Natural Causes is Stephen Mills’ memoir about his life as a wildlife filmmaker, conservation journalist and author. Having made, and written, over forty films for television, Mills has experienced a variety of landscapes, studied and championed numerous species, and has endless stories to tell of his adventures.
Mills starts his memoir by speaking directly to his readers, acknowledging his admirable persistence in advocating for wildlife before writing that, no matter how afraid you might be that your actions won’t have a big enough impact on the world, as long as you take small, persistent steps you will be creating change. For Mills, film has been one of his mediums of change, and one that has successfully (and impressively) restored, preserved and celebrated countless species and habitats.
Reading this book was a joy, particularly due to Mills’ skills as a writer: his descriptions of wildlife, nature, places and the people he encounters are beautifully moving and evocative. Detailing his travels around the world, from Ireland to India, his respect, passion and reverence doesn’t vary regardless of where, or what, he is filming. Mills has an effortless talent in connecting readers (or viewers) to the natural world, often personifying the landscapes and nature he has visited. It is clear that Mills has a literary education background – his conversational and comedic dialogue is fun and engaging, and he balances this well with poetic prose.
Mills acknowledges and celebrates the intimacy that a filmmaker or photographer establishes with the subject they are recording. He notes the meditative effect of being quiet and alone whilst amongst nature. His writing certainly has a similarly meditative effect for readers, harnessing his reverence of wildlife to offer a calming, moving glimpse into elements of the natural world that many people aren’t fortunate enough to experience for themselves.
As well as evoking the natural world, Mills also takes the time and care to detail his experiences as a filmmaker from a more technical and technological perspective. He describes the different film cameras he used throughout his career, their qualities and limitations, and most interestingly the lessons they taught him about preparedness, learning to be concise and more. The quirks of each camera Mills used is lovingly noted, as is his belief that each filming experience is unique, both in terms of process and content. Mills also offers insights into the writing and editing processes of documentary filmmaking – I was particularly intrigued by Mills’ views on the use of music in his films. His love for the natural harmonies of animals and landscapes is evident in his desire not to mute or detract from them by having background scores.
Natural Causes is a book about connections: Mills’ connection to nature, human connections with one another, and human connections with (and our impact on) the natural world. His work is a reminder to us all that life is interconnected, and we should love, appreciate and respect the natural world around us. An advocate for wildlife welfare, Mills has written a moving love letter to our planet.
Natural Causes: The Wild Life of a Wildlife Filmmaker by Stephen Mills is out now and published by Chiselbury.
