The BC Interior Forestry Museum is putting on an outdoor movie night series starting this Friday, September 4.
The four-movie series looks at all aspects of the forest industry and forest ecology, from firefighting to tree planting.
“It is clear Revelstoke cares about their forests. One thing I’ve learned in the five wonderful years I’ve worked at this museum and forest discovery centre, is there is so much diversity to the knowledge on the topic of forestry,” says Anna Minten, the museum’s operations manager, in a news release. “This series of films was chosen to further local knowledge of the industry and our forests, to spark conversation, and to stimulate a deeper understanding of all aspects of the industry.”
The museum began showing outdoor movies last year, and this year’s series builds on that thanks to support from Downie Timber, who are covering the film fees and the equipment needed to show the movies under the stars.
The first film is The Incomappleux, which is being show on Friday, Sept. 4. The film is a documentary about the old-growth forest located along the shores of the Incomappleux River (commonly known as the Fish River) southeast of Revelstoke. It’s goal is to raise awareness of the ancient forests around the river and elsewhere in the inland rainforest around Revelstoke. Director Riel Marquardt will be on hand to answer questions about the forest and the movie.
The second movie is Planes: Fire & Rescue, a Disney movie about an airplane who is called into duty as a firefighter after retiring from air racing. “Disney did their research; Planes: Fire & Rescue paints a pretty good picture of the firefighting practices we use today,” says local forest firefighter Ian Ward. It is being show on Saturday, Sept. 5.
On Thursday, Sept. 10, the museum will show Death in the Forest, a Global TV documentary about the spiralling death toll in the forestry industry that climaxed in 2005 when 40 workers died on the job. The crisis prompted reforms in the industry; only three forest workers died on the job in 2014. The film showcases the danger of the work, with footage of loggers working in old-growth stands, and documents the culture shift in logging safety.
The final movie night is on Wednesday, Sept. 16, when the museum will show 78 Days, a documentary about the gruelling life of a tree planting crew in the swamps of northern Alberta. The movie was an award winner at the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
The BC Interior Forestry Museum is located off Highway 23 North, next to the Revelstoke Dam. The movies begin at 7 p.m. Bring a chair and blanket and enjoy the shows.
