NOTHING NEW TO SEE / YOU KNOW THE REST

As the horrors of the world seem only to become more and more distant and unimaginable to Paloma, a Los Angeles native and college-student studying at FIDM, she struggles to understand her place amongst her community that has now become seriously threatened. Meanwhile, Tawny, a seamstress and single mother, goes about her daily routine until both Tawny and Paloma find themselves crossing paths at a center for plant-based healing — resulting in, for both of them, a powerful wake-up call.

DOCU-FICTION | COMING SOON

WHY A FILM?

As filmmakers concerned with how process informs outcome, we are interested in engaging with subject matter that has been historically approached by those whose interests were, or are, rooted in the pursuit of power and status. When it comes to the subject matter of the psychedelic, the word “psychedelic” already carries with it a set of cultural baggage and misunderstandings that can be attributed to the fraught discourse surrounding these compounds, and the practices associated with them, due to a long history of struggles for power and control. 

We are not the first nor will we be the last to make a film about psychedelics. However, the history of representations of the psychedelic is one tainted by both the propaganda traceable to historical events such as The United States’ ongoing War on Drugs and the arguable “failure” of the promises and the optimisms made by 60s counter cultural groups. 

We hope that through our research and understanding of the historical significance of these compounds (such as an interest in how the “yippies” became the “yuppies”), our interest in process rather than outcome (how to make a film that in its production does not repeat the violence it aims to critique), and the fact as an independent production we are able to avoid the bureaucracies of a studio, we can make a film that serves a tangible good through raising consciousness about what the “psychedelic” truly is. 

Ultimately, we believe that the medium is the message and that film maintains an important role in the culture. Given that the media that we consume tends to be the primary source for how we map and model the world, we believe that a film that thoughtfully engages with the psychedelic experience is a valuable contribution to the greater project of generating a destigmatized and nuanced cultural understanding of these substances.

Fig 1. Cover of: "Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia" (2015)

WHY US?

Our approach to filmmaking is rooted in research and experience, driven by a personal investment in the potential of these medicines to promote healing and an interest in transforming the internal experience into an image.

We champion process.

By bringing together family members, practitioners, and a crew of open-minded filmmakers, we hope to create a living, breathing document of the psychedelic renaissance which is currently unfolding.

Fig 2. Behind the scenes photo of Julian Barahona Rhi (left) and Cheyenne Terborg (right)

ARTISTIC APPROACH / OUR “PROCESS”

We believe that in order to convey a truth about the psychedelic experience, being such an internal and subjective topic, experimentation is necessary. This experimentation is not purely visual, but extends to the entire process of producing the film. This project is being made in collaboration with local psychedelic facilitators, who have generously offered their guidance to us, helping us to create an environment that will allow us to capture their work in a safe way, free from ulterior motives. This requires a focus on purpose and presence in the production process rather than just on logistics and “getting the shot.” This approach is focused on aligning intention with action so as not to harm any of our subjects. Attempting to capture this community in a direct and reciprocal way is a first for both us and the facilitators we are collaborating with, making this a process that has benefited from a mutual trust and openness to try new methods of working. 

All proceeds made through direct donations or through our Fiscal Sponsor, OUR ART FUND (Tax-Deductible. Go to: nothingnewtosee.com for more information.), will go directly to the making of this film. Beyond the bare bones necessities of paying for food and crew, the nature of the docu-fiction format results in much of the cost resting in the rental fees for the equipment needed in order for us to have the appropriate tools. Since the film is part documentary, however, this lightens up the load in other areas such as Art Department / Production Design as those resources can be consolidated into the narrative beats of the film. 

Additionally, our filmmaking process is rooted in research – we are constantly combing through the canon of art, science, and culture in order to parse references to help us in representing that which has not yet been made visible. The psychedelic experience is one of these elusive interiorities which is speculated upon but rarely tackled in media, save for a few examples. Thus, we look to alternate sources of inspiration, leaning into a multimedia approach, not excluding ourselves from being influenced by unconventional works. We hope to reflect this in our film, by blending aspect ratios, mediums, and genres to create something that stands alone as its own object as part of a larger tradition. 

ADDITIONAL INFO: WHY NOW?

The current administration in the US has proposed budget cuts to numerous health institutions, which will most severely impact the National Institutes of Health. Slashing the NIH’s budget will cause a trickle-down effect that will halt important research in numerous areas, from cancer, biomedical, pharmaceutical, to infectious disease. The magnitude of these cuts is unfathomable, and will impact countless existing studies and make new studies increasingly more difficult, if not impossible, to fund. These cuts will also impact research on the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic compounds, which is already a precarious subject.

That said, budget cuts aren’t the only thing preventing psychedelic research. In 2023, the DEA proposed adding two hallucinogens to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act: 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC).

The official definition of a Schedule I substance is as follows: “A drug or other substance that has a high chance of being abused or causing addiction and has no FDA-approved medical use in the United States.” 

DOI and DOC are both powerful hallucinogens which have been used in labs for decades and have no history of abuse. According to Students for Sensible Drug Policy, “DOI and DOC’s current status as unscheduled compounds has made them de facto tools for researchers studying serotonin receptors. They have featured in more than 900 research articles and show promise for pain management, combatting anxiety and depression, and preventing overdose.” A judge eventually sided with the DEA’s proposal to add DOI and DOC to schedule I, and effectively left their fate in the hands of the agency.

The scheduling of these compounds would place them at the mercy of the DEA, which, under the Controlled Substances Act, has the power to restrict federal funding for any research that promotes the legalization of substances included in Schedule I. This is a dangerous place for these substances to be classified, as it heavily impedes upon their ability to be used in the context of clinical research. 

“Schedule I” is a damning label that disregards advancements that research has provided in terms of discovering therapeutic potentials of substances once deemed “toxic.”  For instance, Cannabis is currently still classified in Schedule I, which is clearly an outdated placement given its proven medicinal application. 

In order to conduct research using a Schedule I substance, a DEA license is required, which includes lab inspections. DEA approval alone takes months, not to mention the other impediments that researchers must pass through in order to begin studying these substances. 

The DEA is a historically militant, racist institution, with a history of discrimination both internally and externally. In March of 2025, the Justice Department reached a $12.6 million settlement with more than 400 Black DEA agents who were denied promotions during their tenure. The case was originally filed in 1977 – and only just reached a settlement nearly 50 years later. 

Additionally, the DEA has combined forces with ICE during recent immigration raids which have terrorized marginalized communities to no end. 

The fact that this deeply corrupted institution is responsible for determining who is allowed to possess and research these substances should be a cause for concern. In addition to their potential for therapeutic application, several substances in Schedule I, primarily cannabis, mescaline, and psilocybin, have historically documented ceremonial use among indigenous groups.