Save What You Love with Mark Titus

00:00:00:10 - 00:00:24:19
Mark Titus
Welcome to the Save What You Love podcast. I'm Mark Titus. Today we get to have a conversation with David Holbrook, founder of the Telluride Mountain Film Festival, and Original Thinkers, a new group of folks that are dedicated to bringing ideas about sustainability and a better way of looking at the world and entertainment and entrepreneurship. Based in Telluride, Colorado.

00:00:24:21 - 00:00:46:06
Mark Titus
David is also the director of an HBO documentary called Diplomat. It's about his father, and we get into what it means to be a father and a son and how those complicated relationships are precious and ephemeral. So excited for this conversation today. If you're enjoying this podcast, consider giving us a rating on Apple Podcasts. Write a review if you like.

00:00:46:08 - 00:01:06:22
Mark Titus
It really helps our visibility and if you're looking for ways to support Bristol Bay wild salmon and get great food on your table at the same time, go to evaswild.com. And you can order wild regenerative, flash frozen Bristol Bay sockeye salmon filets to your door in quantities of two, four or six filets at a time. It's super easy.

00:01:07:00 - 00:01:18:04
Mark Titus
You can go to evaswild.com. That's the word save spelled backwards. Wild dot com. Thanks, as always for listening. So glad you're part of this community. We'll see you next week.

00:01:18:06 - 00:01:54:16
Music
How do you save what you love?
When the world is burning down?
How do you save what you love?
When pushes come to shove.
How do you say what you love?
When things are upside down.
How do you say what you love?
When times are getting tough.

00:01:54:18 - 00:01:58:14
Mark Titus
David Holbrooke

David Holbrooke
Hey, how you doing, Mark? Good to see you.

00:01:58:16 - 00:02:02:15
Mark Titus
It's good to see you. Where you coming to us from this morning?

00:02:02:17 - 00:02:20:06
David Holbrooke
I'm in Mill Valley. I'm on a little road show for Regional Thinkers Festival. I started, and we're going to do something Kanya around Salem in the Bay Area. So it's been a little exciting. And there's various things happening in the house I'm staying on, So if is noise, I apologize.

00:02:20:08 - 00:02:45:01
Mark Titus
That is all right. We have dealt with that and more, trust me. So and I think everybody out there in our audience is more than familiar with Zoom hijinx these days. So we're going to proceed with aplomb. Listen, I know what original thinkers is because I had the great opportunity to participate with you last fall, even in the middle of a pandemic.

00:02:45:03 - 00:03:06:01
Mark Titus
And we're going to get into kind of the big picture about that. And what it is and how you created it and how beautiful it is. But I wanted to give our audience first an opportunity to get to know you a little bit. Can you just tell us your story and how did you come into this work that you do that fuels your fire every morning?

00:03:06:03 - 00:03:31:10
David Holbrooke
I don't know if fuel is my fire, but it certainly gets me out of bed. Yeah, I work, I guess. I'm a filmmaker and cultural entrepreneur is how it my my bio says on our website. So it's, you know, making films for a while. I've been in media storytelling for a long time. Previously in television TV news, which is something I recommend all filmmakers go work in.

00:03:31:11 - 00:04:00:12
David Holbrooke
And I've been working away at making documentaries. Then also curating festivals. And so I spent a decade as festival director of Mountain Film and Telluride and then started after that. This thing called Original Think Twice, which is that Ideas festival that I began in 2018, and it's been really exciting. So it's sort of the list more than my story, but we'll have to start there.

00:04:00:14 - 00:04:03:17
David Holbrooke
I'm still a pilot, so yeah.

00:04:03:19 - 00:04:25:08
Mark Titus
That's all right, man. We will ease into these waters and instead of jumping off the high dive. But let's. Let's make it. Go ahead. Yeah. Get some water. Let's make it a little easier on where you grew up. What was childhood like? What was what was the the world of David Holbrook like as a as a young David Holbrook.

00:04:25:10 - 00:04:48:08
David Holbrooke
Probably pretty confused. But I, I grew up in D.C. My folks moved there. I was born in Thailand, which was kind of a cool place to be born, I guess. My my father was in working Vietnam as a diplomat and my folks are my college. And then they went over there and got married in in Saigon in 1964.

00:04:48:08 - 00:05:10:14
David Holbrooke
I was born 65. And then I always think growing up in D.C. is my hometown. That's where I was, which is a pretty great place to grow up. I have no desire to live there now, but at the time it was a real, you know, fun and sort of outdoors place to grow up, strangely enough. And my folks were doing work that was interesting.

00:05:10:14 - 00:05:27:04
David Holbrooke
And the buildings and I go visit them there and there was something really impressive about it. And I think it also gave me a real sense of civic understanding or beliefs or certain things like that that I really am grateful to have had in my life.

