When nature calls

Being in nature is good for our physical and mental health. That’s not rocket science. But right now, our options for exploring the outdoors are still very limited. Flights are still grounded. Many of us have had our incomes reduced or lockdown-related expenses increased. There is also the very real risk of contracting COVID-19 while we’re out in public. What’s the next best thing? Bringing nature into your home. A study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley found that watching nature shows leads to a rise in positive emotions and a decline in negative emotions. While parts of the country are starting to reopen - from schools to businesses and public offices - there is a lot of uncertainty and concerns about keeping ourselves and each other safe. That’s why, for this week, we’re recommending that will take you across Canadian landscapes and perhaps bring some relief while scratching your itch to travel.

In Canadian filmmaker Nettie Wild’s latest masterpiece, the untamed landscape of Northern B.C. is the star. Through an epic journey deep into the traditional territory of the Tahltan First Nation, we get to see the forests, the majestic Stikine River, and the ancient glaciers, as well as the wildlife and the people who call this place home as they face the prospects of irrevocable change to the land. Known for her repertoire of films that centres often obscure characters and underrepresented communities, Wild’s KONELĪNE: Our Land Beautiful spotlights a complex set of characters that are united by the land that sustains them White hunters carry bows and arrows; Tahltan First Nation hunters go after their game on a pickup with high-powered rifles.

KONELĪNE is available on demand here.

As far as bucket-list movies go, One Week checks off all the boxes. A protagonist with a terminal illness, a relationship in need of examination, questions about what happens when we die — check, check and check. What puts One Week ahead of the pack is how the film takes viewers on an unassuming journey from Toronto to Vancouver when the film’s protagonist, Ben, buys a motorcycle and goes on an impromptu trip. We get to take pit stops at iconic tourist attractions like the largest dinosaur statue in the world at Drumheller Valley as Ben searches for the meaning of life before his time runs out. For those of us still stuck at home and struck with wanderlust, this film may just be the remedy.

One Week is available for rent or purchase on Amazon.

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Montana Kid, played by Paul Gross, is a hardened American gunslinger, and there’s a bounty on his head. He’s getting ready for a showdown when the bounty hunters arrive, but the residents of the town at the foothills of the Canadian Rockies where he’s taking shelter didn’t seem to understand the brutal code of the American Wild West. Gunless is a classic take of epic proportions on the things Canadians like to believe about ourselves: we’re polite and far better than our neighbours to the south. So polite, in fact, that the townspeople eagerly stepped up to the plate to help Montana Kid, despite their obvious lack of gun-slinging skills.

Gunless is available for rent or purchase on Amazon.