The Film
A docu-series about the wild - by human hands.
By a Thread is a distinctive docu-narrative series that explores our deepening disconnection from the natural world. In the spirit of stage productions like War Horse and Life of Pi, the film portrays our relationship with the wild through striking, symbolic imagery, bringing animals and ecosystems to life in a way that is both poetic and profoundly unsettling. This is a documentary about control, collapse, and the urgent possibility of rewilding our landscapes, and ourselves.
Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, who have been passionately involved from the outset — this documentary from BAFTA-winning director Alex Lockwood explores humanity’s fractured relationship with the natural world.
Blending cinematic artistry with folklore and myth, By a Thread examines how stories have long been used to justify the clearance, culling and control of the wild. By a Thread challenges us to reconsider the stories we tell about nature, and to imagine new ones rooted in respect, balance, and rewilding.
The Aim
The aim of the film is to highlight the consequences of viewing nature as a nuisance — something to be controlled or cleared away. It shows that when we work with nature and allow it to thrive, we too begin to flourish. At the heart of this vision is rewilding, not just as a land strategy, but as a mindset. While many rewilding documentaries focus on wealthy landowners or corporate offsetting, By a Thread subtly makes the case that real power lies with individuals and that each of us can play a role in rewilding both the land and our relationship with it
The Style
The use of theatrical puppetry not only offers powerful symbolism, but also allows us to craft a documentary that feels engaging, visually original, and emotionally resonant — unlike anything audiences have seen before. There will be a makeshift, almost ugly quality to the animals to represent the way in which they are perceived. Puppeteers will often be completely within shot, in order to demonstrate how humans manipulate the natural world and take control where it shouldn't be taken. The underlying metaphor is a clear one - that when we imagine nature as unfeeling, just a collection of bits and pieces that we can do as we wish with, it becomes exactly that.
We are collaborating with Little Angel Studios, one of the UK’s most respected puppet-building institutions, alongside some of the finest puppeteers in the field. With experience on acclaimed stage productions such as Life of Pi, War Horse, and The Lion King, this team brings world-class craftsmanship and performance expertise to the project — breathing life into each puppet with the same artistry seen on the world’s most celebrated stages.
Impact
With it's unique storytelling, support from A‑list narrators and the urgency of its subject matter, this project has the potential to raise awareness about rewilding and our treatment of the living world, and to reach audiences that haven’t been engaged before. There is also scope for further episodes with other aligned celebrity narrators.
The way in which audiences consume media has changed. This concept is perfectly suited to the digital landscape. It offers enormous potential across social media, drawing on a built-in audience that includes enjoyers of environmental content, craft content, theatre/stage enthusiasts, and of course fans of the narrators. We have a clear approach to content creation, including behind-the-scenes snippets, interviews with narrators, insights into how the puppets are made, and breakdowns of how the shoots are constructed. Beyond this, the concept lends itself to impactful social media stunts such as pop-up puppet performances in schools, shopping centres, and other high-footfall locations, designed to spark curiosity, conversation, and shareability. Together, these elements create a rich, multi-layered social presence with strong engagement potential both online and in the real world.
Stage
We're currently around 3/4 of the way through production, at a point where the peice has a strong sense of itself and much progress has been made, but still at a point where by others (contributors/platforms) could have plenty of input.
Director - Alex Lockwood
"The idea for By a Thread came from a desire to engage the likes of my nieces and nephews with the important subject of rewilding — along with a deep, childhood-rooted connection to the power of imaginative storytelling and puppetry.
I first set out to make this film several years ago, following the typical documentary format: interviews with experts behind desks, intercut with stock footage. But as I began editing, I realised I had taken a powerful, arresting subject and turned it into something incredibly dull. Unsure of how to move forward, I decided to take a few weeks away from the project. During that break, I went to see Life of Pi at the theatre and was completely stunned by the creativity on display, especially the use of objects and puppetry to tell such an emotionally rich story. I wondered, why hasn’t anyone used puppetry in this way within a documentary? In that moment, I knew what I wanted to do with this film".
Alex Lockwood is a documentary film director from Birmingham whose films have a strong emphasis on ethics. Alex has directed and produced a number of short films including 73 Cows, which was a no-budget film that went on to win the BAFTA for British Short Film, as well as other award winning shorts such as Monbiot and Test Subjects. Alex has had multile films screen within EU parliament as well as in festivals around the world. Alex also has served as a judge for multiple film festivals including Big Syn Environmental Film Festival, as well as the IFTAs. Alex sits in an advisory capacity on the board for the Centre for Contemporary Sciences as a result of his research and film work around animal testing.
Art Director - Oliver Hymans
Oliver is an award-winning London-based puppet artist, theatre maker and arts education specialist. He trained on the MA Scenography course at Central Saint Martins in 2006 and has since worked on a variety of theatre, opera, dance, film, circus and music video projects as a director, designer, performer/puppeteer. From designing an outdoor theatre production in Kerala, India to performing in window galleries, and immersive theatre productions, Oliver is interested in all elements of the theatre making process.
Oliver is a visiting lecturer in Theatre Design and Scenography at Rose Buford College of Theatre and Performance. Between 2013 and 2016 Oliver was the resident community director for the Little Angel Theatre, directing their Youth and Adult companies and now leads on the adult learning courses at the world-famous puppet theatre. Oliver has also lead projects for the Camden Roundhouse, Museum of London, Almeida Theatre, Blind Summit Theatre - famed for producing the giant puppets at the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. In 2014, Oliver was the director of puppetry on the new music video for The Correspondents.