GROUNDSWELL reviewed at the Facing Page

Groundswell Reviewed

by thefacingpage

On a recent rainy night here in Vancouver, half of the Facing Page team was lucky enough to check out the Vancouver premiere of Groundswell, a surf-documentary starring BC’s West Coast, particularly the Great Bear rainforest.

The underlying theme of the entire evening was the opposition to the proposed oil pipeline from Enbridge running from Alberta into the Great Bear region/ a pipeline that would ultimately put the entire region into peril. The film was preceded by Reflections, an exhibition of works produced by local artists following a trip to the area. The goal of Reflections was not just to preserve that which could be lost, but also raise awareness in the rest of Canada about this beautiful part of the country. Much like with Groundswell itself, the wildlife and the natural beauty of the Great Bear rainforest were the real stars, though it was nice to watch some of the artists going about their work on film. As someone who often dabbles in the visual arts, it’s always a pleasure to see someone with real talent strutting their stuff, and to see the talent of some of these artists portraying something as simple as waves on a beach was an experience in itself. The exhibition will be opening on Granville Island in mid-November before making its way around BC.

Following Reflections, Groundswell got its moment to shine. Not to sound overawed, but each time I see footage from this part of the coast – a region I’m familiar with myself having sailed there a few times in my youth – I’m consistently blown away. It’s a part of the world like no other and the team behind Groundswell have done an excellent job in showcasing it.

To read the full review please visit the Facing Page website.

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