Trail Films is proud to partner with Professor Frank Tester and the UBC Emeritus College on Culture and the Climate Emergency, a thought-provoking film series that challenges standard narratives surrounding the environmental crisis. Moving beyond the limitations of purely technical solutions, this project reframes the climate emergency as a deep-seated "cultural, social, and spiritual problem" driven by the logic of "overshoot" and exploitation. The series is designed to stimulate critical thinking about our collective identity, examining how entrenched economic and cultural systems have impacted our relationship with the planet.

This four-part series aims to facilitate intergenerational dialogue between UBC students and leading thinkers. The first film “VOICE” features Vanessa de Oliveira Andreotti (Dean of the Faculty of Education, U Vic) filmed at the iconic Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, while the second “ALL MY RELATIONS” features Sheila Watt-Cloutier (Inuit activist and former International Chair for the Inuit Circumpolar Council) filmed at the Haida House at the UBC Museum of Anthropology. These sessions dive into complex sub-themes such as "Grief, Anxiety, and Despair," exploring the emotional burden inherited by the younger generation, as well as Indigenous worldviews regarding our relations with the natural world.

To bring Professor Tester's vision to life, Trail Films managed the full scope of production, from site selection to post-production. Producer/Editor Chad Galloway and DOP Laurel Brown led the team in transforming these academic discussions into visually engaging cinematic experiences. By selecting iconic campus locations that served as metaphors for the themes discussed, and designing bespoke set, lighting, and camera plans, Trail Films strived to ensure that the visual storytelling matched the weight and urgency of the conversations.

We are excited to film the third session in this series, 'The Technical Fix?' in the near future.