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Interviewed
by Holly Kuestner, Editor-in-Chief of the
Amazing Kids! eZine
In this issue of the Amazing Kids!
eZine, we interview filmmaker Sarah Robertson, director of the movie, "Arctic Tale".
AK: How did you decide
to direct a film with themes about global warming?
SR: We have been working
in the arctic for 15 years and during that time have seen the ice
patterns change.
The ice is melting earlier in the year and taking longer to reform in
the winter. We have seen behavior change in bears and walrus as their
ice platform and environment alters around them. We are so impressed by
the way these animals can change and learn new ways to survive that we
wanted to express to people the spirit and boldness that these animals
have.
AK: Have you worked with
similar themes in the past, or was this completely new material?
SR: We have not made a
global warming movie before.
AK:
What were some of the biggest challenges about the filming process?
SR::
Working in the arctic is very challenging. For every month you are in
the arctic you get 3 to 4 good days of filming. So despite the extreme
cold and rugged conditions, its actually the anxiety of waiting that
becomes the hardest part of working in the north. We never know when
something is going to happen and have to be ready at all times. We
sleep in tents or igloos, essentially living outside for months at a
time. The winters are -40 degree's just standing, and we travel in dog
teams and sleds for 12 hours a day in the cold.
AK: What was the most
fun or rewarding aspect of this project?
SR:
Having a great day watching animals, and working with the Inuit people.
Making the fart sequence. Every time the editing became too hard, we
would work on the fart sequence , which would always make us laugh.
AK: What kind of impact
do you hope this film will have?
SR:
We really see the movie as an allegory. To show up the qualities of the
animals, their bravery, courage, devotion and intelligence to find new
ways of living in their environment as it changes around them. If bears
and walrus can change and adapt so can we, we should not be afraid of
change, instead we need to have courage to take new initiatives, and go
beyond what our parents taught us to find new ways to live in the face
of climate change.
We hope young people and families will start talking about how much
walrus and bears are like us, how they have families, how they help
each other and hug and need each other. We have become so disconnected
from the natural world that we have forgotten that we are like bears
and walrus and we no longer realize that our way of life does effect
all life.
AK: How is this film
unique?
SR:
The film is really a movie that just happens to use real live footage
to tell the story. It has a dramatic character driven story that really
seeks to connect families with the animals. We want to show animals
from their POV, up close making decisions in the here and now. To us
this was the way to really celebrate the animals and show their
wonderful qualities. Many things in the movie are brand new discoveries
made about the animals and some of the very first photographic images
of walrus.
AK: Do you have any
plans for directing future films yet (either related to Arctic Tale or completely
different)?
SR:
We definitely hope so, maybe more work in the arctic.
AK: How did you decide
to pursue a career in film? What was your experience with breaking into
the film industry?
SR:
We were underwater photographers and wanted to find a place in the
world where we could sink our teeth into. The arctic had so many
mysteries and little known animals that we were eager to explore and
discover photographically. We were young and poor, but we had owned a
film camera. We got ourselves into the north and started working with
the Inuit and began filming, collecting images and learning about the
place and animals. After four years of doing this, we finally started
getting attention from TV broadcasters and soon started getting
commissioned to make wildlife films. You have to spend a lot of time
just doing it, instead of dreaming it.
AK: What advice do you
have for kids who are interested in working in the film industry in the
future?
SR:
Take a camera and just go start filming and recording. Don't let anyone
say you can't do it.
AK: Thank you for your
time! We appreciate your time and thoughtful answers very much!
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