Violet: A Polar Bear Story

Screening Selection

Film Info

Film Year: 2023

Film Duration: 12 min

Country: Canada

Language: English

Director

Raymond Friesen

Film Category
Synopsis

When the pandemic shut down the world in 2020, two female explorers were camping in a remote hut in Svalbard, Norway, with plans to overwinter in one of the challenging locations on Earth. From their isolated base camp, they partnered with the Norwegian Polar Institute to observe and report on a young polar bear mom in the area that was being tracked by researchers unable to get into the field. That first winter they found the bear, whom they affectionately named Violet, with a healthy little cub. Set against a backdrop of stunning fjords and glaciers, the women kept track of Violet for two seasons, following her through the highs and lows of motherhood, and times of loss and renewal—underscoring the challenges of raising cubs in a melting Arctic.