The Mushroom Speaks review – an eccentric, awe-struck ode to fungi

Director Marion Neumann not only pays tribute to the magic of mushrooms but claims they could save humanity from the coming climate apocalypseAt once earthy and magical, fungi not only link us to the origins of life itself but also open doors to alternate realms of consciousness. In Marion Neumann ’s loose-limbed documentary, just the latest in a string of films that opine on its enigma, the mushroom can even save the world.Compared with the surreal time-lapse photography ofLouie Schwartzberg ’s Fantastic Fungi (2019) or the rustic charm ofMichael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw ’s The Truffle Hunters (2020), Neumann ’s approach is more free-wheeling and eccentric. Interviews with a wide host of fungi lovers – who include scientists, culinary specialists and devoted enthusiasts – delve into the generative power of mushrooms with vigour and optimism. Considering that the cultivation of fungal cultures has a llowed us to ease our physical ailments as well as repair damaged ecosystems, the film posits that, beyond a transactional relationship, humans can also model our behaviours after the virtues of the mushroom. Mycelium, the word that describes the thread-like structure of fungal colonies, is often br ought up, suggesting that humanity should aspire to such interconnectedness in the face of increasing ecological disasters.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Film Documentary films Fungi Science Culture Biology Source Type: news