The Global Ecological Cinema Podcast
from the Portland EcoFilm Festival
Episode Ten: PYROPHILES: ON FIRE AND FUNGI with Maya Han
Release Date: October 7, 2026
Contains no spoilers and is appropriate for people of all ages
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TRANSCRIPTS | TRANSCRIPCIONES
On this spoiler-free episode of the Global Ecological Cinema Podcast, we sit down with Maya Han to talk about her short experimental essay film, PYROPHILES: ON FIRE AND FUNGI. Investigating the phenomenon of pyrophilous (fire loving) fungi, this Official Selection of the 2026 Portland EcoFilm Festival explores the surprising ways in which fire and fungi are intertwined, encouraging reconsideration of fire purely as a destructive force and pointing to imaginative ecological possibilities in the face of the manmade climate crisis.
Still from PYROPHILES: ON FIRE AND FUNGI
We also discuss:
Maya's ecological awakening in the midst of the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown
The ecological roots of the essay form and her approach to constructing an essay film
The influence of Anna Tsing's The Mushroom at the End of the World on Maya's work
Intersectionality as an ecological superpower
Holding multiple truths at once in the midst of the manmade climate crisis
And more
Maya Han
Writer, Director, and Producer
PYROPHILES: ON FIRE AND FUNGI
Maya Han is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and filmmaker whose poetic and quietly political works integrate documentary, experimental film, video art, and installation to expand the language of moving images, decenter dominant narratives, make visible hidden histories, and create transformative representations of the possible. Her recent projects focus on the natural sciences, environmental justice, and ecofeminism. Learn more about Maya's work at: hanprojects.net
Frankie and Molli Myers in THE RIVER REMEMBERS
Film Recommendations
Maya’s ecological film recommendations from this episode are:
THE GLEANERS AND I | (2000 | Dir. Agnes Varda), which is available to rent at the world’s best video store, Movie Madness, in Portland, Oregon.
WOMAN IN THE DUNES | (1964 | Dir. Hiroshi Teshigahara), which is also available to rent at Movie Madness.
GEOGRAPHIES OF SOLITUDE (2022 | Dir. Jacquelyn Mills)
Our theme music is from the song “Earth Worship” by the amazing band, Rubblebucket.
The Portland EcoFilm Festival is a signature program of the Hollywood Theatre, Portland's premier modern-historic movie palace.
Our podcast is hosted, edited, and produced by Rozzell Medina.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this program are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Film Forever Northwest or its affiliates.