Indigenous Peoples, conservation groups, and scientists come together in this short film, as a decades-long battle to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC violently escalates at Fairy Creek (the last unprotected, intact valley on southern Vancouver Island) on unceded Pacheedaht Territory.
The film explores the characters’ relationships with ancient forests, why it’s imperative we collectively protect these one-of-a-kind ecosystems against the destructive industries and what a sustainable world under Indigenous leadership could look like.
Production and filming for Before They Fall took place on the ancestral homelands of the Ma’amtagila, Pacheedaht, Ditidaht, Songhees and Esquimalt Peoples, now so-called Vancouver Island. Whenever possible characters featured in the film helped inform production logistics and secure appropriate rights and permissions. During filming, they were given space to tell their story as they wished. We acknowledge the complicated situation at so-called Fairy Creek/Ada’istx. Ecologyst films followed the invitation of Elder Bill Jones and Hereditary Chief Victor Peter.
Featuring: TJ Watt, Dr. Suzanne Simard, Rande Cook, Rainbow Eyes, and Land Defenders at Fairy Creek
Directed by: Cam MacArthur
Produced by: Momme Halbe
Executive Producer: Rene Gauthier
Written by: Momme Halbe, Cam MacArthur
Year: 2021
Before They Fall
Country of Origin: Canada
Runtime: 40 minutes
Short Synopsis
A decades-long battle by First Nations, conservation groups, and scientists to protect the remaining old-growth forests in British Columbia escalates when land defenders block a logging company from accessing the last unprotected ancient watershed on southern Vancouver Island.
Director Biography - Cam William MacArthur
Cam is an award winning filmmaker with a demonstarted history of working on documentary, commercial and outdoor lifestyle focused films. He has spent the majority of his career building his portfolio as a director, and has found success in conservation/natural history storytelling. Cam has had the pleasure of working with some of the most influential names in conservation and his latest documentary won "Best Canadian Documentary" at the BC Environmental Film Fest. Through this work he has also cut his teeth as a cinematographer and editor. Cam's inspiration as a filmmaker comes from the environment he is in and this often comes through in his work- nature is the true artist.
Producer Biography - Momme Halbe
Momme Halbe, is a German-Canadian Producer at Ecologyst Films. He calls the West Coast his permanent home and he currently resides on Lekwungen Territory in Victoria, BC.
He graduated in 2010 from the University of Applied Sciences in Kiel as a Bachelor of Arts, worked as a Communications Director and Production Manager at Whistler based Sherpas Cinema from 2011-2014 and worked as a freelance filmmaker and producer from 2014 to 2021. During that time Momme has produced and directed branded content, commercials and short documentaries. He produced short and medium length series and documentaries for the CBC, worked with National Geographic and the Smithsonian Channel as an aerial cinematographer and directed the flying ride Hawaii from Above as part.
