Films

I'm on the selection Committee of the American Conservation Film Festival. Each year we view lots of films, some great, some not so great. We're always looking for new films that look at our relationship with nature. Last festival, that film was Summercamp! This year, we haven't found it yet, although I read about this in production film, Play Again, with interest.

Do your children play outside? Do they know where to watch ants on the march or find a good climbing tree? Or are they inside, parked in front of a screen? Most important, what's in store for kids -- and society -- when children are cut off from nature?

These are urgent questions for two Portland moms, Tonje Hessen Schei of Sunnyside and Meg Merrill of Multnomah Village, who are making a documentary, "Play Again," that explores a culture in which the average child recognizes more than 100 corporate logos but can't name 10 plants.