FIXATION
a short documentary on consumerism, the repair economy, and our relationship to “stuff”
directed by Leah Loftin
a FERNBANK NATION film
How can we have “stuff” without breaking the planet?
Fixation is a short documentary exploring consumerism and the repairability of goods, and their inevitable impact on the planet. The film is anchored by the inspiring work of Sandra Goldmark, a leader in circular economy solutions and the founder of Fixup, a popular pop-up repair shop in NYC. Shot in Spring 2022 with an all-female led crew, Fixation reveals how our “stuff” tells a scathing story about our massive system of global consumption, alongside a provocative tale about what it says about who we are as individuals.
About the Subject
Sandra Goldmark is a designer, teacher, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on circular economy solutions to overconsumption and climate change. She is an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Theatre and the Director of Campus Sustainability and Climate Action at Barnard College. Sandra has designed sets and costumes for theatres around the country, and is a co-author of the Sustainable Production Toolkit, a comprehensive guide for theatres to implement circular and sustainable design and production practices. In 2013, Sandra founded Fixup (formerly Pop Up Repair) and began operating short term repair shops and educational repair and reuse events around New York City. Receiving press attention in the New York Times, MSNBC, Salon, New York Public Radio, and beyond, Fixup employs local theatre artists, stagehands, and technicians to repair broken household items, and has diverted over 10,000 pounds of goods from landfills. Sandra asserts that our massive, global system of consumption -- our use-and-discard culture -- is broken. She wants to make it easy for people to take care of what they have, reduce waste from new manufacturing, and create local jobs. Sandra has a BA in American History and Literature from Harvard College, and an MFA in Design from Yale School of Drama. www.sandragoldmark.com
Fixation was shot in Spring 2022 with an all-female led crew in NYC.
Leah Loftin, director
About the Director
Leah Loftin is an award-winning director and actor based in New York whose work was named “fearless” by The New York Times. She was recently named an “Emerging Director to Discover” by SHOOT Magazine, as part of their 2021 New Directors Showcase. Loftin’s films have premiered at the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival (UK), Shorts on Tap (London), Anthology Film Archives (NYC) as part of New Filmmakers NY, and have won awards at film festivals in Berlin, Toronto, Austin, and Bucharest. Her experimental film work was a recent finalist for the prestigious Aesthetica Art Prize 2022.
Loftin is also a SAG-AFTRA/AEA actress working in film, television, and theatre. Formally trained with the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT) at A.R.T., she was selected for an extended performance residency in Moscow. A proud native Texan, Loftin was born and raised in the small town of Crosby, Texas.
Learn more about her work as a filmmaker HERE.
About the Cinematographer
Liza Gipsova is an award-winning NYC-based cinematographer fascinated by humans, light and stories of identity, location and the why. She enjoys collaboratively developing and crafting the visual language unique to each story, putting the director's vision and social relevance at the forefront. She draws from an exhaustive background in traditional, digital, photographic and theater arts, before coming up in the ranks of the camera department and co-founding Curiouser Creative Studio, a visual media production company that's garnered multiple Telly Awards as well as the recognition of the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) and other professional design organizations. Soviet-born and Maryland-raised, in her downtime Liza enjoys traveling, dancing enthusiastically, southern exposure and her batdog, Jessie. She is a recipient of the ASC Vision Mentorship. Her projects have played in festivals worldwide. website
Liza Gipsova, cinematographer
“Have good stuff (not too much),
mostly reclaimed.
Care for it.
Pass it on.”
— SANDRA GOLDMARK
( inspired by the philosophies of the Food Movement )