A documentary about the protests against logging in an old-growth forest on Vancouver Island is being premiered at the Planet in Focus International Film Festival later this month.
The film titled FAIRY CREEK will be shown to audiences for the first time on October 17th, then it will be made readily available through its distributor, Cinema Politica.
The film documents the protests against Teal-Jones Group in the logging of old-growth groves near Port Renfrew, which to date is the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history.
FAIRY CREEK shows the blockade from its early inception until its ending, through the lens of protesters at the site as well as their opposition.
The documentary follows the environmental activists as the situation escalates and they get themselves involved in often violent altercations with the RCMP and loggers there to cut down the old-growth forest.
The RCMP faced massive scrutiny during and following this protest for their ethics in arresting the activists involved as well as their gatekeeping of the media, who were often kept from the site where they were trying to report from.
“The protests at the Fairy Creek blockade were record-breaking, with nearly 1,200 people arrested. It attracted tens of thousands of people and a lot of media attention worldwide,” said Jen Muranetz, director of Fairy Creek.
“Our team arrived at Ada’itsx (Fairy Creek) in early 2021 as the first film team on the ground. We embedded ourselves into the blockade culture, spending several months building relationships with our subjects and developing the story.”
Related:
- RCMP officers found to be in the wrong after arresting hiker near Fairy Creek
- Protestors at Fairy Creek blockades pepper-sprayed by RCMP (VIDEO)
Some of the activists FAIRY CREEK follows are Shawna ‘Bushpig’ Knight, Bill Jones who is an Elder from the local Pacheedaht First Nation and Kati George-Jim, an Indigenous youth leader with relations from the nearby T’Sou-ke First Nation.
Additionally, the documentary portrays a group of blockaders protesting from within the canopies of old-growth trees and a forestry mill owner who explains how old-growth logging is an essential part of BC’s economy.
Once it has premiered, FAIRY CREEK will be made available via Cinema Politica.
