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Ecosystem-Centric Cinema

Last of the Sacred is a visually arresting, ecosystem-centric cinematic documentary that reframes the traditional environmental narrative. Set in the Oregon High Desert of the Klamath Basin, the film inverts the gaze, placing the ancient, wild endemic flora as the central, silent protagonists and teachers. Over a single, pivotal year following historic dam removal, the narrative chronicles the deep-time existence of these native food gardens, forcing the audience to measure human actions against the time-scale of the plant root. The film explores the profound crisis of human consciousness—arguing that while the plants possess true resilience, it is humanity that will suffer from the degradation of the earth unless we embrace a regenerative culture and re-enter a sacred relationship with these vital plants.

Michael Ridge

Michael Ridge embodies a profound commitment to radical ecological reciprocity. A singular figure, he maintains a nomadic camp, traversing the Klamath Basin with his string of horses, his mule Peashooter, and his dog Morning. Clad in buckskin rawhide he personally tanned and crafted, Ridge is dedicated to perpetuating a profound, personal relationship with wild foods. For over a decade, he has moved across the landscape, continuously collecting and sowing seeds, challenging industrial infrastructure by adhering to the margins of a fenced-in West. He articulates that the plants "speak to him," not in words, but in their geometry and patterns

Garin Riddle

An elder and spiritual leader, Garin Riddle Sr. (Moniikols) is actively engaged in the restoration of traditional ecological knowledge and the wildtending of sacred food systems in the Klamath Basin. His work is a spiritual and literal rebirth, exemplified by the bitterroot's ability to thrive even after being dried out. Through his eyes, the rocky scabland is revealed not as a wasteland, but as a "loaded rootcellar"—a vast, meticulously tended food source passed down through generations of grandmothers. His philosophy is simple: "Food doesn't hate anybody. It just wants to heal your body and nourish you."

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