00:05:27:06 - 00:05:50:13
Mark Titus
Well, your dad's work, I know, has been a topic of your life, a great interest. In fact, you made an entire film about called Diplomat and and I would love to hear about the thinking and the passion and the genesis of what went into the creation of that film. Why did you make it?

00:05:50:15 - 00:06:11:12
David Holbrooke
I made it because I need to understand it better. Somehow. I say in the film that I need to understand I'm better in death than I did in life. And he was a big, brilliant, complicated figure in my life. And so one to understand what he had done better. It was important and it mattered and saved lives and shaped the course of history.

00:06:11:12 - 00:06:35:13
David Holbrooke
And and, you know, I didn't really understand that in the same way while he was alive. So decided to head out into the his world and and try and figure out how to tell a story about him that resonated. And that was what ended up the Diplomat, which is an HBO. People can check it out there. And it's something that really came together well.

00:06:35:13 - 00:07:01:14
David Holbrooke
But it was it was a beast, you know, it was certainly the hardest professional thing I've ever done. And I've done a couple hard things along the way. But it worked and honored him and was true to what I wanted it to be, which was honest, honest, but loving and and gave a real sense of who he was and and why he mattered and why diplomats matter.

00:07:01:19 - 00:07:22:11
David Holbrooke
And so, you know, for me, it was a it was a you know, a true journey and kind of an epic one of try and understand generations of families and massive foreign policy decisions and enormous personality differences, all kinds of stuff. So I was excited.

00:07:22:13 - 00:07:46:13
Mark Titus
Look, I know what it takes to get a film up into creation, into the world. It's a it's a huge feat. And there's the technical side of it, the creative side of it, the financial side of it, which is always a mountain. But then you're also tackling something that's incredibly personal and transformational, I think potentially. Was it for you?

00:07:46:13 - 00:07:51:23
Mark Titus
Did you were you able to connect with your dad in a deeper way by doing that project?

00:07:52:01 - 00:08:25:04
David Holbrooke
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, absolutely. I just understood who he was and how how hard a lot was for him, how easy a lot was for him, how he was, you know, he yeah, he was true to himself. But for better or and worse and understanding that helped me understand myself. Understand, you know, become a better father. It's all a it's a complex he was complicated person to understand.

00:08:25:06 - 00:09:02:16
David Holbrooke
Unusually so, but he was brilliant and he had a fascinating life and shoved a lot into the 69 years. And so for me, it was it was something to really focus on family and not just myself or my kids, but his father and his grandfather, both of whom had epic lives himself as my great grandfather had fought for the Kaiser in World War One and then left Nazi Germany in 1932 after reading my accounts.

00:09:02:18 - 00:09:30:22
David Holbrooke
And he was Jewish and said, We're out of here. But soon, you know, less than 20 years later. But since, you know, just a little decade after he's fought for the Germans, and although once he leaves the country because it's unsafe for him and I understand that journey and understand those decisions, kind of amazing. And and so, you know, I interviewed 75 people for the film, 75, like 40 some.

00:09:31:00 - 00:10:00:07
David Holbrooke
And yeah, it was a deep dive 40 some made it into the movie. Yeah. And they so yeah presidents and secretaries of state and so many people that like a lot of really impressive people could make it into the film. It just didn't fit, didn't work, but it was a deep dive for sure. And I think one that for me was ultimately really, really worthwhile and for the audience, you know, yeah, we were able to get the film on HBO, which is great.

00:10:00:07 - 00:10:06:15
David Holbrooke
Like, you know, this is in our home movies. This is something that's way bigger than that.

00:10:06:17 - 00:10:36:07
Mark Titus
yeah, absolutely. And you know, I didn't I didn't know your dad personally, obviously. But what I've gleaned is that he was incredibly tenacious and hard charging and do you feel like those are traits that you share and have they served you and and or have you identified them and been able to move into another direction if necessary?

00:10:36:09 - 00:11:05:07
David Holbrooke
Yeah, I don't I don't think of myself as tenacious or hard charging. Yeah, I'm very laid back in a lot of ways. I live in Telluride, Colorado. I'm I've moved to a different place, but I'm but I'm what I believe in, what I work on. I take seriously. Yeah, I'm committed to it and I'm, you know, want to make sure that what we're doing is is excellent, you know, that I really care about.

00:11:05:09 - 00:11:26:14
David Holbrooke
But I'm also trying to balance life and being able to say, okay, I'm going to be and live in the mountains and do serious work is the easiest thing to do. And there are people who are doing it. And I'm just fortunate to be able to to be in a space where I can do that. So that's been really nice but tenacious.

00:11:26:16 - 00:11:54:17
David Holbrooke
He really was and he really was hard charging and and I just am not. And I think as part of this reaction to him not wanting to not wanting to be hard charging, you know, a hard charging himself and doing early death at 69. Yeah. And his tenacity. But it was also where he was doing the stakes are so different and and and the pressures are so different.

