FILM REVIEW: A GOOD WOLF
“A good wolf is a dead wolf,” was the running philosophy in early wildlife management in Denali National Park, when biologists were concerned about the livelihood of sheep populations and the stronghold of trapping culture in arctic frontier communities.
And while that sentiment still survives among some Alaskan locals today, feature-length film A Good Wolf explores the nuanced and tense interactions that wildlife stakeholders manage along the Stampede Corridor, a section of land adjacent to the park, while determining a path forward for the state’s public lands.
“If you are a wildlife activist, a good wolf is probably a wild one, free to live its life unhindered by human interference,” Director Ramey Newell wrote on the film’s website. “To a scientist, good wolves might be the ones that provide useful data.”
The film will screen on the final day of the upcoming Fifth Annual Eastern Sierra Mountain Film Festival running from October 2-5. The festival will take place in the U.S. Forest Service Auditorium in Mammoth Lakes.
The festival, run and organized by the Eastern Sierra Arts Alliance, is a mountain-centric expansion of the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival (MLFF), which is held every spring, Executive Director Shira Dubrovner wrote in a press release.
“Even though [these films] did not make it into the MLFF they deserved to be seen and celebrated,” Dubrovner stated. “That is how the Eastern Sierra Mountain Film Festival was born. We need some of these stories to be heard now more than ever.”
A Good Wolf examines a 40-year struggle between state and federal authorities, fur trappers and wildlife advocates and competing human interests on public lands. The film crew features representatives from each of the three stakeholders.
“Why are you letting me film you?” the videographer asks her subject, a disgruntled trapper, 20 minutes into the film. The trapper replies, “I mean, nobody else is gonna tell this side of the story but me and I’ve been doing it for 30 years. If the truth hurts, I’m here to deliver some pain for you.”
The film also follows the story of an elderly, injured and lone female wolf, scientifically dubbed 1202 as she attempts to survive the harsh Alaskan winter.
The film observes natural scenes with tall, clouded-in mountains, caribou grazing on lichen and, of course, wolves sprawled across the rugged landscape. But it also cuts to meeting rooms filled with concerned faces and cushioned chairs.
Nuanced, picturesque and complicated, the 93 minute film is worth the watch. It premieres on Saturday
The festival will show seven other noteworthy films in the days before. It opens Wednesday, October 2 with a feature-length screening of Ashima, which follows a 13-year-old elite rock climber as she balances fame, career, and childhood.
Thursday evening focuses on climbing-related films, screening full-length feature, Yamnuska: The Ragged Edge and two shorts, Jamrock and Ian. Friday evening, the festival will showcase three environmental films, Chasing Time, A Fighting Chance and To See The Sky.
Screenings begin at 7:00 p.m. each night. Tickets to the event are free with a suggested donation of $12 per evening. Trailers and additional information are available at www.easternsierraarts.org/esmff
