THE FILM
Part hermit, part biologist, Guardians live on boats, full-time, in one of the last pristine frontiers of the world to monitor salmon, the backbone of the ecosystem, economy, and culture along British Columbia's coast. But, in an age of science censorship and soaring natural resource development, Guardians and the wildlife they have dedicated their lives to protect are now disappearing.
THE CHARACTERS
DOUG STEWARTDoug Stewart, the oldest Guardian, has lived on his boat in the Great Bear Rainforest since 1977. |
CAROL STEWART Carol is Doug Stewart's wife. She has lived aboard the Surfbird for over 20 years. |
STAN HUTCHINGSStan Hutchings is the second oldest Guardian. He has worked for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans as both a fisheries officer and Guardian since 1979. |
THE FILMMAKER
COURTNEY QUIRIN is a wildlife biologist turned documentary filmmaker and environmental journalist based in San Francisco, CA. Currently she is a documentary film resident at SFFILM.
After graduating from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Biology, Courtney moved to New Zealand to complete a Master's in Wildlife Management at the University of Otago. There she not only learned how to catch and tag fur seals, but also traveled to the highlands of Ethiopia to identify the nature and extent of farmer-primate conflict. After New Zealand, Courtney headed to The Ohio State University to investigate urban coyotes for her PhD, but just shy of 2 years into the degree, she realized that her true passions lie within documentary film and investigative journalism.
Since switching careers, Courtney has earned a Master's in Journalism and Documentary Film from the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism as well as reported for the Associated Press in South Africa and for Al Jazeera, Bay Nature Magazine and Mission Local in California.
After graduating from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Biology, Courtney moved to New Zealand to complete a Master's in Wildlife Management at the University of Otago. There she not only learned how to catch and tag fur seals, but also traveled to the highlands of Ethiopia to identify the nature and extent of farmer-primate conflict. After New Zealand, Courtney headed to The Ohio State University to investigate urban coyotes for her PhD, but just shy of 2 years into the degree, she realized that her true passions lie within documentary film and investigative journalism.
Since switching careers, Courtney has earned a Master's in Journalism and Documentary Film from the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism as well as reported for the Associated Press in South Africa and for Al Jazeera, Bay Nature Magazine and Mission Local in California.
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GUARDIAN is a cautionary tale about the role of science in environmental decision-making and the repercussions of its censorship. |
History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes -- Mark Twain.