Geographies of Solitude
Geographies of Solitude is an immersion into the rich ecosystem of Sable Island, guided by naturalist and environmentalist Zoe Lucas, who has lived for over 40 years on this remote sliver of land in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Shot on 16mm and created using a scope of innovative, eco-friendly filmmaking techniques, this feature-length experimental documentary is a playful and reverent collaboration with the natural world. Zoe leads us among wild horses, seals, and bugs, through peaks, valleys, roots, sands, weathers, seasons, and stars. The intangible is evoked with hidden sounds and vanishing light. Much like a field book, the film tracks its protagonist's labor to collect, clean, and document marine litter that persistently washes up on the island shores.
Jacquelyn Mills is a filmmaker from Cape Breton Island, based in Montréal. Her works are immersive and sensorial, often exploring a healing connection to the natural world. Her award-winning documentary In the Waves (2017) premiered at Visions du Réel. Her most recent work, Geographies of Solitude (2022) premiered at the Berlinale Forum and won three awards. It has since garnered 27 awards, including Best Canadian Feature Film at Hot Docs and Outstanding Artistry in Filmmaking from the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Jacquelyn is a Sundance Doc Fund Alumni, an IDA Documentary Award and Canadian Screen Award nominee. She has also worked as an editor, sound designer, and cinematographer on many internationally-acclaimed films.
