The film Shaped by Wild, which features a trip by Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, including former chief Jimmy Lulua is a finalist in the Banff Mountain Film Festival. The film tells stories of people living in or near the Coast Mountains.
Shaped by Wild will show as part of the festival in Banff, on now, with Lulua and some of his fellow hikers Nelson William, Bruce Lulua and retired guide and non-Indigenous member of the team, Brian Finnie heading over to attend the screening which will take place Nov. 4. Hiker Michael Mylonas will not make the event, as he has since moved back to Toronto.
The film includes some of the journey the men took to retrace a traditional historic route from the community in Nemiah Valley to Bute Inlet on foot, taking them over the Coast Mountains via a route over the Homathko Icefield.
The journey took the hikers across 75 km of rough terrain, including the technical aspects of glacial travel and river crossings.
Shaped by Wild also includes other stories of connections to the Coast Mountains, and the importance of the mountain range in shaping the lives of those who live in or near them.
The film was directed by Bryan Smith and Cameron Sylvester and was premiered in Whistler in February 2023 and can also be streamed during the festival by going to banffcentre.ca.
READ MORE: Spiritual journey marks a return to land and tradition for Chilcotin’s Xeni Gwet’in
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