In Nuisance Bear, the stunning follow-up to their acclaimed, award-winning short documentary of the same title, Toronto-based co-directors and cinematographers Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman examine the relationship between polar bears and humans. Nowhere on Earth do polar bears have such a prolific relationship with humans as in Churchill, Manitoba – the “Polar Bear Capital of the World”, where the bears bring flocks of tourists. Following the bears through Churchill, Nuisance Bear plays out like a thriller, as they dodges curious visitors and wildlife officers working to relocate them away from town.
But for the polar bears, life around Churchill is only part of the story – the film also traces the bears’ ancient migratory patterns and their relationship with the Inuit. The film moves more expansively into the polar bears’ life on the sea ice and their long history alongside the Inuit of Arviat – a stark contrast to the bears’ heavily intruded-upon existence in Churchill.
Nuisance Bear is narrated in Inuktitut by respected elder Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons, who was born and raised in Arviat. Grounded in Gibbons’ patient and revealing narration, and featuring some of the most striking polar bear cinematography recently captured, the film turns the traditional nature documentary on its head, questioning what coexistence really means. An incredible score from award-winning composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer (The White Lotus, Smile) ties it all together.
Planet in Focus is proud to present the Toronto premiere of Nuisance Bear, which premiered at Sundance, where it won the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize. Nuisance Bear recently picked up the prestigious 2026 Werner Herzog Film Award, the William W. Warner Voice of Nature Award at the DC Environmental Film Festival, and Best Production Addressing Human Rights Issues at Millennium Docs Against Gravity. -PLANET IN FOCUS