00:11:54:19 - 00:12:33:00
David Holbrooke
That's the thing I think you know, his what killed him really was the stress and and you know, I just don't want that much stress in my life. I don't mind pressure. It's a different thing. But stress is messed up and I just so need to. And so I'm conscious of that in terms of him and in terms of myself, in terms of how I work and and so, you know, but we're yeah, I'm still figuring it all out like, like all of us.

00:12:33:02 - 00:12:34:04
David Holbrooke
Yeah.

00:12:34:06 - 00:13:21:13
Mark Titus
Yeah. There's and that's true. But you know, I'll say that I don't think everybody gets the chance to really fully examine their relationship with their father or their mother, you know? But for men, especially with the relationship with the father, can be very complex. And I identify with that as well. And I had a super hard charging and successful father and have recognized the traits in him that I share and also the things that I need to do to, as you say, like step back, calm down, understand that I'm, you know, mortal and I've got to take things one thing at a time.

00:13:21:13 - 00:13:35:01
Mark Titus
But just taking that on and having that opportunity to reflect on that I think is a real gift. And I I'm just yeah, I'm in awe about him. And it's it's really it's really something and it's inspiring to me. So thank you for that work.

00:13:35:03 - 00:13:58:02
David Holbrooke
Yeah, for sure. Look, I think that's right. Yeah. One of the things I suggest to people is to interview their parents if they can, while they're still alive. And I never do with my father about how with my mother and my stepfather and my father in law, all of whom have these and my uncle, which was fascinating. And, you know, these stories matter.

00:13:58:02 - 00:14:28:09
David Holbrooke
And there are stories and especially family stories are our stories uniquely. And we need to have those, you know, and I think the the questions you ask, you find out about your parents just asking them what college was like. You know, we'll reveal so much about them that I think is is valuable and worthwhile. But with my father was a different level because it was posthumous and it was and it was also public, you know, in a way.

00:14:28:09 - 00:14:50:10
David Holbrooke
So the you know, all of us wrestling through the the issues and the questions. But I think it's it's hugely worthwhile and and just it's easy. If nothing else, just interview them. You need to get into conflict or unresolved stuff. But just like hear stories from when they were young.

00:14:50:12 - 00:15:18:13
Mark Titus
You know, I'm so glad you said this. This is something that honestly, it's like the glasses on top of your head. It had hasn't occurred to me. I mean, I interview a ton of people and I haven't interviewed my folks. I did interview my grandparents before they passed. And and I just it was an audiotape I remember so fondly sitting around the kitchen table and drinking coffee and just for hours talking and listening to those stories.

00:15:18:13 - 00:15:41:23
Mark Titus
And that's a huge inspiration, man. Thank you so much for that gift. I'm going to do that. Yeah, well, listen, kind of a really lovely little Segway, I think, into our next chapter here is, you know, get it. You gave yourself this gift of understanding of of where you came from and at least a better understanding of it.

00:15:42:01 - 00:16:06:12
Mark Titus
And I think we all, especially as Americans, have a deep desire to connect with place and to have an understanding of our roots, how did that desire land you in Telluride and what is what is the work you've you've done there since you've been there, starting with the the Mountain Film Festival?

00:16:06:14 - 00:16:26:21
David Holbrooke
Yeah, well, I was just drawn to Telluride. Not a hard thing to be drawn to. I went there with my father when I was in my early twenties and just kept going and moved out to Telluride when I was 26 for a season and just became a much better skier and saw this culture. I thought, yeah, this speaks to me.

00:16:26:23 - 00:16:55:13
David Holbrooke
And then I was able to move back in 2013 with my family full time, which was amazing. I'd be spending a lot of time there and you know, telluride's an unusual place and I've got now three decades of history more than there are various ways and times and and it and I think one of the things is unusual about the place is this sense of innovation.

00:16:55:15 - 00:17:17:16
David Holbrooke
And, you know, there's just a history of it and that's manifest in a bunch of different ways from the Telluride Film Festival being the fourth film festival in the country to exist and Telluride in the early seventies, it's hard to imagine like how dusty it was, but an outpost was. And then like, Yeah, let's put a film festival that becomes world class there.

00:17:17:16 - 00:17:47:21
David Holbrooke
So there is this thing that's beyond the ski town. And if you look at, you know, and all ski towns have the different flavor, the Telluride is one that really speaks to me because the Skiing's Killer, the communities are so the culture is is really impressive. You know, I can ride out my you know, ride out from my house to town park, which takes maybe 4 minutes and go see Neil Young play in our park.

