Ten people came out to watch the Vancouver Mountain Film Fest award-winning documentary “SPOIL - The Fight to Save the Great Bear” at the local library July 11.
The film, which is normally accompanied by a photographic exhibit, depicts the work of the International League of Conservation Photographers documenting some of the dramatic and wild nature of the Great Bear Rainforest.
There are stunning underwater images of spawning pink salmon, and salmon leaping up waterfalls, as well as the elusive Spirit or Kermode bear, the recessive-gened all-white black bear unique to the geographic area of the Pacific North Coast.
While there are intensely sentimental moments where the National Geographic photographer attempting to catch a glimpse of the iconic bear becomes entirely caught up in the almost spiritual experience of finally photographing it in one amazing close encounter, the resulting images are incredible.
The film is meant to draw attention to the rare wilderness area which the filmmakers see as being put at risk by the proposed tanker traffic which would result from the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.
They show the tanker route travelling where the B.C. Ferry Queen of the North sank in 2006.
Kandace Kerr, who showed the film, said: “We’re just trying to get people thinking about it, talking about it.”
Kerr will be donating the film to the Fort St. James Bicentennial Library for the community to borrow soon, and will also be bringing the photographic display which accompanies the film here in September.