Films

The Ahikuntaka are the snake catchers of Sri Lanka, performing a service that is valuable for both the environment and the economy. 19th-century British adventurers described them with these words: They treat their children with affection and their animals with the greatest care. Thirty years ago the people were ravaged by severe alcohol abuse and reviled by most of society, but in 1992 a former terrorist leader arrived in the village and life has never been the same.

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Join us as we visit a unique and exciting jungle people on the island of Sri Lanka! That the cobra is one of the deadliest snakes in the world and kills thousands of people every year are not things the Ahukuntakayos people worry about . Here, these snakes are part of the family, part of life. This people's culture and survival are rooted almost wholly in catching and keeping snakes. They earn money as snake charmers in the tourist areas. Indeed, there was a time when Ahukuntakayos people would be called upon to clear gardens and rice paddies of poisonous snakes. But a future as a snake charmer is no longer a certainty for a child in this village. With schooling, the next generation may be able to get more secure employment. But they thereby risk losing their forefathers' skills - and a centuries-old culture.

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A Camera Q and Shoreline Adventures LLC production

At the beginning of the last century Alaska was still uncharted territory. There were no roads, everything, passengers and freight, had to be shipped by boat. In the middle of roaring 20’s the Alaska Steamship Company launched their first luxury cruise ship, the Aleutian. Captain John G. Nord was at the helm. Born in Sweden, he had immigrated as a young lad to Seattle and took a job on a ship. Within three years he had advanced to captian. Captain Nord was known for having a level head and had never lost a ship. But on May 26, 1929 in a remote fjord off the coast of Kodiak Island, Alaska, he collided with a hidden pinnacle rock. The Aleutian sank in less than 10 minutes. Miraculously only one person drowned, a steward, who had returned to the sinking ship to retrieve his “lucky” horseshoe and was never seen again. Seventy-three years after the accident, a small group of scuba divers launched a self-funded expedition to locate the lost passenger liner. What is it about the Aleutian that captures the imagination of these modern day adventurers? Is it the secrets that she took with her to the deep, or the prospect of treasures lost to a watery grave? Or is it simply the excitement of discovery, and the venture into the deep, dark and dangerous water that is her final resting place? All earlier attempts to find the sunken ship in the deep waters of the fjord had failed. But, against incredible odds, this team succeeded.

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Börje Brelid often begins a tale with, “I’ve gotta te ll you...” Bo rn in Västergötland, Sweden, the son of a butcher, Börje has been entertaining people for over seven decades. With “old country” humor reminiscent of Olof i Skratthult, he has generated laughter that “reverberates around the world.” He is a performer who interacts with his audience creating an intimate atmosphere and joviality through his many unique characters and personalities. In this documentary he shares his talent and joy of living, but also reveals his struggles against depression that made the effort of opening his eyes in the morning nearly insurmountable. In his darkest days it was the laughter from the audience that gave him the strength and the will to live.

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Skiing through a virgin forest one cold winter day we were surprised by a strange symphony of noises. The sound came from an old anthill near the edge of a small clearing. It was covered in snow, but on the side facing the clearing there was a large, gaping black hole. For the first time we were given the opportunity to glimpse one of nature’s best kept secrets. The sow sleeping in the old anthill had not one, but two new born cubs! I was thrilled and excited knowing that this was the first time anyone had ever studied a wild bear with new born cubs inside its den. Few animals are as celebrated as the Brown Bear, appearing frequently in fables, fairytales and folklore. Many native legends attribute the bear with super natural powers; powers that people often desire and endeavor to acquire. Probably the most intriguing about the bear is its winter sleep. How can a creature as large as the brown bear dig a hole in the ground in the fall, sleep for six months, and then wake up in the spring and emerge from the den just as strong and active as they were when they entered? For years researches around the world have been intrigued by the bears’ winter sleep. Understanding the bear’s body function might give us clues to preventing muscle atrophy, something that would benefit people on bed rest or even astronauts during extended space travel. What secrets do bears possess?

This film does a marvelous job of unlocking the secrets of bear hibernation. Through this marvelous documentary we are privileged to get a glimpse of the secret world of hibernating brown bears. With a well-balanced presentation of scientific facts and beautiful videography, Stefan Quinth offers us a unique insight into the mysteries of brown bear hibernation. For millennia people have pondered how brown bears can survive long periods of sleep each winter; this documentary gives us a rare opportunity to glimpse how those mysteries are being unlocked through scientific research and carefully conducted observations of wild bears.
Dr. Larry Van Daele
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Kodiak, Alaska

Prizes

Japan Wildlife Film Festival 2009 awarded "Brown Bear Secrets" ”The Jury Recognition Award”
Juryns beslut: -This film taught us not just the habits of a brown bear but the profundity of life as well. We applaud your persistency and sincere attitude.