00:17:47:21 - 00:18:09:14
David Holbrooke
Like, wow, that's amazing. And, and then the film festival brings him out. And what we're doing with Original Thinker is has its own thing. As you mentioned, Telluride Mountain Film, which I was out of for a decade, that's very much intrinsic with the nature of the place. So yeah, it's it's special for sure. And you saw it when you came up here the original theaters.

00:18:09:16 - 00:18:34:01
Mark Titus
Boy, did I. You know, I came right when the Aspen leaves were just shimmering gold. The light was just so it was incredibly magical. There was there was a lot of power I felt, being in in that place. And now you've been there a while and as you said, you were with Telluride Mountain Film for a long time.

00:18:34:01 - 00:19:14:12
Mark Titus
And now Original Thinkers, which we're going to dive into, how do you how do you take this thing that is this spark of creativity and innovation and desire for community and build it, as is the case with the film festival and through time, keep it true to its vision? I mean, there's as we know, there is film festivals all over the place that and and other things just like this that that get big and they kind of veer off course because they get commercialized or popularized.

00:19:14:14 - 00:19:28:23
Mark Titus
What what is your strategy for keeping a concept that is based on a an innovative idea and something that really has fire in your heart about and keeping that thing on course?

00:19:29:01 - 00:20:08:15
David Holbrooke
Yeah, the you know, cultural organizations have their own flow and and funkiness and all of that, you know, and you know, I think for what we're trying to do is is keep it smart and and fun and you know, it's not it's not fun at some point. And, you know, it doesn't mean everything's fun. Of course not. And there is frustrations and failures and foibles and all those things the same point.

00:20:08:15 - 00:20:31:09
David Holbrooke
It's like, okay, let's be human and remember that we're trying to figure this out the best we can. And I think so much of that is the team. And and, you know, for me, I've really enjoyed trying to get the right people in place. And so we've got a really good crew right now and and that's a big part of it is just like, okay, let's do the work.

00:20:31:09 - 00:20:52:17
David Holbrooke
Let's do it efficiently and and with heart and intention and, and then, you know, see how that all that falls in place. And so, you know, I have no idea what original figures look like five years from now or ten years from now or 20 years from now. But I can just sort of impact what I want to do now.

00:20:52:17 - 00:21:14:05
David Holbrooke
And and right now it's really fun. We've got to be good. People are just taking on a new partner who's wonderful, a woman named Meredith Lambert, who comes from Sundance and is a 20 year veteran of that place. And so she's come in with a lot of great thoughts and energy and thinking. And so, you know, we're really moving forward on a bunch of levels.

00:21:14:05 - 00:21:41:13
David Holbrooke
But the key thing is just like, that's manageable. I don't want it to be overrun me. You know, I don't want to get out of control that I can kind of do the things I want to do and and make everything work. I apologize. Is that chirping in the background? Unfortunately not birds, but we have a recalcitrant fire alarm in the place I'm staying and I have been able to figure out, you know, so everyone's finally had this beep beep.

00:21:41:15 - 00:21:49:13
Mark Titus
It's okay a recalcitrant big props for that might be yeah, I'm going to pretend it's birds just because you know smaller.

00:21:49:13 - 00:21:50:21
David Holbrooke
Than those.

00:21:50:23 - 00:21:51:19
Mark Titus
Birds.

00:21:51:21 - 00:21:55:09
David Holbrooke
That's like council chamber. It's the video games and.

00:21:55:09 - 00:21:56:14
Mark Titus
They're saying.

00:21:56:16 - 00:21:59:00
David Holbrooke
Recalcitrant birds like.

00:21:59:02 - 00:22:25:14
Mark Titus
This with an edge. Angry birds with an edge. Hey, for those of us I know I got a little inside look at original thinkers, and I am just on board. And, you know, the things that I'm trying to do in my life are all aligned with what I witnessed and was able to experience at Original thinkers. But for the rest of us out there that don't know what this is, can you give us the big picture?

00:22:25:14 - 00:22:28:15
Mark Titus
What is original thinkers?

00:22:28:17 - 00:23:12:11
David Holbrooke
Yeah, it's an ideas festival. I started here until you arrived and it's really the bigger picture is as a media company and the festivals are really important, Part of what we're doing is sort of our flagship event, but it's part of a larger media strategy to say, okay, original thinking really matters is now more than ever, and can we find ourselves in a place where we're a one of the leading platforms to offer original thinking through media, through events, through film, through podcasts, and, you know, it's it's it's universal, you know?

00:23:12:11 - 00:23:37:15
David Holbrooke
And what we really believe in original Thinkers is that is that it's very inclusive. Our tagline is we're all original thinkers when we put our minds to it. And I think that's really true. You know, the notion of, okay, can we you may anybody think originally, Yes, but we don't think about it. We don't try to we don't make that effort.

