Isabelle Groc & Mike McKinlay, Directors
Part of the Pack explores the ambiguous love story between humans and wolves, inviting viewers to rethink the nature of our engagement with the wild in today’s world.
Part of the Pack explores the ambiguous love story between humans and wolves. Wolves that have survived in remote places like Vancouver Island now live in a habitat where humans are advancing. Although long feared by humans, our fascination with the wolf — a symbol of something wild and dangerous — has become stronger. As urban lifestyles have increasingly removed us from nature, some of us want to find that connection again. Some people have even gone a step further by bringing a wolf or wolf-dog into their homes. The boundary between wild and domesticated is shifting. Following three stories where people have developed a unique relationship with wolves, the film explores the ethical and behavioral questions around creating intimacy with the wild. Through their journeys, we follow the different ways in which we get closer to wolves and wolves get closer to us. Ultimately, the film invites viewers to rethink the nature of our engagement with the wild in today’s world.
Released in 2022
Running time: 82 minutes
FHFF Film Category: Things to Consider
FHFF Film Sponsor: Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
IN-THEATRE SCREENINGS:
Saturday, October 22 - 4:15 PM
Sunday, October 23, 10:00 AM
FILMMAKER ATTENDANCE: In Person
A Q&A with directors Isabelle Groc & Mike McKinlay will follow each in-theatre screening.
ONLINE SCREENINGS: On-Demand October 24 - 30 on fhff.org.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
ISABELLE GROC – Writer / Co-Director Isabelle Groc is an award-winning journalist, photographer, and documentary filmmaker based in Vancouver. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, where she specialized in broadcast and photojournalism. Her stories and photographs have appeared in National Geographic News, BBC Wildlife, Canadian Wildlife, New Scientist, Scientific American, and many other publications. As a documentary filmmaker, she is known for pursuing subjects that explore the complex relationships between people and the natural world and has made films for National Geographic, the Fraser Valley Conservancy, and the Wilderness Committee. Most recently she wrote and co-directed (with Mike McKinlay) the documentary Toad People, which screened at the 2019 DOXA International Documentary Film Festival, won The Impact Award at the Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol and is now streaming on CBC Gem.
MIKE McKINLAY – Director of Photography / Co-Director As a Director of Photography on both commercial and documentary projects, Mike McKinlay has worked within the genres of verité, drama, historical, environmental awareness, and wildlife production. Most recently he was the director of photography and co-director (with Isabelle Groc) of the documentary Toad People, which screened at the 2019 DOXA International Documentary Film Festival, won The Impact Award at the Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol, and is now streaming on CBC Gem. Other recent credits include films made for National Geographic, the NFB, Knowledge Network, the Wilderness Committee, and APTN. Before that, Mike carved out a respectable niche as a director of photography in the Canadian documentary scene, shooting numerous note-worthy and acclaimed documentaries. Recent awards include winning the Leo Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Film for The Road Forward directed by Marie Clements, and being nominated for Best Cinematography for Takaya: Lone Wolf directed by Mary Margaret Frymire.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
You can be an integral part of this year’s In-Theatre Festival. Click below to learn more about volunteer opportunities at this year's festival in Friday Harbor, October 21-23, 2022.
Friday Harbor Film Festival thanks our presenting sponsors:
