Still Wild from Andy Best on Vimeo.
Still Wild
HOW A CONSERVATION FILM BECAME A MISSION TO SAVE AN OUTDOORSMAN FROM ALS
First: The Film
Fish and bird life are the barometers with which we measure the health of our planet’s ecosystems and sensitive natural habitats. With the help of expert fisherman, an ecologist, and studying geologist we set out to locate three indicator species of a fresh water ecosystem. Through the lens of these scientists and explorers the film touches on the conservation of various endemic species such as, the American dipper bird, bull trout, and pure-strain westslope cutthroat trout. All while exploring the pristine region of the Canadian Rockies of Alberta. This like-minded crew set out on a once and a lifetime adventure that tells a passionate story of camping and backcountry fishing with the goal of sharing one simple idea, “Getting outside and experiencing our wild places reveals what we have and what there is to protect.”
Second: The diagnosis following the film
When Director/Filmmaker Andy Best and friend Chad Kendrick of Treeline Outdoors, set out to film Still Wild, it was impossible to know the legacy this production could leave behind. Just days after wrapping the film, Kendrick was diagnosed with ALS, and the production has since grown from a beautiful film about the importance of wildlife conservation to a legacy piece about his life and love for the outdoors.
Since, Chad has been fighting for his life and has lost mobility in his arms, hands, and is swiftly moving to his legs and lungs. This has rendered him unable to hold his newborn son. The film has since become a way to share his story in order to help raise awareness of his illness and ALS as a whole. It has become an effort to help save one of our own.