00:23:37:17 - 00:24:07:03
David Holbrooke
We don't recognize it. And so we're trying to do all those things. We're trying to say, okay, there is a place to to to gather around original thing and there is a place to. Yeah, sit and watch, to take in, to read all of it. And so it's an exciting space. And, and our main thing though is the festival which you, you came to our, our pandemic version which went really well.

00:24:07:03 - 00:24:32:00
David Holbrooke
You know we, we were lucky in that we could host at a time and for a week in October when we had zero cases where we were in our county. And so that made it a lot easier. We had a space that was outdoors with four walls and a roof. And so it all all work together really works really well.

00:24:32:02 - 00:25:03:05
David Holbrooke
And this year we're pointing towards 2021. We've got a really good lineup, some very impressive folks coming to town. We've got a real opportunity to do something meaningful and and working towards that. So I hope people turn out of those stories or check out original Thinkers dot com and it's October, September 30th, October 3rd is the festival. So sort of a big overview but it's great.

00:25:03:07 - 00:25:14:14
Mark Titus
Now there's there's obviously a way it's an in-person event, but is there a way for folks out there to get involved online as well from wherever they are?

00:25:14:16 - 00:25:37:13
David Holbrooke
Yeah, Well, one of the things we took away from this past year was we really had to have a hybrid, you know, And so we did everything virtual. We did everything live. We did some things live. And we'll do the same this year is that our live presence will be six or seven shows in Telluride. Then we'll have ten shows available virtually.

00:25:37:15 - 00:26:01:03
David Holbrooke
And so that's the awesome to figure that out. Yeah, it is awesome. We're really so strong. It feels, you know, we want to keep building the brand and having a digital library is really helpful to that. And there is also and it also is a way for people anywhere to watch and, and I think to tune into what we're doing and, and share.

00:26:01:03 - 00:26:20:12
David Holbrooke
And I think, you know, what we're doing has a lot of merit and people are will who check it out will be impressed. Yeah and obviously he will tell you right will have a different experience but I think that the meaningfulness and the real ness of what we're doing, what really come through virtually as well.

00:26:20:14 - 00:26:55:00
Mark Titus
You know, I, I was so impressed with the lineup of folks that you had and such a varied amount of topics, one of which was Jeff Orlowski talking about the social dilemma, about the challenges we face with social media and our being the product. There's a lot of challenges we face here in this country and, you know, around the world, and you're tackling a lot of them, at least in terms of the media and the storytelling part of it through original thinkers.

00:26:55:02 - 00:27:04:02
Mark Titus
And you also have another project that you are inherently involved in called Earth X. Can you tell us a bit about that?

00:27:04:03 - 00:27:28:15
David Holbrooke
Yeah, of course. Am I right? That film ready here broke it out for the occasion. Judea and Heidi. So yeah, that's film is a film festival down in Dallas, Texas. That's an environmental film festival. It was started by Trammell Crow. It was a fascinating character who's been down there, who is a billionaire and wanted to put efforts towards saving the environment.

00:27:28:17 - 00:27:57:23
David Holbrooke
And so he started this festival along with a guy who Michael Caine, who was the president and co-founder of Earth X Film. And it's pretty damn cool. Here we are, you know, in the middle of Texas doing really highly impressive, curated well, of course, those were definitely curation environmental films and it's been really fun to put together and a real challenge.

00:27:57:23 - 00:28:23:11
David Holbrooke
And because these stories are hard and they're they're, you know, a challenge on so many levels, on an existential level. But at the same point, you know, there is a lot of triumph out there. And of course, your your film, the while there's along those lines, you know, like here is a really hard and important subject and yet it is a win and of course, as we know so many times it's not a win.

00:28:23:13 - 00:28:47:12
David Holbrooke
Yeah, and that's the hard part. But but, but the festival is in April and we did a live festival this past year with drive ins and all that. So it's been really fun to work on and I'm grateful to have the the opportune on the platform of Vertex films to do environmental stuff, which to me is really true to my heart and we don't do a lot of it.

00:28:47:12 - 00:29:04:18
David Holbrooke
Original thinkers intentionally. Yeah, but, but I care about the environment so much. And so being involved with the film festival that allows me to work in that world is really interesting and satisfying.

00:29:04:20 - 00:29:43:05
Mark Titus
Well, first of all, I'm grateful for being included as part of World Oceans Week in Earth Next TV, which is a new platform and Earth film and the film festival, as you mentioned, and being just a part of that and being selected was was a real honor. And, you know, I think that so many of us out here in the world want to do good, want to do something to, you know, work for and fight for the things that we love and believe in.

00:29:43:05 - 00:30:12:05
Mark Titus
And obviously, that's that's the whole paradigm behind it was wild and the work I'm doing here. But through your work with Earth X and and original thinkers, there's a ton of things we're facing a ton of daunting challenges. But what are the three biggest and most primary things you think we need to tackle from where we are, where we're sitting, wherever that may be here in the next ten years?

