Elise Guillaume

Our relationship to the earth reflects how we treat ourselves and each other. Through filmmaking, photography and installation, I seek to understand what it means to be human in a time of crisis and extinction.

The first stages of my work happen outdoors, often in remote environments. During this period of research, I make use of analogue photography for its slower process, which allows me to sense ecosystems on a deeper level.

Working ecologically, both conceptually and practically, is important to me. I've recently been developing negatives with my own plant-based developer using seaweed as an alternative to chemical substances.

As someone interested in the connections within our world, I’m inspired by how technology can help us gain new perspectives on our complex relationship with the earth. The use of multiple screens, ultra-macro lenses and alternative sound recording devices allow me to create narratives that aim to challenge anthropocentric norms of nature.

The body is a key element in my work: I use it as a vessel for interpreting and embodying living beings that form our world. With this in mind, the body becomes a meeting point between viewer and subject matter to encourage discourse regarding multi-species kinship.

Since making Where I Learn to Breathe, I've developed an interest in the healing potential of making confessional works. I'm passionate about how personal narratives can expand into more political discussions surrounding feminism and ecology.

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Below is a trailer of Where I Learn to Breathe. The full preview is available on request.

Through a confessional letter to a loved one, the lasting impacts of a mental illness on female fertility unfolds. As the fluidity of water and the body intertwine, the protagonist takes us on a journey towards healing as she enters into symbiosis with nature.