Directed by
Isabelle Groc, Mike McKinlay
Country of Origin
Canada
Runtime
01:22:00
Category
“Part of the Pack” explores the ambiguous love story between humans and wolves. Long feared, the wolves that have survived in places such as Vancouver Island now live in a habitat where humans are advancing. At the same time our fascination for the wolf — as the quintessential symbol of something wild and dangerous — has become stronger. As urban lifestyles have increasingly removed us from nature, some of us want to find that connection again. Encountering a wolf can satisfy our craving for the natural world. Some people have even taken a step further by bringing a wolf or wolf-dog into their homes (literally into their living rooms) as a way to feel closer to the wild. The boundary between wild and domesticated is shifting. Following three such stories where people have developed a unique relationship to wolves, “Part of the Pack” explores the ethical and behavioural questions around creating intimacy with the wild.
Director Biography – Isabelle Groc, Mike McKinlay
ISABELLE GROC – Writer / Co-Director
Isabelle Groc is an award-winning journalist, photographer and documentary filmmaker based in Vancouver. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, where she specialized in broadcast and photojournalism. Her stories and photographs have appeared in National Geographic News, BBC Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife, New Scientist, Scientific American, and many other publications. As a documentary filmmaker she is known for pursuing subjects that explore the complex relationships between people and the natural world and has made films for National Geographic, the Fraser Valley Conservancy and the Wilderness Committee. Most recently she wrote and co-directed (with Mike McKinlay) the documentary Toad People, which screened at the 2019 DOXA International Documentary Film Festival, won The Impact Award at the Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol, and is now streaming on CBC Gem.
MIKE McKINLAY – Director of Photography / Co-Director
As a Director of Photography on both commercial and documentary projects, Mike McKinlay has worked within the genres of verité, drama, historical, environmental awareness and wildlife production. Most recently he was the director of photography and co-director (with Isabelle Groc) of the documentary Toad People, which screened at the 2019 DOXA International Documentary Film Festival, won The Impact Award at the Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol, and is now streaming on CBC Gem. Other recent credits include films made for National Geographic, the NFB, Knowledge Network, the Wilderness Committee, and APTN. Before that, Mike carved out a respectable niche as a director of photography in the Canadian documentary scene, shooting numerous note-worthy and acclaimed documentaries. Recent awards include winning the Leo Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Film for The Road Forward directed by Marie Clements, and being nominated for Best Cinematography for Takaya: Lone Wolf directed by Mary Margaret Frymire.