00:30:12:05 - 00:30:17:07
Mark Titus
What are those three things.

00:30:17:09 - 00:30:49:23
David Holbrooke
Off the top of my head, I think the extinction crisis is so severe and one we don't really fully understand or see is happening so quickly, and I'll see how we tackle it. But it's it's enormously problematic. And I think the real sign of of how what we're doing to ourselves, you know, and to this planet, the plastic pollution goes hand in hand with that.

00:30:49:23 - 00:31:35:23
David Holbrooke
But it's it's really disturbing. And the idea that that that yeah, you can't escape it is astonishing. And you know, the proliferation of single use stuff that I see everywhere is insane. And of course, the pandemic only exacerbated it. And then I think, you know, of course, climate hangs over all of this. But but I think really to the the big thing that this country is facing but is proliferating is the notion of truth is just how p how politicians, how people are able to sort of lie their way out of things.

00:31:36:04 - 00:32:02:10
David Holbrooke
And that I think, is really problematic on a bunch of levels because we just have no shared sense of truth. And I think, you know, the notion of intersectionality that everything is connected, I think rings through with these three things. Yeah, they all are connected. There's something that's just very straightforward, very yeah, intersectional about it that you say, okay, these things relate.

00:32:02:10 - 00:32:28:09
David Holbrooke
And, and I think that's, you know, when the very quote was something to that effect that, you know, these aren't individual problems but collective problems, you know not individuals versus collective, but, but the problems are all of one, you know, which is basically the degradation of the planet. You know, it all kind of comes back to that. That was along with it.

00:32:28:10 - 00:32:37:06
David Holbrooke
And sort of an interesting question. Yeah. You know, it's harder for me to see how we get ahead.

00:32:37:08 - 00:32:38:14
Mark Titus
The list goes on.

00:32:38:16 - 00:33:04:14
David Holbrooke
Yeah, I think it's hard for me to see how we figured all this out. And that's a real thing with me that I find myself wrestling with stage, which is this term. I think we've talked about this notion of, you know, what's the right word, Not depression necessarily, but but, you know, anxiety and distress caused by the degradation of the collective planet.

00:33:04:17 - 00:33:07:07
David Holbrooke
You know, we deal with that.

00:33:07:08 - 00:33:42:12
Mark Titus
Well, look, the yeah, the list is enormous. And we have tools at our disposal. Technology is one of them. But I think that we have had this false narrative that technology is always going to solve our problems and always going to win the day we've seen look, let's go no further than the social dilemma and what was featured at Original Thinkers last year.

00:33:42:14 - 00:34:28:14
Mark Titus
When technology is designed with the inherent understanding or idea at the beginning of trying to help the human condition, there always seems to be some kind of stain that comes from greed, frankly, from the desire to possess, the desire to enrich. How do you feel? We can use technology, especially in as storytellers, to enhance and really hone the purpose of saving ourselves right now?

00:34:28:16 - 00:34:52:11
David Holbrooke
Yeah, look, it's it's a big question. And I don't know, you know, I know. So we keep making the stories and things keep getting worse, you know? I know that. Have a and I do think that while that's one of the reasons I like the story so much is it seems to have a happy ending. And that really is not always the case.

00:34:52:13 - 00:35:28:17
David Holbrooke
I don't know if you see that the Australians are all rebelling against Chinese ownership of mines and properties. It's interesting what's happened and I and I like that, you know, and I think the wild because Tasmania which begets something else and and but is still, you know, the big picture is so grim and that's the hard part. That being said, you know, it's a lovely day here where I'm at and it's a lovely day where a lot of people are out and, and you know, we can go forward on those fronts.

00:35:28:17 - 00:36:04:13
David Holbrooke
But, but yeah, I don't really know what we do. I mean, I and I've thought about this a lot and I wish I had a better answer, but I do think the stories are important and I do think, you know, films can make a difference on the individual battlefronts. The war is a little trickier, you know, And I don't, you know, how much more can we know and how much less can we do, you know, And that, you know, and the good guys are doing.

00:36:04:15 - 00:36:30:10
David Holbrooke
You know, Obama is opening up pipelines and, you know, but it seems pretty impossible to me on the big front. But again, I think that's why the stories like the Wild Matter is that you need to make, you know, changes, you know, as it was this you save what you love, you know, makes sense, you know. And I think that's a really valid place to be.

00:36:30:12 - 00:37:24:19
Mark Titus
You a moment ago truth And you know what is truth and d politicizing the truth. This is also a huge topic. But how do you see the way forward in creating a place at the table for anyone who is seeking the truth, the actual truth, not not the tribal truth that you are beholden to because you have cast your lot in the one or the other tribe, but the actual physical world, the way that it is, in the way that the sun casts the light upon it, how how do we best make that seat at the table for those we don't agree with to and really, how do we reveal the truth?

