Everyday Activist - Fractured Land (CIFF 2015)

Posted on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 06:00 PM

CIFF 2015 Review: Fractured Land

Movie Review by Everyday Activist X CalgaryMovies.com

While David Richard Boyd spoke, at the Calgary Public Library as part of his national book tour, about the increases in clean energy sources, specifically, in solar technology and the British Columbia government’s initiative towards better environmental and human health, I held the movie, Fractured Land, in the back of my head, which talks about the opposite; the increase in fracking wells, cancer rates and lack of government policies holding industry responsible for its actions. The documentary features aboriginal lawyer, Caleb Behn, who talks about being fractured. How can you hate an industry that indirectly paid for your education? I face a similar dilemma with mining. My father still works in a coal mine and I spent a summer there. At the same time though, how can you support an industry that devastates the human and environmental landscape?

From a First Nation’s perspective, we get a glimpse of the land as it’s meant to be seen; nourishing its inhabitants with food, fuel and shelter. I have always felt that if people could see what they are destroying, they would have a different opinion about what goes on in the North. This documentary takes you there and does a great job of discussing the deep divides even among the inhabitants. Yes, we have jobs, but what is the point of it all if we can’t drink the water. Even as a child, hunting with his parents and grandparents in Northern BC, Caleb was taught to check the animals for chemical contamination. The amount of wells (and health concerns) has increased exponentially since then.

Fractured Land has multiple layers of complexity as director, Damien Gillis, weaves various issues from the impact of residential schools on Caleb’s family life to the fracking industry and politics surrounding it. In BC and Alberta where we think it’s normal to exploit resources, he points out places within Canada such the Yukon and Quebec that have said no to fracking. Unfortunately, the earth doesn’t understand borders. Earthquakes have been felt in Whitehorse and the probable cause is from fracking in Northern BC and Alberta. Alberta has further complications with water contamination in the community of Rosebud and other farming towns as Andrew Nikiforuk points out in his book Slick Water.

Now that fracking is on our doorstep in Cochrane, potentially threatening the water that supplies the City of Calgary, this fantastic documentary will help open up discussions about fracking. First Nations communities are not alone in their struggles with health concerns and now Canadians have a young champion.

Caleb Behn, featured in the film, will be in attendance along with the director, Damien Gillis, for the Saturday, October 3, 2015 screening, 7:30 PM at Eau Claire. http://www.meetup.com/MovieNights has meetups posted for both nights October 2, 2015 at 4:30 PM at Globe Cinema and October 3, 2015 at 7:30 PM at Eau Claire Market Cinemas if you want to attend with other movie buffs.

Calgary Showtimes: Fractured Land >

Calgary Local Scene Event Listing: Calgary International Film Festival 2015 >
CalgaryMovies.com's CIFF 2015 Coverage >