Being Caribou
Encyclopedia
Being Caribou is a 2004 documentary film that chronicles the travels of husband and wife Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison following the migration of the Porcupine caribou
Herd to explore the Arctic Refuge drilling controversy
. The journey lasted 5 months, starting from the community of Old Crow, Yukon
on April 8, 2003 and ending September 8. The film is produced by the National Film Board of Canada
.
, and Heuer, a wildlife biologist, follow a herd of 120,000 caribou on foot, across 1,500 kilometres (900 Miles) of Arctic
tundra
, in order to raise awareness of threats to the caribou's survival. At stake is the herd's delicate habitat
, which is threatened by proposed petroleum
and natural gas
development in the herd's calving
grounds in Alaska
's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
.
and most popular Canadian film at the Vancouver International Film Festival
.
Porcupine caribou
The Porcupine caribou or Grant's caribou is a subspecies of the caribou found in Alaska and adjacent parts of Canada. It resembles the Barren-ground Caribou and is sometimes included in it....
Herd to explore the Arctic Refuge drilling controversy
Arctic Refuge drilling controversy
The question of whether to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve has been an ongoing political controversy in the United States since 1997...
. The journey lasted 5 months, starting from the community of Old Crow, Yukon
Old Crow, Yukon
-Population data:-External links:******, a National Film Board of Canada documentary...
on April 8, 2003 and ending September 8. The film is produced by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
.
Plot
Allison, an environmentalistEnvironmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
, and Heuer, a wildlife biologist, follow a herd of 120,000 caribou on foot, across 1,500 kilometres (900 Miles) of Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
, in order to raise awareness of threats to the caribou's survival. At stake is the herd's delicate habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
, which is threatened by proposed petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
development in the herd's calving
Calving
Calving may refer to:*Calving, the process of giving birth to a calf*Ice calving, the process by which an iceberg breaks off from an ice shelf or glacier...
grounds in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...
.
Awards
Winner of approximately 20 awards and honours, including a Gemini AwardGemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
and most popular Canadian film at the Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
.