Impending extinction comes to a tipping point for one of the world’s most iconic species — the Southern Resident killer whales. For two filmmakers, this crisis sparks a stunning journey across the Pacific Northwest. They join activists, scientists and Indigenous leaders, in an attempt to uncover corruption and stop injustice before it’s too late.
This film was part of Fall Series 2021 and is no longer available for viewing.
Coextinction is a heartbreaking story showing the correlation between the shrinking orca population, the wild salmon’s fate and heavy industry industry in the Pacific Northwest.
The young filmmakers Gloria Pancrazi and Elena Jean are also passionate and courageous conservationists. They meet with First Nations’ tribal leaders, activists and scientists in order to understand the interconnection between these topics and to find solutions to the threats.
Beautiful and serene underwater images of the orca and the fish contrast with the environmental disaster caused by the construction of pipelines. The film is a call to action in defense of the precious ecosystems that we are all part of.
— Kasia Biernacka
Gloria Pancrazi is a Canadian documentary filmmaker. She has worked on environmental and Indigenous justice documentaries such as “The Country” and “Impossible to Contain”. After witnessing first hand the impending extinction of the Southern Resident orcas, she decided to take the matter into her own hands and create “Coextinction”. This documentary aims to educate and inspire people worldwide to take action.
Elena Jean is a Canadian documentary filmmaker based out of Tofino, within the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. She has filmed endangered species around the world, with world-renowned organizations like Sea Legacy and Milkywire. Her passion is to tell stories about hope, ingenuity, wild beauty, and to show the interconnected patterns of extinction.
