People of a Feather
In mehreren kanadischen Städten – darunter auch in Montreal während der „International Polar Year 2012 Conference“ – wird in diesen Wochen ein bemerkenswerter Film gezeigt: „People of a Feather – a Film about Survival in a Changing Canadian Arctic“. Dieser Film von Joel Heath und der Gemeinde von Sanikiluaq zeigt das Leben der Inuit von Sanikiluaq, einer Gemeinde auf den Belcher Islands in der südöstlichen Hudson Bay, die zwar nahe der Küste Quebecs liegen, politisch aber zum Arktisterritorium Nunavut gehören. Eiderenten, die die warmen Eiderdaunen liefern, helfen den Inuit, die harten Winter zu überleben (Foto von der website People of a Feather). Nun aber spüren sie die Auswirkungen der Staudammprojekte von Quebec auf Meeresströmungen und damit auf das Leben der Enten.
Der Fim wird so angekündigt:
Featuring groundbreaking footage from seven winters in the Arctic, People of a Feather takes you through time into the world of Inuit on the Belcher Islands in Hudson Bay. Connecting past, present and future is a unique cultural relationship with the eider duck. Eider down, the warmest feather in the world, allows both Inuit and bird to survive harsh Arctic winters. Recreations of traditional life are juxtaposed with modern life in Sanikiluaq, as both people and eiders face the challenges posed by changing sea ice and ocean currents disrupted by the massive hydroelectric dams powering eastern North America. The eyes of a remote subsistence culture challenge the world to find energy solutions that work with the seasons of our hydrological cycle.
Hier einige Stimmen zu diesem Film, der in Englisch und der Inuit-Sprache Inuktitut (mit englischen Unteriteln) gezeigt wird:
„Biologist Joel Heath spent seven harsh winters in Hudson Bay’s remote Belcher Islands documenting the effects of Québec hydroelectric dams on the Arctic environment, wildlife and the native Sanikiluaq people, and the result is “a near mystical mix of time-lapse Arctic landscapes, marine-life photography, and interwoven imagery of present-day and historical Inuit life.” (Georgia Straight)
„For a movie that starts off talking about ducks, People of a Feather ends up negotiating nothing less than man’s place, and our role, in the entire life cycle. It’s an undeniably elegant feat, and one that could very well reframe the way you live the rest of your life.“ (Katherine Monk, Post Media)
„People of a Feather is a breathtaking journey into the remote world of the Belcher Islands Inuit people. Uniting this community’s past and present is their cultural connection with the eider duck, a species now suffering massive die-offs. Eider down, the warmest feather in the world, is essential for surviving harsh Arctic winters. But both the Inuit and the eiders are struggling to adapt to changing sea dynamics as seasons and ocean currents are reversed by run-off from hydroelectric dams that power North America’s entire eastern seaboard. Filmed over seven winters, Arctic ecologist and cinematographer Joel Heath’s debut feature employs stunning time-lapse photography and under water footage to create an authentic and insightful portrayal of a community challenged by a changing environment. This stunning piece of visual poetry weaves past with present to powerfully acknowledge humankind’s relationship with nature and the fragility of our existence.“ (Michelle Latimer, Hot Docs)
Weitere Informationen und einen Trailer finden Sie auf der Website