Julien Dubuque / British Documentary Film Festival 2019 – The Trouble With Wolves
Death threats, court battles, and an iconic endangered species in middle, The Trouble With Wolves takes an up-close look at the most heated and emotional wildlife conservation debate of our time. There’s a reason wolves have been, and continue to be, the world’s most controversial predator, but in these advanced times, can we not find a way coexist?
Interview with Director/Producer/Editor/Animator Collin Monda
Watch The Trouble With Wolves on Prime Video, Vimeo on demand, Tubi and iTunes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
This film idea came from the alignment of a number of curiosities and passions for me. I always trace the roots of this one back to growing up as a kid with a rescued Alaskan Malamute. She was like a fat happy wolf that would even howl in our backyard, harmonizing with passing firetruck sirens. That experience really informed my feelings about wolves but also misinformed them too. This was a dog, absolutely a people pleaser, and that's pretty far from what wild wolves are.
With that developmental seed, 15 years later in my life, I found an increasing interest in the news I was hearing about wolves, an endangered species in and around Yellowstone Park, and they were being slaughtered by people living in the area who didn't want them there. This was, of course, a very one-sided view of the situation and it lacked a lot of foundational information about how things had gotten to this point. Not knowing much more than this slanted collection of headlines and a little bit of supporting data, I decided I would make a short film to try and understand why such a beautiful creature was being treated this way.
This was the starting point, and really from the first conversation I had trying to research the subject, I realized I hardly knew anything about the subject. Rather than abandoning the project, something in me knew that the very fact that I had only heard such lopsided information on the issue, was a big part of the story as well. From this point on until I finally went and shot the film, I resolved to just gather as much knowledge, data, and perspective as I could. This was really when I knew I wanted to make this film. My interest accelerated the further I dug into the fascinating topic and as much as I'd gathered by the time I finally shot the film and its interviews, there were still many surprises to be had there as well.
What I found in the end, was an iconic animal at once beloved and idolized, and on the other hand, hated and reviled--the classic fairytale villain. The wolf seems to be a symbol that is projected onto by people, as a part of a divisive social and political war. I found an incredibly dynamic animal that was maybe all of the things people were claiming it was, and that the contexts different people were in, greatly influenced the way they viewed the animal. I also found that those people of widely differing perspectives all had valid and moving reasons for doing so and that they all, in fact, shared more in common than they knew. By fully listening, I found a rare and valuable middle ground prevailed that can drive compromise and connects deeply with audiences universally. That to me was ultimately the core mission and reason for making this film, but it took a lot of time to get there.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The Trouble With Wolves aims to affect the future of the American Gray Wolf, as well as our greater ability to make compromises necessary to share what has become “our” world with wildlife. Since the return of the wolf in 1995, a red and blue type of political stalemate has grown around them, making compromise over their management incredibly difficult. It's clear that the iconic animal has come to represent something bigger than itself, an ideology about the world we live in and to what extent we're willing to share it. Both for the future of this iconic animal and to bridge the poisonous divide this country is experiencing, we need to find some common ground. This film is an important opportunity to let all perspectives be heard, to help people decide what exactly they should be fighting for.
At this very moment our divided nation, captained by a divisive leader, has passed a bill that seeks to strip endangered species protection for all wolves, including those in recovering states, and even states where wolves could eventually find perfect habitat. This is an unprecedented move for wildlife management, one that should be carefully considered.
The Trouble With Wolves helps Americans find their stance, and debate it with sound evidence. Topics like the reality of state wolf management vs. the perception, (often transmitted via news and interest groups), give a fair, by-the-numbers look at what this could mean for the future of these animals. Understanding the impacts of wolves on their surroundings, the benefits and the detriments, gives a clearer view of where exactly they’d fit in. Rather than an unbridled enthusiasm for re-wilding this country that many shares, a more realistic view of coexistence takes hold. All of this serves as a strong foundation for the current American issues, but it also gives the rest of the world a proxy for handling their own wildlife management struggles.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
There are literal visual themes of the complicated connectedness of the issue portrayed in the film. I took the classic yarn and pins on a cork board while collecting evidence as a starting point, and then took the strings beyond that, into data visualizations and ecological hanging mobiles. This playful but effective style breaks up the intensely serious subject matter and uses entertainment to get across complex concepts in an engaging way.
The second visual theme is a sort of voyeuristic mirror for audience members who may not realize just how disconnected they are from nature, sending opinions and hate mail on the internet and reading headlines from their screen, even googling non-lethal measures for deterring wolves thinking once search and we know more than a stubborn rancher. This format offers a contrast to much of the film but does so, to remind us how different our view is from a desk chair than out in a hayfield watching wolves attack your livestock. This a personal theme as well, as I mentioned before, I felt betrayed in a way when I began researching the wolf coexistence conflict, due to how little I really knew about the issue. I'd read headlines, been sent emails, and signed petitions all under the impression I knew the problem and I was doing what I could to help the issue, but when I began actually speaking to people involved, I saw the damage misinformation or selective information could be. I wanted to be sure to reflect that back for myself and for viewers who were coming from the very same place I came from.
Lastly, empathy and balance is the predominant theme throughout this film. A fair view of everyone, time with them to connect and understand, and many of the counterpoints to each argument until only the raw truth are left to take away. We even get to know a strong female wolf almost like she's a person. We see the savage beauty of life within the pack and feel the deep loss when she is killed, legally, just outside the park boundary.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I get thanked a lot for making this film. I really do.