00:37:24:21 - 00:37:51:13
David Holbrooke
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a the one bit of truth I think I really fully believe in is partial truth. And so recognizing that you get into a place of of, of, I guess both complicated and simple. And I think I had an old professor who had followed my wife afterwards and said, I saw this refrigerator magnet and thought of you.

00:37:51:14 - 00:38:20:09
David Holbrooke
The magnet said, Find those who seek the truth, doubt those who find it, you know. And though for people who are looking for truth, but but when they say they found it and that's absolute clean, you got to wonder. And so you know but but we know the truths that are are in front of us is is on the environmental front are very real and very unnerving.

00:38:20:11 - 00:38:50:19
David Holbrooke
And that's when you look at that, you're like, okay, how screwed is this? You know, how how? And I think the whole seat at the table thing, I just don't think people yeah, I don't see how people aren't going to be hardened. You know, we have all the evidence on climate. We have all of it and we have the increasing fires and the rise of tides in Miami.

00:38:50:19 - 00:39:16:19
David Holbrooke
I mean, like there is there's so much evidence you still there is a really concerted effort. And I think that's the other thing, too. It'd be one thing if you're like, okay, people are going to find their own truth. But the notion of oil companies or other bad actors distorted truth for a long time with massive budgets, with sophisticated campaigns, that's really messed up.

00:39:16:20 - 00:39:47:16
David Holbrooke
That's a different level of like. And I think that's pretty much for me, the way I look at the entire Republican Party is as a party build on fundamental untruths, whether that's, you know, climate change isn't happening or Trump won the 2020 election. I mean, these are just fundamental lies. And and they've been, you. Yeah, yeah. They've been willing to take that on and be at that is astonishing.

00:39:47:18 - 00:39:52:01
David Holbrooke
But here we are in 2020 century America.

00:39:52:03 - 00:40:03:00
Mark Titus
Yeah, here we are. And you know, to be, to be fair and that's absolutely right. But you know, to be fair, the tribalism extends both ways and.

00:40:03:02 - 00:40:04:11
David Holbrooke
Yeah, sure.

00:40:04:13 - 00:40:32:19
Mark Titus
Yeah. And I think that, you know, to deviate from from the political side of this is going back to place and having a more inherent understanding of who we are based on place, where we occupy our physicality. It's certainly something that is hugely important to me. You know, as evidenced by Salman, I am obsessed. Salman, again, wearing a shirt with Salman on it.

00:40:32:21 - 00:41:01:09
Mark Titus
I do that. And the reason is it's hair. No, it's like it's such a mix of pride and love and grief and inherent desire and understanding of this place that has been is my adopted home, you know, the Pacific Northwest. My folks moved out here from the Midwest when I was a baby. And it's really the home I've always known.

00:41:01:11 - 00:41:51:21
Mark Titus
And I'm just so grateful that I'm able to to live my my life, this consciousness in this place that has been the home for people for time immemorial, all that have lived in harmony with these creatures that we really mythologize here in this part of the world. Reason I'm going down this road is that, you know, you and I have talked about place and kind of these are these huge problems we discuss, but what if we can bring things down to a place where we are and the community we are in and think about, you know, distribution channels for food, for business, for our storytelling, really fundamentally knowing and understanding the place and knowing what

00:41:51:21 - 00:42:19:12
Mark Titus
the birds are named, where we live, knowing what the plants are called, where we live, knowing what kind of food resources we do have that we can have in abundant supply if we take care of them. Do you feel like this is part of your intentionality with Telluride, Colorado, and with original thinkers? And do you think that maybe that that's something we can replicate moving forward?

00:42:19:14 - 00:42:45:06
David Holbrooke
Yeah, I think it is. For me, I think I'm lucky and and also strategic. And I've worked hard and, you know, about the things that been able to get to a place I want to live and that I love and that I want to save and that I'm committed to and that I understand to a point, you know, I'm I still feel like I'm the new guy and I've been around there 30 years, but I haven't lived there.

00:42:45:06 - 00:43:17:05
David Holbrooke
And that's, you know, they're on they are eight now and it's like, wow. Still new to town. But it's a you know, it's unfortunate. And I'm fortunate to be able to do things that are interesting to me and that, you know, with people that interest me and, you know, and I think a lot of that is being fueled by the ability to ride my bike most every day, you know, go for a hike or not be in a car.

00:43:17:11 - 00:43:51:13
David Holbrooke
I so often there is like, I never got in a car. But that was nice, you know? And so that's I'm fortunate and and really grateful that I'm able to do this. And and I'm also grateful I'm able to be on your show. You know, it's fun. It's been nice talking to you. I you know, again, I'm lucky I'm lucky to be able to be like working on things that I get to work on, live where I live and have friends like you and other people who care about this work and who care about, you know, saving what you love.

