Jennifer Rainsford is a Swedish director and artist, whose first full-length film begins by documenting people whose lives were derailed by the tsunami that hit the coast of Japan in 2011. Everyone has lost someone dear to them, and all are still grieving with their sorrows and trauma.

The initial setting would have already contained the ingredients for an interesting documentary. However, All of Our Heartbeats Are Connected Through Exploding Stars reaches further by expanding into a study of how small we are in comparison to the forces of nature. Filmed in Japan and Hawaii, the film illuminates the unpredictable and fragile marine nature, where we are just visitors among countless creatures, from microscopic plankton to captivating plants and fishes. We are also the only species whose trash travels from the coast of Japan to the Hawaiian Islands, in a moment in history where climate change threatens to throw whole ecosystems out of whack. Yet, instead of wallowing in depression, the film emphasizes the importance of preserving the beautiful underwater life. “All our breaths are connected,” as the film argues.

The music of Italian Teho Teardo creates a magical companion for the underwater sequences, which take the viewer on a journey to the depths of the sea and the human mind. Among other prizes, the film won the award for best documentary at Visions du Réel.

Matti Ylönen