What people get really excited about is the fact that this film has compassion for all involved in what is so often told as a hero/villain story, or a 'destructive humans vs. nature's innocence' story. It's continually amazing to me and extremely fulfilling. I had attended screenings of films on similar topics while I was editing this story together and I've seen the ugliness of the biased opinion debates that can emerge. Two dozen screenings with a Q/A afterwards, and I can say, I just don't get those reactions. I think everyone learns something and while they may not completely rearrange their ideologies by the end of watching the film, they seem to have been touched by something, by deeply feeling for a character they didn't expect to like, or the truth of a data point that struck them right between the eyes, (I received a letter from a viewer that told me this). After each screening, the feeling is really just, 'wow, ok how do we get this in front of more people?'
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It makes the immense effort it took to tell a truly balanced story worthwhile. This feedback challenges me to keep this standard for any future work I take on. The public has been grossly misinformed via the internet and slanted news sources in the past decade, and I see that they really appreciate being given both sides of the coin to feel they have a founded opinion they aren't anxious about defending.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm grateful to have the exposure and influence of We Are Moving Stories and I would hope that it can bring awareness to this project. I'd love to see this story inspire people to think a bit differently and get at least a piece of what they would get from the film. If this can help reach my audience and connect us, that would be fantastic. I'd like for people to know that the film exists and is playing at festivals, to drive attendance as well as interest in more screenings worldwide, but also, to find the support of passionate individuals who may want to contribute to releasing this film. I've provided a link later on where people can do that.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At the moment I have a distribution deal I’m excited about, but it never hurts to get more offers and opinions to make sure the film gets the best path possible to reach its audience and find new audience members. Buyers could be very helpful as I look to raise the final $40,000 to clear my music and wildlife footage rights in perpetuity. Film Festival directors are always a good thing. If the film seems like a good fit for their programming, that would be a great thing. Journalists may find this story particularly interesting with the department of interior’s decision to remove wolves from the ESA. If they drive knowledge to the film’s screenings and need for support, that would all be wonderful too. Individual donors and brands who may want to sponsor the film are also on my list. Thank you for asking!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d love to see a more peaceful coexistence for wolves. But to do that it takes coexistence between the people engaged in the ideological battle over wolf populations. I’d love for this film to continue to have the effect I’ve been seeing. That is, audience members of all stances finding a common middle ground they use as a starting point for understanding and working on a compromise. I want to continue to see formerly divided audience members having productive and open-minded discussions afterwards.
And then, and this is a lofty task, but I believe this film can give people the example to think critically about an issue before declaring allegiance to one side or the other, to personally look at the data, in lieu of that, to admit when they don’t have enough information, (despite feeling a growing pressure to have instant, strong opinions on any and every issue these days), and to apply this kind of thinking to other divisive issues in an effort to meet in the middle for real conversation, so that we can actually move forward instead of hoping to tug-o-war so hard the other side falls down.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Wolves are being removed from the endangered species list in America, and while they've had an amazing recovery in a few areas of the country, they have not yet spread to others that would not only be suitable habitat but would likely benefit from having predators back on the land. Do you believe the federal government should stay involved to ensure wolves can safely migrate to viable areas, or that the states should be able to decide if they have wolves and how many they should have?
Would you like to add anything else?
After acceptance to 33 film festivals and counting, numerous awards including Best Feature and Best Documentary, this film is looking for support so that it can be released later this year. Being a completely independent film project, each step of the way has been self-financed and crowdfunded. This last round of funding will license materials used in the film for good, allowing it to be seen by audiences worldwide, spreading its message of coexistence.
Tax-deductible donations can be made through the Center For Independent Documentary at: www.documentaries.org/the-trouble-with-wolves.
Or visit www.thetroublewithwolves.com to help us succeed.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Collin is researching and developing numerous documentary projects from exploring human population growth and decline worldwide with interest in the future on this planet, to the tragic consequences of wolf domestication and pet breeding programs that leave the idolized animals in an anxiety-ridden place between worlds, to a continued pursuit of the rare and rich gray area between the red and blue political extremes.
He also has an interest in narrative & animated work in the future as well.
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The Trouble With Wolves
Death threats, court battles, and an iconic endangered species in middle, The Trouble With Wolves takes an up-close look at the most heated and emotional wildlife conservation debate of our time. There’s a reason wolves have been, and continue to be, the world’s most controversial predator, but in these advanced times, can we not find a way coexist?
Length: 56:18
Director: Collin Monda
Producer: Collin Monda
About the writer, director and producer:
COLLIN MONDA is a native northwest filmmaker working in documentary, narrative, and animation, often exercising all within the same film. His recent work has focused on our relationship with nature, and finding truth in the complex realism that sits between destructive political divides. He is from Seattle, WA and currently living in Brooklyn, NY.
Key cast: Noteable Documentary Subjects: Douglas Smith, Hilary Zaranek, Andrew Anderson.
Looking for: buyers, journalists, distributors, sales agents, producers
Facebook: The Trouble With Wolves
Instagram: @thetroublewithwolves
Hashtags used: #GrayWolves #Coexistence #AmericanWolves #TheTroubleWithWolves #IndieDoc
Website: www.thetroublewithwolves.com
Funders: Fiscal Sponsorship for Current Fundraising, Previous Crowd-funding Campaign.
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Julien Dubuque Film Festival / Five Flags Theater - 4.25 @ 9:30am, Creative Lab - 4.27 @ 5:30pm, Holiday Inn Blue Moon Room - 4.28 @ 11:45am; Black Hills Film Festival / Hill City High School - May 4 @ 7 pm, Historic Hot Springs - May 4 @ 7 pm; British Documentary Film Festival / London - May 9th TBD; Northwest Fest / Metro Cinema (Edmonton) - May 4 @ 12:00 PM