 |
| ©Getty |
| Urban wildlife conflict is on the rise worldwide. |
The Humane Society of the United States, through its Animal Content in Entertainment program, awarded a $10,000 grant to documentary project "The Concrete Jungle," at the 2007 SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival in June.
The work of co-director/editor Don Bernier and co-director/producer Rachel Buchanan, "The Concrete Jungle" was chosen from more than 60 submissions competing for The HSUS' ACE grant. It focuses on human-wildlife conflicts from across the globe.
The Humane Society of the United States recently sat down to talk to Bernier and Buchanan about their film.
The HSUS: What's your reaction to winning the ACE grant?
Don Bernier: Being our very first pitch and having such tough competition, we just practiced and went in hoping for the best outcome. When we won, we were overjoyed! Now, we actually get to make a great project that might actually make a difference.
Rachel Buchanan: Winning the ACE grant is a wonderful honor. Don and I are really passionate about this film, and receiving this award is confirmation that this is a topic that others will find just as intriguing.
HSUS: Why do you think "The Concrete Jungle" was selected?
|
Our goal is to go beyond the glossed-over news story of the occasional black bear spotting in the suburbs. We want to shed light on the larger issue of urban wildlife conflict. |
Bernier: Since we began researching this project, people have continuously commented on how our story—urban wildlife conflict—is so present in their everyday lives: coyote in Chicago, deer in D.C., cougars in L.A. It just told us that the theme we'd chosen to pitch was a common experience for city dwellers.
During the pitch, we sensed the panel's interest in the subject matter as well—they seemed as excited as we were. I think the story has a wide, global appeal.
Buchanan: I believe our project was selected because it is a very timely story and has universal appeal. Our stories will profile people and animals in real and sometimes urgent situations and will show not only the conflict but also solutions and outcomes.
HSUS: What do you hope your documentary will achieve for the animals affected by urbanization?
Bernier: Our goal is to go beyond the glossed-over news story of the occasional black bear spotting in the suburbs. We want to shed light on the larger issue of urban wildlife conflict, which is reaching epidemic proportions worldwide.
 |
| The HSUS |
| Don Bernier and Rachel Buchanan. |
We want to answer the bigger questions of "Why is this happening?" and "What can be done about it?"
Our hope is that the film will educate city dwellers on their hidden and not-so-hidden neighbors, emphasizing that we're all competing for a spot on this increasingly urbanized planet.
HSUS: As filmmakers, are you interested in covering other animal issues and, if so, what would they be?
Bernier: As an artist, themes of nature/culture have been a steady theme in my work for years. In the past, I have focused on zoos, natural history museums and vivisection as subject matter.
I've always been interested in how humans perceive other animals and, in turn, how we've represented (or mis-represented) them throughout history.
In the future, I'd love to tackle the complex history of hunting up to present day.
Buchanan: I've been working with animals for many years—while in high school and college I worked as a veterinary assistant, and now I volunteer with local shelters. The issues that effect animals have always been very important to me.
I see "The Concrete Jungle" as my first of many projects that will combine my skills as a filmmaker and my compassion for animals.
The HSUS: Do you think filmmakers have a responsibility to be advocates as well as storytellers?
|
When you have been given a chance to speak to many people, it's important to use that platform to inform and inspire your audience. Film, television and the Internet are very powerful tools that can teach as well as entertain. |
Bernier: I'm not sure if it's a responsibility or not, but it seems inevitable that the filmmaker's voice will shine through in the end. I feel strongly that objectivity doesn't really exist in documentary film. When you point your camera at something, you're turning it away from something else. It's unavoidable. Anyone who thinks the media is truly objective is kidding themselves—the maker's opinions are surely embedded in every shot or cut.
Buchanan: I feel that when you have been given a chance to speak to many people, it's important to use that platform to inform and inspire your audience. Film, television and the Internet are very powerful tools that can teach as well as entertain.
Don Bernier is an independent filmmaker and a freelance editor whose documentaries have screened at the New York Video Festival, Slamdance, Los Angeles Film Festival and the Independent Film Festival of Boston. His most recent feature, "In a Nutshell: A Portrait of Elizabeth Tashjian", was nominated for a 2005 IFP-Gotham Award and won the 2006 Silver Images Film & Video Award as well as a Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival.
Rachel Buchanan has worked in television documentary for close to nine years. She was the associate producer for RFK, a two-biography for "The American Experience" and for "Destination America," a four-part history on immigration to the United States. In 2005, Buchanan co-produced "Marie Antoinette" for PBS and she is in post-production for "The Jewish Americans."
