People of a Feather

People of a Feather showcases the extraordinary beauty of Hudson Bay and its wildlife, focusing on people who have in many ways adapted to modern life, but whose livelihood—in terms of food and other basic needs—depends (as it has for a hundred years) on seals and ducks. Unfortunately, all of these elements are threatened by global warming and the environmental impact of hydroelectric power dams. Filmmaker Joel Heath trains his lens on Sanikiluaq, a community of fewer than 1,000 souls in Nunavut, Canada, but much of the film simply features wild animals in their natural habitat, or native people performing daily tasks: gathering down from eider nests, or enjoying a meal of seal meat (cleavered into chunks) with a Pepsi. Offering contrast, the contemporary footage is interspersed with re-creations of life in Nunavut a century ago. DVD extras include featurettes on the community's location and history, as well as efforts to study duck populations; and behind-the-scenes shorts on building igloos, making parkas, and constructing sealskin kayaks. Featuring both the full-length version and a 52-minute abridgement, this festival award-winner is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)