Return of the Great Bear is an inspiring story of people coming together to make a difference for wildlife, and what it takes to make change. Featuring Chief Councillor of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais Nation Douglas Neasloss, renowned bear biologist Wayne McCrory, and pop icon Miley Cyrus this short documentary explores the past and potential future of grizzly bear conservation with stunning wildlife cinematography from Ian McAllister.
Grizzly bears are a symbol for what is wild, but sadly they have disappeared from most of their range in North America. The only small pockets of land where grizzlies still roam free still exist on the West Coast of Canada. As one of the slowest reproducing land mammals in North America, grizzly bears are vulnerable to many threats, particularly hunting. This film tells the story of the decades-long fight to ban grizzly bear trophy hunting in British Columbia. While a ban took effect in 2017, the future of grizzlies is still uncertain. Bans have been overturned in the past as the power in government shifted and in a time of shrinking salmon runs, climate change, industrial logging and pushback from hunting lobbyists now more than ever it is critical for people to come together again and fight for what is wild.
Uplifting the voices of First Nations leaders, biologists, bear guides, and conservationists, this film sheds light on the monumental, collective effort that goes into changing government policy. Viewers get an intimate look at the true nature of bears with breathtaking wildlife cinematography and honest stories from the people who have been changed by the privilege of getting to know bears first-hand.
Natasha Wehn has worked in the Canadian film industry continuously since earning her BA in film production from Simon Fraser University in 2013. From production design to casting to 1st AD, she worked in a wide variety of departments before focusing on directing and producing. One of her most rewarding projects as an associate producer was Luk’Luk’I, a 2017 docudrama (Best First Canadian Feature at TIFF) that collaborated with residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to tell their own dramatized life stories. Natasha believes that visual storytelling has an incredible capacity to build bridges and open people up to new perspectives. She is very excited to be working at Pacific Wild Alliance and advocating for this precious planet, especially for the unique coastal ecosystems that still exist in British Columbia.
Ian McAllister is an award-winning author, photographer and filmmaker with over three decades of wildlife related research in the coastal temperate rainforest. Ian lived for many years with his family on Denny Island in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest where he has filmed for BBC, CBC, PBS, National Geographic TV, and Discovery Channel. Most recently, Ian directed the IMAX film The Great Bear Rainforest which continues to tour giant screens internationally. He has also authored and co-authored 12 natural history books including, The Great Bear Rainforest, Great Bear Wild, and The Last Wild Wolves. Ian has co-founded 3 organizations including Pacific Wild, where he is now the Conservation Advisor, working tirelessly to bring science and education together to benefit wildlife along the BC coast.
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