Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth (2020)

🎭 Story Kernel

The film's core isn't about environmentalism as a political stance, but about environmental consciousness as an act of familial love. Eliot's journey through Earth's ecosystems parallels his father's patient guidance—both are about learning to see connections. The real conflict isn't human vs. nature, but distraction vs. presence. When Eliot's father gently redirects his son's attention from screens to soil, he's teaching him to read Earth's subtle language. The ending's power comes not from solving ecological crises, but from Eliot recognizing his backyard as part of the same system he marveled at in the museum. The film argues that true environmentalism begins not with grand gestures, but with noticing the spiderweb on your porch.

🎬 Visual Aesthetics

The animation employs a deliberate visual dichotomy: museum exhibits burst with vibrant, almost psychedelic colors (bioluminescent oceans glow with electric blues, rainforests pulse with saturated greens), while Eliot's home maintains a softer, earth-toned palette. This isn't just aesthetic—it visually argues that wonder exists in both the extraordinary and the ordinary. Camera movements mimic a child's perspective: low-angle shots when Eliot examines insects, slightly shaky handheld feeling during discoveries. Most telling are the transitions between ecosystems—they don't cut abruptly, but dissolve through organic patterns (leaf veins becoming river deltas), visually reinforcing interconnection. The spiderweb scene uses extreme close-up to transform something mundane into architectural marvel.

🔍 Details & Easter Eggs

💡 Behind the Scenes

The film was created by the same studio that produced the Oscar-winning short 'Hair Love,' bringing their signature blend of emotional storytelling with diverse family representation. Voice actor Jacob Tremblay recorded his lines while actually drawing pictures of animals to maintain authentic childlike wonder in his performance. Animators studied time-lapse photography of real ecosystems for the growth sequences, particularly fungal networks and coral polyps. The score incorporates actual field recordings from the Amazon rainforest and Sonoran desert, layered beneath the orchestral music. Director's commentary reveals the father character was deliberately written as patient but not perfect—he checks his phone twice, making his final choice to be fully present more meaningful.