Nalini Nadkarni is a world-renowned ecologist who climbs trees in the rainforest canopy to study “what grows back” after an ecological disturbance. In 2015, her rope snapped on a research climb, and she fell fifty feet from a tree and nearly died. After making a miraculous recovery, Nalini begins to explore a new research subject: herself. Director Andrew Nadkarni’s documentary short film, “Between Earth & Sky,” aims to celebrate his aunt’s miraculous recovery from that fall.
Even more, it eloquently captures the intricate relationship between humans and nature on screen. More specifically, it shows the subtle ways through which the latter can help with someone’s personal healing.
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The Queen of the Canopy
Most likely borrowing its title from one of Nalini’s publications, “Between Earth & Sky” introduces us to Nalini, a renowned forest ecologist whose energetic love for trees is very infectious. We see her interacting with mosses, even naming one of the trees (her favorite, Figuerola, is a strangler fig); which shows a person with a deep emotional connection to nature.
Nalini, for what it’s worth, is a rockstar: one of her nicknames is “The Queen of the Canopy.” She has authored several publications, and has both been featured in the National Geographic and given TED Talks. A device of her own invention allowed the use of mountain climbing conventions to climb trees and research canopies better. And as if those aren’t enough, she even had a Barbie doll after her, the TreeTop Barbie.
The film shows Nalini’s recovery after her fall from a tree, revealing the severity of her physical injuries and how it took its toll on Nalini’s mental and emotional well-being, too. As the film progresses, however, her road to recovery compelled her to confront a dark family secret that remained hidden for so long. Suddenly, it makes sense why she fell in love with trees at a very young age.
This film’s narrative neatly integrates Nalini’s scientific research on ‘what grows back’ after a disturbance in the rainforest—only now, it also applies to her personal life.
Nalini Nadkarni returns to the forest where she almost died from a fall. (Photo: DOC NYC 2023).
‘Between Earth & Sky’: A Metaphor about What Grows Back
The film makes it clear that despite her accident—and the revelation of a family secret—Nalini never lost her sense of wonder. Looking back at her childhood, now with self-acceptance and self-forgiveness, she realizes how her relationship with trees has changed over time. Whereas they served as a refuge to her as a child, the trees were a place of exploration and achievement as she climbed high in her career, before becoming a source of danger when she fell.
Nevertheless, that fall has allowed for a new relationship between Nalini and the trees. And as far as she’s concerned, Nalini understands that this journey is something she might have to work on for the rest of her life.
As for the filmmaking aspects, Andrew Nadkarni’s narrative approaches here work well overall. However, I found the cinematography inconsistent all throughout; with steady tracking shots followed by handheld camerawork. Sari Mellafe’s score deserves a shout out, too, balancing introspection with optimism.
All of these make “Between Earth & Sky” an uplifting story of an individual’s passion for her work that, while bringing her physical pain, nonetheless gave her emotional healing in the end.
“Between Earth & Sky” is currently playing at this year’s DOC NYC Documentary Festival. The festival goes from November 8th to 26th. Join us for continual coverage.
