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This film block brings together stories of recovery, reintroduction, and resilience in the face of environmental and personal loss. Spanning ecosystems from Oregon’s coastline to Madagascar’s spiny forests, these films document efforts to restore balance where it has been disrupted.
Through the return of sea otters to their historic range, the reintroduction of endangered tortoises, the protection of vulnerable owl populations, and individual journeys shaped by wildfire, addiction, and grief, the films explore what it takes to rebuild after rupture. Together, they consider restoration not as a single act, but as a long, uncertain process shaped by care, collaboration, and persistence.
In a world grappling with climate change and the rapid loss of biodiversity, photographer Gretchen Kay Stuart turns her lens toward hope. A member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, Stuart has built her career using visual storytelling, camera trapping, and collaboration with scientists to raise awareness for imperiled species. Her latest project follows the story of sea otters in Oregon, once abundant, but driven to local extinction by the 19th-century fur trade. Archaeological evidence reveals Oregon once served as a vital hybrid zone, connecting Washington’s northern and California’s southern subspecies. Their absence has left ecosystems fractured and biodiversity diminished. Now, led by the Elakha Alliance, a coalition of conservationists, Indigenous leaders, and local communities are working to return sea otters to their native waters. Through Stuart’s photography, writing, and intimate collaborations, The Oregon Otter Gap captures both the ecological urgency and the human dedication behind a movement to restore balance before climate change deepens the stakes.
- Year2025
- Runtime4:22
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorFernando Vilanova
- ProducerRoberto Burgos
- CastGretchen Kay Stuart
This film block brings together stories of recovery, reintroduction, and resilience in the face of environmental and personal loss. Spanning ecosystems from Oregon’s coastline to Madagascar’s spiny forests, these films document efforts to restore balance where it has been disrupted.
Through the return of sea otters to their historic range, the reintroduction of endangered tortoises, the protection of vulnerable owl populations, and individual journeys shaped by wildfire, addiction, and grief, the films explore what it takes to rebuild after rupture. Together, they consider restoration not as a single act, but as a long, uncertain process shaped by care, collaboration, and persistence.
In a world grappling with climate change and the rapid loss of biodiversity, photographer Gretchen Kay Stuart turns her lens toward hope. A member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, Stuart has built her career using visual storytelling, camera trapping, and collaboration with scientists to raise awareness for imperiled species. Her latest project follows the story of sea otters in Oregon, once abundant, but driven to local extinction by the 19th-century fur trade. Archaeological evidence reveals Oregon once served as a vital hybrid zone, connecting Washington’s northern and California’s southern subspecies. Their absence has left ecosystems fractured and biodiversity diminished. Now, led by the Elakha Alliance, a coalition of conservationists, Indigenous leaders, and local communities are working to return sea otters to their native waters. Through Stuart’s photography, writing, and intimate collaborations, The Oregon Otter Gap captures both the ecological urgency and the human dedication behind a movement to restore balance before climate change deepens the stakes.
- Year2025
- Runtime4:22
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorFernando Vilanova
- ProducerRoberto Burgos
- CastGretchen Kay Stuart