Experiencing Interruptions?

Climate Aid: The Voice of the Forest

Climate Aid was an event at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine in 2023 that brought together extraordinary people to demand permanent protection of the last remaining old growth forests on U.S. public lands. This included indigenous leaders, influential congresspeople, renowned musicians, poets, artists, professors, writers, scientists and inspired citizens.

The film chronicles the entire day from soundcheck all the way through the event. Three of the musicians: Maggie Rogers, Oshima Brothers, and Alisa Amador, met and played the Black Ram Guitar on stage. This one of a kind guitar was crafted from a 315-year-old spruce that fell in the Black Ram forest. It is a symbol of the urgent need to protect our forests.

  • Josh Gerritsen
    Director
    Island Zero, Magnificent Beast, The Comeback Mill
  • Michael O'Brien
    Producer
  • Alyssa O'Brien
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Music Documentary
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes 47 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Josh Gerritsen

Josh Gerritsen is a filmmaker based in Rockport, Maine. He has directed two feature films: Island Zero, a horror film that takes place on a remote island in Maine, and Magnificent Beast, a documentary about the relationship between humans and pigs.

He grew up in Maine and made short films throughout his childhood, editing on VHS recorders in middle school. Like most young people, he couldn’t wait to move away from home. After four years at Skidmore College, he moved to New York City to work as a photographer. His plan was to live in NYC for decades, but reading “An Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan changed his trajectory. He came to his senses and moved back to Maine.

He ran a small farm and raised heritage cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens for four years. He came to his senses again and realized that farming is not his calling, it’s filmmaking.

He has a passion for sustainability, passive house design, and renewal energy. Other passions include rowing on the ocean with his sliding seat rowboat.

Add Director Biography