WILDERNESS PORTRAIT
I know – the title of the film sounds a little presumptuous and all encompassing. Another option, ‘My Wilderness Portrait’ (to me anyways) sounded too juvenile. I usually spend way too much time oscillating between titles until I get frustrated and (in this case) just go with my first instinct. This film is made from the perspective of the canoeist (me) while spending time in the wilderness.
Now before all the hardcore bush craft people out there send me their comments about what is and what isn’t wilderness and how my campsite resembles a hotel room, please don’t! I have a great respect and admiration for the bush crafters who go to great lengths to ‘really live off the land’. My enjoyment is more so found in the delight of the senses, when camping in the wilderness – the sound of the waves lapping on the shoreline, the colours of the evening sunset, the feel of a hand made cherry paddle slicing through the water, the peace of relaxing on shore in the quietness of wilderness and the mystery of the dancing flames of a camp fire. I wanted to show the beauty of wilderness much like one enjoys a well crafted portrait of someone they love.
There are many aspects of wilderness that I have probably not included in this film or ever experienced myself. Just as a face has many looks to it, this is a very unique portrait of a specific location, time and point of view in the Canadian wilderness.