From John Feldman, August 28, 2025
I’m currently working on two new films – one on Fritjof Capra and the systems view of life (The Gaia Perspective) and the other on comedy, clowning, and why we laugh.
The Gaia Perspective: Changing our worldviews with Fritjof Capra and his mentors (working title) seeks to uncover the cornerstones of a society that allows people to coexist in harmony with each other and the natural world. It traces Fritjof Capra’s journey synthesizing the work of radical thinkers who were challenging the mechanistic view of life from the turbulent 1960’s to the present day. The film forms a trilogy with Symbiotic Earth (2017) and Regenerating Life (2023). (Photo: Fritjof Capra)
Why Laugh? Speaking truth to power with clowns, masks, puppets, and banana peels
Arne Zaslove’s house in Seattle is overflowing with a spectacular collection of masks, puppets, figurines, and clown and entertainer memorabilia that he has gathered through over 60 years as a director, teacher, and performer of physical theatre and clowning. From Commedia del Arte and Punch and Judy through Buster Keaton and today’s stand-up and nightly news comedians, Arne takes us on a journey which reveals why we need to laugh and how comedy unmasks tragedy. (Photo: Arne Zaslove with Laurel and Hardy poster)