The Animal Behaviour Society Film Award for commercial fim on animal behaivior - Semifinalist. Arizona, USA, August 2008

Green Vision, St. Petersburg Russia finalist

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Consisting of anything animal, vegetable or mineral but with a decidedly outdoorsy slant, the comic strip TUNDRA takes an offbeat view of the woodsy side of life. Found in nearly 500 newspapers around the world, TUNDRA springs forth from the mind of Alaskan cartoonist Chad Carpenter. This DVD offers a personal and sincere glimpse behind the scenes of what has become the most successful self-syndicated newspaper comic in history.

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Tundra samples

Need more Tundra? Visit www.tundracomics.com

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“And what a world of grandeur is spread before us! Below is the canyon through which the Colorado runs. We are ready to start our way down the great unknown.. and the great river shrinks into insignificance as it dashes its angry waves against the walls and cliffs that rise to the world above...” The words of John Wesley Powell describe the awesome power and beauty of the Colorado River as it enters into what is now the Grand Canyon. Today we know what lies behind every turn and, contrary to Powell, we know that this is not the gateway to hell, but to paradise. Supplied by seven tributaries, the Colorado was once a powerful river. But in a dry desert the battle for water is fierce, every drop is used over and over again. Canals, pumps, dams, and hydropower plants built along the river make it one of the most exploited rivers in the world. Canyonlands, that Powell describe with incredible reverence, have now been drowned in a reservoir, ironically named after him. Venetian type cities, desert golf courses, and a population far exceeding the limits of the water supply deplete the river. But the biggest culprit is, by far, desert agriculture. By the time it reaches the Delta in Mexico the once mighty river has been reduced to a mere trickle. The lush green Delta has been transformed into salty mudflats, and the Sea of Cortez, that once bubbled with life, is now nearly barren and eerily calm.

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Prizes

Winner of Bronze Palm Award
2009 Mexico International Film Festival

"Our judges felt that your film demonstrated superior and standout filmmaking and is deserving of special recognition. Your film was among the best submitted from over 30 countries around the world."

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For thirteen summers Timothy Treadwell communed with the bears of Katmai National Park. Emerging from an addiction to drugs and alcohol Timothy escaped to the wilderness of Alaska, finding his salvation among the bears with whom he felt a close kindred spirit. A self proclaimed expert on bear behavior, he presented himself to the public as the protector of an “endangered species”, and became an over night celebrity flaunting videos of himself petting the bears.

On October 6, 2003 Timothy and his companion Amie Huguenard were mauled and partially eaten by the very bears they loved and sought to protect. The story unfolded in newspapers and magazines across the globe, reporting Treadwell’s passion for bears, delving into details of Treadwell’s life and outlining the personal choices that ultimately led to his death.

I have spent a lot of time in bear country, living among the bears, studying them and filming them for more than 25 years. They are fascinating animals that demand respect, but are extremely tolerant and accepting of humans if we just behave correctly around them.

Timothy Treadwell’s behavior around bears was a concern long before the tragedy on Katmai, not just for his own safety but because of the way he portrayed the bears to the public. The best way to protect the bears is to teach people how to behave in bear country. Films of him walking among the grizzly, approaching them and even touching them inspired others to do the same. Bear attacks, injuries and killings presented by a zealous media generates confusion, fear and hatred. Treadwell’s passion for the bears was a deadly passion. His misguided approach to bridging the gap between humans and bears caused only harm to the animals he loved and dedicated his life to protect.

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Prizes

Twin River Media Festival 2006 - 3rd prize documentary

MontanaCINE International Film Festival 2005 - Finalist

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival 2005 - Finalist

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They have roamed the forests of Asia since the beginning of time. Mystical and majestic, they have inspired myths and legends and even been exalted to a god. But though the elephant is worshiped by some, its existence is now severely threatened. With a diminishing habitat and shrinking forage area, the Asian elephant is finding it hard to survive. An estimated 200 elephants are killed every year on Sri Lanka. The civil war that has raged between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil guerrillas for the past 25 years continues to ravage the countryside. Elephants have been caught in crossfire, and those trying to help them run the same risk. Elephants that for one reason or another have been frightened or chased away from their home range can be very dangerous. Sri Lanka’s “Elephant Team” is working to save the wild elephants that have come into conflict with humans. Ten men under the leadership of Dr. Nandana Atapattu make up the team, but resources are scarce and the supplies they have to treat injured and dangerous animals are meagre and primitive. Dr. Atapattu has often stressed that they are risking their lives, not for the villagers, but to save the elephants. But if only one elephant is successfully relocated, many people will also be saved from both physical suffering and economic ruin.

