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Churchill, Manitoba, aka the “polar bear capital of the world,” sits precariously on the front line of a rapidly changing climate. Every autumn hundreds of bears migrate north, passing through the area and attracting hordes of tourists. As temperatures rise and migratory patterns change, the food sources for the local polar bear population dwindle, so these hulking predators venture closer to humans, dramatically increasing the likelihood of dangerous interactions and forcing local police and wildlife agencies to hastily figure out ways to capture, transport, and release these massive creatures. Nuisance Bear, Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman’s expansion of their acclaimed 2021 short film, which was shortlisted for that year’s Academy Awards, documents this unsustainable situation and its unintended fallout, including how the bears are tainted by their proximity to human society. They bring a cinematographer’s eye to the project, capturing breathtaking images of the vast tundra as well as incongruous visuals in keeping with A24’s house style. Their compassion for the desperate bears gives this sobering look at life at the edge of the world the tenor of an absurdist fugitive thriller. ~OO