Nuisance Bear

Churchill, Manitoba is a coastal town in northern Canada that lies along the path of migrating polar bears. Every year tourists flock to the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” wielding phones and cameras in hopes of catching a glimpse of bears in the wild. Yet, Churchill wildlife officers’ mandate is to protect locals from intruding bears. How do these animals actually experience the push and pull of human activity. With beautifully composed shots and calmly panning camerawork, this short film assumes the bear’s perspective as it plods along trying to find a way through town. Wandering over asphalt, past parked cars, banging on a closed gate, the bear appears as an interloper in the midst of civilization. As wildlife officers in trucks and helicopters circle closer and closer, a suspenseful chase ensues. Without words, Nuisance Bear is a story of two colliding worlds told with stunning contrasting images. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)