Spotlight: Uprivers generates momentum

Spotlight: Uprivers generates momentum

We are learning so much as we push forward with the making of Uprivers, a documentary about two transboundary watersheds and the communities that depend on them in the face of large-scale mining in Canada. 

It turns out that spawning salmon are a good metaphor for making a documentary film. Although salmon are consumed and distributed in their ocean-bright glory, just as films are spread to the world on the elegant silver screen, the real behind-the-scenes work is an uphill slog, a journey riddled with hungry bears, grant deadlines, toxic waste and PR meetings. By the end of this communal quest we may have felt like we were swimming in place for weeks on end, and we might be a little dark and alligator-y and worse for wear, but we will have birthed a film, ready to begin its own pilgrimage towards the metaphorical silver sea. 

photo by Ellie Schmidt

Currently, with half the filming done, and our friends and partners gathering in Alaska, it feels like we are circling in a pool of calm glacier water, gathering energy and momentum for the last few jumps upriver. The summer has much in store: 

We have launched a new fundraising campaign to finish out the film. Small donations have enabled the film to come this far: thank you! If you're wondering how you can help, this is it. Any amount helps. For more, visit our GoFundMe. 

This July we had planned to visit Ketchikan and Williams Lake to film traditional fishing techniques like beach seining and dipnetting with the native communities there. However, this summer the salmon are running early and so we are scrambling to get there in time. We have exciting plans to film inside a sein net and inside the Fraser River, but, again, we need your help! Pitch in for this important step here. 

Thanks to everyone who has supported us financially, emotionally and spiritually so far. We are excited to have our new trailer out and can feel the film becoming a reality. For first time directors Jackson and Zach this is a momentous time. For more on Uprivers, check out our website or like us on Facebook.