Standing with the Ancients (2023)
Length: 75-mins
Director/Producer: Jen Muranetz
Cinematographer/Producer: Sepehr Samimi
Executive Producers: Mark Achbar, Mitchell Steinke, Neal Livingston
Story Editor: Nettie Wild
Funded by: Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, Kickstarter backers, NFB FAP
Video is a compilation of sample footage from the production.
Film is currently in production and post-production, premiering Spring 2024.
Pitch deck can be found here.
In the dense coastal temperate rainforests on southwestern Vancouver Island, the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history is unfolding. STANDING WITH THE ANCIENTS is a raw and in-depth immersion into the historical climate frontline known as the Fairy Creek blockade.
When construction of a new logging road was discovered cresting into the untouched Fairy Creek watershed, a group of activists quickly set up a road blockade to stop old growth logging in the area. For nine months, these blockaders halted industry operations in the unprotected valley. But when police begin arresting forest defenders for blocking roads and locking themselves into trees and innovative contraptions, thousands more flock to the woods to participate in a seven-month long stand-off that would become the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history.
STANDING WITH THE ANCIENTS is a feature-length character-driven documentary, blending an observational, cinema vérité approach with experimental soundscapes and artful archival imagery to create a surrealistic and enveloping embedment into the frontlines of Fairy Creek. By documenting this significant cultural moment through the emotional landscape of those with a stake in this valley, this film aims to bridge perspectives around Canada’s long-standing and complex forestry story.