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For over a thousand years they trudged through the winter landscape, steam rising off the horses broad backs, fur clad men urging them on as they pulled the heavily loaded sleds along the winter trail. Like today's truck drivers hauling goods across the country, these trail drivers transported goods from Dalarna in Sweden, via the mountain market town, Röros, to the ice free port of Trondheim, Norway and back again. There were no roads, no railways, but the one-horse drawn sleds that glided through the snowy woods and across the frozen lakes could carry the valuable but heavy loads of iron and iron goods to Trondheim and from there out into the world. On February 2, 2003, 30 men and women, from the Dalarna Femund Forkörarförening (The Trail Drivers Club) left the city of Falun in Sweden, with 17 horses pulling old-style sleds, and drove out into the forest. Eighteen cold, foggy days later a group of tired but happy trail drivers arrived at the historic market in Röros, Norway, welcomed by thousands of happy market goers. Join us on the ancient trail and experience the beauty of the Scandinavian countryside, the camaraderie and laughter along the way, and the music of the Dalarna Femund Trail Driver Players.

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High in the forest clad mountains of Sri Lanka lives a woman who is known as the angel of the hills. Swedish born Anna-Greta Perera is a mother of many children. Anna-Greta was born in 1940 in the small village of Vängsbo outside of Edsbyn in Hälsingland, Sweden. As the eighth of eleven children, it could get pretty crowded, but for Anna-Greta, growing up in a large and loving family was the perfect preparation for her future. She came to Sri Lanka in 1969 to marry Jacob Perera whom she had met seven years earlier at the chapel in Vängsbo. Today she and Jacob have a very large family with about 130 children.

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Zmiyivka, in southern Ukraine, is also known as ”Gammalsvenskby” or ”Old Swedish Village.” The inhabitants of Gammalsvenskby trace their roots back to the 13th century, to Dagö, an island off the coast of Estonia, which was at that time under Swedish rule. When Sweden lost Estonia to Russia in 1721 the Swedes on Dagö found themselves in enemy territory. In 1781 Catherine the Great, the Russian empress, forced the 1200 Swedes to leave Dagö and march 1,242 miles to the Dnieper River in Southern Ukraine.

The people of Ukraine have suffered through wars, pestilence and famine. Still, the Dagö Swedes have survived and maintained their identity and their language. The old Swedish dialect is still spoken by the elders in the village. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, contact with the motherland, Sweden, has been reestablished and children are learning Swedish in school. Over the last twenty years many visitors from Sweden have come through here and met the people of the village, but few have become as involved in village life as Tage Brolin. We follow Tage as he visits with the ladies of the village who share their incredible stories of hardship and trials growing up in Ukraine.

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A Camera Q & Kodiak Resource Development production

“Many people feel that bears are unpredictable. Well, I think that bears feel the same way about us, that we’re unpredictable.”

Dr. Larry Van Daele, wildlife biologist with Alaska Fish and Game, has been studying Brown Bears for over 25 years. In this film series he shares with us his expertise and experience of living with and around Brown Bears. In Dr. Van Daele explains how the bears perceive humans and our actions and how we can understand the bear by its actions and respond correctly. “Consistency is the key to good bear-human relations.”

In Part 2 Dr. Van Daele demonstrates the tools that are available in the event that a situation arises where you may need to assert your authority over the bear or defend yourself. “All said, the best tool you have is what you have between your ears.”

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The children in the old black & white picture have just sat down outside the Araku schoolhouse in Estonia to take the annual class photo. It is the spring of 1948 and the sun has just begun to warm the walls of the old building after a long, cold winter. The woman in the center of the group, Juta Räim, has been the schoolteacher for many years and has good control over her class. They are waiting patiently for the photographer to finish. In the middle row, second from the left, there is a young girl, Kenni Kaup, who has recently returned from Siberia where her family had been deported 6 years earlier. She is not really fluent in the Estonian language but is happy to be able to go to school. The boy in the back row, farthest to the right, is Julius Alp. He too, finds it difficult to keep up with his schoolwork since he has to work until late in the evening every day. What Julius doesn’t know this fine spring morning, is that his family is on the list to be deported to Siberia. Juta Räim, the schoolteacher, is also unaware that very soon most of the children in her class, together with their families, will be deported. Many long and difficult years await the people of Estonia. But what became of the two children, Kenni and Julius, classmates from the little school in Araku?

