Curatorial note:

In Nuisance Bear, a polar bear becomes an almost unwitting guide into a conversation about the contemporary human condition — our relationship with nature and with other ways of life that don't always fit our accustomed order. This conversation gradually takes shape through the observation of how people build a relationship with the animal. Around the bear, an entire network of surveillance and control slowly comes into view: useful in one context, a threat or a nuisance in another. Its journey prompts us to consider how our ways of coexisting with others are structured. How far can the established order really accommodate those who live by different rules? And why does the burden of adapting so often fall on their side?

Synopsis:

In Churchill, Canada, a polar bear is forced to make its migratory way through tourists, hunters and wildlife officers. Following this uneasy path, Nuisance Bear overturns the familiar lens of nature filmmaking and asks us to consider who is really the outsider here.

Content warning:

Some scenes involving animals may be distressing for viewers.

Languages:

English, Inuktitut

Festivals and Awards:

Award: Sundance Film Festival, 2026, Grand Jury Prize · U.S. Documentary

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