
communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which
participants try to convince others that they are right, this document
envisions conversations undertaken in a spirit of openness in which
people try to understand one another and expand their thinking by
sharing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide
range of audiences think more deeply about the issues in the film.
Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that
best meet your needs and interests. And be sure to leave time to
consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave
the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when
conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit https://communitynetwork.amdoc.org/.

About the Author

C. Rees (they/him) is a Pennsylvania-born ecopoet, writer, cultural worker, and New Writers Project alumnus living in Austin, TX. Their work excavates hauntings and landscapes, contamination and complicity, notions of emergence and knots of hybridity. His writing has appeared in Apocalypse Confidential, Territory, the Action Books Blog, Bat City Review, the Bellingham Review, and elsewhere. Their poem “Crossing” was chosen for the Poetry Society of America for the 2024 Cecil Hemley Memorial Award, and recently they were a resident at Willapa Bay AiR in May 2024. You can read their work at https://linktr.ee/c.rees.

 

DISCUSSION GUIDE PRODUCERS

Courtney B. Cook, Phd | Education Manager, POV
Anna Yarbrough | Education Assistant, POV