(Canada, 74 min.)
Written and directed by Charles Wilkinson
Charles Wilkinson continues his string of BC-based eco docs
with Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the
World and his latest documentary might be his strongest one yet. Wilkinson
follows Peace Out and Oil Sands Karaoke with another look at
the changing Canadian climate. This film shifts its focus from the Oil Sands
(although they figure prominently) and the ravaged/ruined industrial scars of
mainland Canada, and it turns its head to the idyllic archipelago of Haida Gwaii in British Columbia. Haida Gwaii carries a rich cultural history and
the area remains one of the most isolated regions on Earth in which the
population of First Nations persons remains the majority. Wilkinson looks
affectionately at the lush ecosystem of Haida Gwaii in all its complexities and
this lovely documentary portrays the last sublime place in Canada as an ideal
community to which Canadians should aspire.
Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World, which won the prize for Best Canadian Feature at Hot Docs this year, features ample awe-inspiring cinematography of Haida Gwaii’s dense forests. These forests are comparable to the life of rain forests and steeped in natural history thanks to some breathtaking old growth trees, but Wilkinson smartly conveys that the complexity of Haida Gwaii’s ecosystem doesn’t stop at nature. Humans are part of the system too, Haida Gwaii argues, so the film invites citizens of the land to join the conversation and share their stories about life on HG. The participants, who are mostly First Nations persons along with some migrants to Haida Gwaii, explain with passion how Haida Gwaii offers a relatively self-contained and self-sustaining community that one doesn’t find elsewhere in Canada. (Or, for that matter, the world.) Their love for Haida Gwaii has roots as deep and strong as those of the trees, and the film admirably captures a spirit that defies foreign interests from corrupting this harmonious community.
Haida Gwaii
introduces elements of capitalist barbarism that invade Haida Gwaii to plunder
resources as the face of the landscape changes with the encroachment of
industry. Distressing images of clear-cut forests are very effective after
Wilkinson’s camera conveys the beauty and serenity of the forests in Haida
Gwaii, as is one participant’s reflection on the sickening experience of
walking through the forest and arriving at a clearing where the forest just
stops—executed by industry. The oil industry comes off the worst, which is to
be expected given that it’s the most hot button topic pertaining to the
corruption of Haida Gwaii, as proposals for shipping Canadian oil to Asia
threaten the land and water with spills that the Canadian government and oil
companies aren’t likely to clean up. The film places admirable value on the
land and its riches, and the film ultimately builds the innocence and richness
of Haida Gwaii as a more valuable resource than those that our current
carbon/rape-and-pillage based economy values.
Wilkinson once again appeals to the personal and ideological
choices entailed in the fight to save the environment. By highlighting the
greatness of the uncorrupted land and the pleasures of those who thrive on it
by living a fruitful lifestyle that judges success by modest means, Haida Gwaii shows us a corner of the
world that evokes an image of Canada before the fall. It’s a shame the rest of
the country isn’t as beautiful.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World screens in Ottawa at the One
World Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 8:45 PM.
Please visit www.oneworldfilmfestival.ca for
more information.
