Synopsis
Isolated in the remote mountains of the Gaspésie National Park, a last herd of caribou resists defiantly against human encroachment. When the first European settlers arrived on the East Coast of North America in 1534, caribou numbered in the tens of thousands. Today scarcely 100 remain. They are the last survivors. This documentary tells of their plight and the precarious tipping point on which they now balance.
A word from Tënk
In 2013, when Harold Arsenault’s wildlife documentary was released, only about a hundred Gaspésie caribou remained. The filmmaker focused on telling the story of this last herd and their ultimate struggle for survival. More than 10 years later, the film remains strikingly relevant as the caribou have almost vanished from the mountains of Gaspésie, with an estimated 25 left.
Harold Arsenault, a Gaspésie-based filmmaker, is a “star” of wildlife documentaries, a genre often underrepresented. This illuminating film, featuring stunning aerial winter shots, is the result of an immense effort, with Arsenault spending hundreds of days filming between 2011 and 2013 on the heights of Mount Jacques-Cartier.
The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Vues sur Mer festival. A work of great beauty, it reminds us of the importance of protecting and sharing the land.
Maxime Boucher
Coordinator and Director of Programming
Festival Vues sur mer