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This unique wildlife documentary brings you to one of the most remote places on earth to meet the Kodiak Bear, (Ursus Arctos Middendorffi),the world's largest land predator. Alaska's Kodiak islands, located in the North Pacific Ocean, are home to this noble creature. High mountains and valleys of thick brush have protected Kodiak's wildlife for centuries, and the isolated location has kept the progress of civilization at a distance. This magnificent nature documentary takes you to the heart of the bear country, to the breathtaking beauty of the Kodiak Islands.

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Loved and cherished, feared and hated, cute and cuddly, majestic, monstrous and ferocious, no other animal on earth has captured our hearts and our imagination like the Brown Bear. Legends, movies and television have depicted the bear as everything from a cuddly toy to a raging monster. Coastal Brown Bear, Grizzly, European Brown Bear, they are all the same species, Ursos Arctos. Respected and admired by human beings living among them, they have inspired stories that have both fascinated and frightened us. Brown bear once roamed across most of the northern hemisphere, but in the last 150 years we have succeeded and eliminating them from most of their original territory. Our relationship with the brown bear is an ambiguous one. Ranchers hate them, hunters covet them, they fascinate researchers, and some grassroots activists have mistakenly considered them to be living teddy bears, gentle and harmless. How dangerous are these animals? Is there an actual threat or is it merely the stories about this great predator that creates bear-anoia? Is it possible for humans and bears to co-exist in the same area? Today we know more about bears and their behaviour. We have electric fences to protect our animals, bear-safe trashcans and guidelines for human behaviour in bear country that all cut down on potential conflicts. We know that the bear is not our brother, neither is it our enemy. But will we use our newfound knowledge to save this magnificent animal, or will we continue to push it into oblivion?

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Elsa grew up during the 1920’s in Sweden . Hers was an unstable home marked by poverty and hardships. Her mother grew frustrated as her children entered their teens and when Elsa and her sister came home late on Midsummer’s Eve in 1936 her mother complained to the authorities. Child Welfare Services took custody of Elsa, her brother and two sisters. Her siblings were placed in foster homes, but Elsa had a speech impediment and was instead committed to a mental institution. For 31 years Elsa remained behind the locked doors of the institution. Deprived, abused, the victim of medical experiments and enforced sterilization, Elsa has every reason to be bitter and angry. Instead Elsa knows how to savor each day, finding joy in simple pleasures like tasty apples, pretty pictures and friendly people. “It’s much easier to be happy than to be bitter,” says Elsa. She is a familiar face at auctions, church functions and parties. Wherever she goes she has a kind word to say to the people she meets whether they are friends or strangers. Once considered to be “mentally deficient,” Elsa has lived on her own for the past 45 years even doing her own taxes. She has a talent for poetry and a remarkable memory for details. Today she is an enthusiastic, vibrant and talented woman who lives life to the fullest to make up for so many lost years. Hers is a story of endurance and tears, triumph and laughter, and the joy of living.

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Elsa lived the last years of her life in a nursing home. Crippled by rheumatism she was confined to a wheelchair, but her mind and her memories remained fully intact and she always had a new story to tell or a song to sing!

Elsa Lundh died June 14, 2008

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For PK, growing up in Orissa, India, was never a picnic. His family descends from an indigenous people, known as “Dalits”, or “untouchables.” Although it has been more than 50 years since the Indian government legally abolished the caste system, they have not been very successful in changing public prejudices or in preventing the oppression of people from lower castes. It made little difference that PKs grandfather was a tribal chief, the little boy was not allowed to drink from the same well as the other children. Even so, PK’s life has been full of surprises. Like a storybook adventure, his life has followed a long and winding road, from the jungles of India to the forests of Sweden. PK knew he had found the love of his life when he met Lotta in New Dehli. When she had to return home to Sweden PK bought himself a bicycle and followed her. Today the couple lives in southern Sweden, and PK, once an untouchable, is now the Cultural Ambassador of Orissa. Their love and concern for the people of India brings them back to Orissa, aiding those less fortunate and digging wells to be used by all people regardless of caste. PKs love changed the entire course of his life, and it continues to change the lives of many people around him. It is a love that breaks through the shackles of prejudice and triumphs over difficulties. But the path it has taken was both risky and, at times, reckless.

