People of a Feather 2012
Distributed by The Video Project, PO Box 411376, San Francisco, CA 94141-1376; 800-475-2638
Produced by Sanikiluaq Running Pictures
Directed by Joel Heath
DVD , color, 52 min. (also includes 90 min. version)
General Adult
Energy, Environmental Science, Global Warming
Date Entered: 08/02/2013
Reviewed by Jessica Schomberg, Minnesota State University, MankatoIn this documentary, director Joel Heath and the community of Sanikiluaq examine how changing sea ice affects the ecosystem of the Belcher Islands in Hudson Bay.
Hydroelectric dams were constructed in the Hudson Bay in the 1970s, trapping fresh water in reservoirs and allowing it to get warm during the summer, then dumping this warmed fresh water into sea ice habitats in the winter. In addition to warming the water, fresh water freezes at different temperatures and with different textures than salt water. This has negatively impacted the ability of eider ducks to survive the winter, and has therefore harmed the eider duck economy of the Inuit in the region. As the waters from this area make their way into the Atlantic, they may also be harming the global ecosystem.
This was a very beautiful and sometimes tragic look at the devastating environmental impact of hydroelectric dams, a supposed clean energy resource.
The film primarily features interviews and wildlife footage. Narration is in English, dialog chiefly in Inuktitut with English or French subtitles.