Camera Trap (2017)

30 MINUTES

In this half-hour documentary, aspiring wilderness photographer Peter Mather puts everything on the line in his quest to capture one photo that will help tell the story of the greatest land migration on earth.

Official selection Hot Docs 2018
“Best Newcomer” 2018 International Wildlife Film Festival
“Best Made in Yukon Film” 2018 Dawson City International Short Film Festival

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Kelly Milner: Producer
Marty O’Brien: Director, Cinematography, Editor
Tyler Kuhn: Additional Editing
Daniel Ashley: Original Score

The Porcupine Caribou herd is one of the largest caribou herds in North America but its future is uncertain. Climate change, industrial development, national and international political posturing and a rapidly changing north are all putting the herd and its home range at risk. The Gwich'in people who have relied on the herd for generations also see their future hanging in the balance and they need the rest of the world to notice.

“For generations the Gwich’in have relied on the caribou for their survival. Now it’s the caribou who need the Gwich’in to save them.”

— Peter Mather

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Peter Mather is a teacher who started his career in the tiny northern community of Old Crow. It was there he developed a passion for the plight of the caribou and the people whose culture is tied to them. An aspiring wilderness photographer, Peter sets out on a quest to document the herd, its migrations, and the role it plays in communities across the north. But he needs one epic shot - the one that will capture the significance of the herd and inspire others to protect it.

THE QUEST

Camera Trap is an intimate portrait of Peter, exploring what is behind his obsession with protecting the herd and the lengths he will go to get the perfect shot.