00:43:51:15 - 00:44:11:09
Mark Titus
Thanks, man Well, we'll we'll get you wrapped up here. We're going to do the quick rapid fire that everybody know. No one escapes. And so here we go. You're not going on what? Your house is on fire. You get your loved ones out, your pets up first. But what is the one thing that you physical thing that you take before it burns the ground?

00:44:11:11 - 00:44:13:20
David Holbrooke
My back, my mountain bike.

00:44:13:22 - 00:44:28:00
Mark Titus
Duh. All right. And now more on an esoteric level. What are the two spiritual things? The things, the fundamental things that make David Holbrook? David Holbrook What are those two things that you take out of the fire?

00:44:28:01 - 00:44:52:16
David Holbrooke
That you take out of the fire? I was going to say, I rode back on my skis. I was so shallow that my grandmother did this ceramics. She was a potter, and she had this beautiful ceramic thing that she just painted. Love is all simple and and beautiful, and it's meaningful to me and I think I would take that.

00:44:52:18 - 00:44:54:14
David Holbrooke
And then there's my road.

00:44:54:14 - 00:44:58:23
Mark Titus
But we're not going to get we're not going to lose it.

00:44:59:02 - 00:45:02:05
David Holbrooke
Yeah, I think I'll it at the love all.

00:45:02:07 - 00:45:13:06
Mark Titus
That's cool, man. And then lastly, is there anything that you would leave behind to burn up in the fire now.

00:45:13:08 - 00:45:40:10
David Holbrooke
Yeah. I can't think of anything that's that. That sounds clever or interesting. Yeah, I think it is a lot of life is, is looking forward and is looking is being present or looking forward and I think looking back is so foundational and so integral to who we are yet also not always the healthiest thing for us to do.

00:45:40:12 - 00:46:04:07
David Holbrooke
And so, you know, I think for me, you know, whatever I left behind, those ashes would be meaningful. And I think, you know, I can't think of anything specific and I like the question, but I do think it's yeah, all these things help us look forward and that's super important and especially when you're trying to build something that's better.

00:46:04:09 - 00:46:14:20
Mark Titus
Absolutely. Well, we'll leave it at that. David Holbrook, thank you so much for joining us today. And how do folks get involved? How do they follow you and get involved in the work that you're doing?

00:46:14:22 - 00:46:36:03
David Holbrooke
Thank you, Mark. Thanks for having me on the show. I really appreciate it. And I was your original thinker. Starcom is the best way to see what I'm doing or attacks film as our films ever show or attacks film presents, which you've been on. We have another show called Defending Nature, which I hosted, which is worth checking out.

00:46:36:05 - 00:46:53:11
David Holbrooke
Yeah, so there's a lot going on. I'm not really active on social, which is a shame, but I just don't have the appetite for it. But I'm on all the various platforms, so I don't do a lot or say a lot. Yeah, yeah. Find my words elsewhere. And thanks again.

00:46:53:11 - 00:46:55:06
Mark Titus
And you're kind of busy, man.

00:46:55:08 - 00:47:10:11
David Holbrooke
I got a lot going on right now. We're doing a show coming up at Canyon Ranch for original thinkers, and there's just a lot happening. But all of this good and all this exciting, and I hope people are tuning into what we're doing. Original Thinkers WSJ.com. That's the main the best place to find out what we're up to.

00:47:10:16 - 00:47:16:11
Mark Titus
Perfect. Well, David Holbrook, thank you again. And I look forward to our next conversation. We'll see you down the trail.

00:47:16:13 - 00:47:28:01
David Holbrooke
But take care of yourself.

00:47:28:03 - 00:47:35:08
Music
How do you save what you love?
How do you save what you love?

00:47:35:10 - 00:48:01:08
Mark Titus
Thank you for listening to save what you love. If you like what you're hearing, you can help keep these conversations coming your way by giving us a rating on Apple Podcasts. You can check out photos and links from this episode at evaswild.com. While there, you can join our growing community by subscribing to our newsletter, you'll get exclusive offers on wild salmon shipped to your door and notifications about upcoming guests and more great content on the way.

00:48:01:10 - 00:48:39:23
Mark Titus
That's at evaswild.com. That's the word Save spelled backwards Wild Tor.com. This episode was produced by Tyler White and edited by Patrick Troll. Original music was created by Whiskey Class. This podcast is a collaboration between Ava's Wild Stories and Salmon Nation and was recorded on the homelands of the Duwamish. People. We'd like to recognize these lands and waters and their significance for the people who lived and continued to live in this region whose practices and spiritualities were and are tied to the land in the water, and whose lives continue to enrich and develop in relationship to the land waters and other inhabitants today.