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The OvaHimba are a unique indigenous people with appproximately 30,000 individuals living in the Kunene region (Kaokoland) in northern Namibia, one of the most extreme environments on earth. They are a semi-nomadic people and are closely related to the Herero who speak the same language. The OvaHimba women continue to follow the traditions by covering their skin with a mixture of ochre, animal fat and herbs, giving them their characteristic red color, which is a symbol of beauty. Their long braids are also covered in the ochre cream and an extra tuft of hair from a boyfriend or husband is woven into the end to make their hairstyle extra special. The red color is symbolic and represents the blood of life and the red of the earth. Christofer Wärnlöf is a Swedish anthropologist who has been studying the OvaHimba for over 25 years. He introduces us to the Tjambiro family and to the lifestyle, traditions and history of the OvaHimba.

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“The only purpose to tag an animal is if you can get something out of it that will give you information to help the animal or to help the entire population.”
- Larry Van Daele, Wildlife Biologist

We follow the research team on an exciting adventure to catch and tag Kodiak’s giant bear and the beautiful elk. Information from this unique project will give researchers further knowledge of our relationship with these beautiful animals.

This research project is a cooperative effort between the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, and the Afognak Native Corporation.

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Every Summer for the past 25 years the Francisco family has left their home in Kodiak, Alaska and flown out to their fish camp at Uyak bay to spend four months gillnetting for salmon. The Salmon Industry is the major industry on Kodiak Island and the Francisco’s fish for one of the local canneries. They share with us, in their own words, what life is like in this remote area of the world, separated from friends, school, stores and doctors. Living in unity with nature and contending with wildlife such as the great Kodiak bear. Long, hard days of fishing are followed by cozy evenings in the cabin fellowshipping with family. Join Leon and Judy, their children and grandchildren in what Leon calls “the real world”.

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Before dinosaurs walked the earth, long before mammals, birds and lizards were ever created, the sea turtle, with its thick protective shell, roamed the seas. Many life forms have appeared and disappeared throughout our planet’s long existence, but the sea turtle has survived them all. Until now. During the last 50 years all species of sea turtles have significantly diminished in number. Our extensive development and exploitation of the beaches and oceans have pushed the giant turtles to the verge of extinction.

Although sea turtles prefer warm tropical waters they can sometimes be found in cold northern seas. Tireless wanderers, they often cross both the arctic and the Antarctic circles. Wherever they travel their greatest enemy is man. Not only are many caught in fishing nets and lines, but litter and debris pose a great threat for the armored giants . Plastic bags floating in the ocean are often mistaken for jelly fish. Once swallowed, they block the intestines and the turtles die a slow and painful death.

Sea turtles still wander the world’s oceans, and with a little luck you might meet one of these ancient vagabonds in the wild. Existing for millions of years, it has survived disasters that have wiped out many other life forms. The question is…will it survive us?

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I have met many fascinating people while working around the world with various cultures and tribes – people who are amazing role models and have performed great feats without demanding compensation or special privileges. One of these impressive people is Dr. Tom Coleman from Cambridge, Minnesota. From 1956 to 2004 he and his wife, Elaine, spent many years working in Africa, giving up their own comforts, and sometimes risking their lives, to help others. In the beginning their clinic was a crude wooden shed with only primitive equipment. As a young surgeon Dr. Coleman was presented with injuries and diseases he had never before encountered.

Why do people like Tom and Elaine sacrifice such a large portion of their lives to helping others? Of course, it is because they have a great amount of love for people, but for Tom and Elaine, it was also because of a deep faith in a God who loves everyone equally. Tom recently had a dream. In the dream three children came running from a nearby playground to greet him. Laughing and jumping they called, “We have been waiting for you Grandpa!” Tom recognized the children who had all died very young years ago in Ethiopia. “I think,” he told me, “that there is going to be a lot of light and enormous joy in heaven.” That is the hope that has given him the strength to bear the many difficulties involved in working with poor people in Africa.

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Russell Knight grew up in Mississippi where hunting and fishing was a lifestyle. “I wanted to be able to prepare the animal properly and I didn’t want to take an animal if I couldn’t fully utilize it,” he says. So he took a correspondence course in taxidermy and mounted his first trophy, a pheasant. Taking it to a local taxidermist to get his opinion, Russell was pleased when the man offered him an after school job. After high school graduation Russell bought a ticket to Anchorage, Alaska, fulfilling a lifelong dream to visit the last frontier. Soon he was working with some to the most talented taxidermists in the state. Today Russell is himself at highly esteemed taxidermist with his own shop in Anchorage, creating majestic trophies for hunters from all over the world. In this film Russell and his team are working on one of the grandest, the Kodiak bear. He shows us some of his secrets and offers advice for hunters who are planning and hoping for a trophy of their own, a trophy of a lifetime.

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