The Martlet

In 2004, journalist Michael Parfit and filmmaker Suzanne Chisholm arrived on Vancouver Island to cover a stranded male orca’s reunification with his family. The reunion never happened; instead, a political fight over the whale named Luna escalated. Both realized the story was only beginning, but the last thing they expected was to become part of it.

“You almost never as a journalist step into a story that evolves dramatically while you’re there, and in addition there was this extraordinary character,” Parfit says. “It was a story that had a grip on us like nothing else.”

Luna got separated from his family in Washington’s Puget Sound and was discovered 200 miles away in Nootka Sound in 2001. His highly social behaviour was unusual but caught the love and attention of many. Most people believed he was lonely and wanted company. Others, like the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, believed Luna’s social behaviour was a danger to himself and to others. Meanwhile, some members of the local First Nations band believed the whale was a reincarnation of their chief, who died a week before Luna appeared, and were against relocating him.

Parfit and Chisholm, who lived in Montana for several years before moving to B.C. in 2003, have made long careers out of following their passion for nature and wildlife, in particular the connection between humans and the natural world. Together they have made more than 20 short films for National Geographic.

“We live with nature, and so much of the time people feel really disconnected from it,” says Chisholm. “When you realize how amazing these connections really are with the natural world, animals in particular, for me that is such a big thing.”

Says Parfit, “The relationship people have with animals, whether wild or domestic, is very mysterious and fascinating and has so many meanings and experiences that it’s a lot like exploration.” He has travelled to places like the Amazon rainforest and Antarctica writing for National Geographic and Smithsonian magazine.

When Luna died in an accident with a tugboat in 2006, they decided to make a film to capture what they believed to be a wonderful story, despite its tragic ending. A part of the film does show how Parfit and Chisholm tried their own way of helping Luna, but they aren’t pushing any specific message onto the audience.

“There were people who didn’t want to help release our film because it wasn’t aggressive in terms of advocating something for orcas. And yet, we believe it is something that makes people fall in love with an orca. You come out of the film caring about orcas, and you can’t help it,” Parfit says.

As with most indie films, no one in the U.S. heard much about the documentary, released in 2008, called Saving Luna. In 2009, Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds got a hold of it and watched it, as did his then-wife, actress Scarlett Johansson. They both loved the film and hopped on board as executive producers for a revamped version called The Whale. This new version aims to attract a wider audience and focuses more on Luna as a character rather than the politics of the story. Reynolds also narrates The Whale, weaving some of his signature dry humour throughout the film. The new film screened as part of the Victoria Film Festival (VFF) on Feb. 5 and will be playing at Cinecenta on Feb. 10 and 11. Parfit will be at two of the Feb. 10 screenings to answer questions.

The actors’ star power undoubtedly gave the film a boost, but Parfit and Chisholm, who both directed it, also give major credit to the film industry here in B.C., especially Vancouver and Victoria.

“Our own evolution as filmmakers was facilitated to an amazing degree by the fact that we were here. We could have been in a dozen major cities in the U.S. or elsewhere in Canada, and we would not have had the access to the expertise,” Parfit says. “We are very proud to be part of this community.”

The Whale has been widely described by viewers as raising more questions than answers — not surprising, given that nobody was prepared for the whale’s unusual situation. The intellect behind the behaviour of whales also leaves science with much to explore. All Parfit and Chisholm know for sure is that Luna impacted their lives and the lives of those who knew him.

“I guess in some ways . . . we’re going to be telling this story for the rest of our lives,” says Parfit.

The Whale Feb. 10 & 11 Cinecenta 3 p.m., 7:10 p.m. and 9 p.m. Filmmaker to speak at two Feb. 10 evening screenings