After her uncle's death, a 14-year-old girl must speak on his behalf against a proposed pipeline that would bring oil tanker traffic to the waters around her hometown in British Columbia.
14-year-old Ella is determined to travel the length of the Inside Passage, along the shores of the Great Bear Rainforest by kayak in order to testify against a proposed pipeline that would see oil tanker traffic through her beloved homeland waters. She's prepared to handle all of the challenges the wildlife, the weather, the water, and her gear have to offer up. The most challenging of all is that she has to bring her dysfunctional family with her. Her neurotic aunt, her cranky uncle, her wayward cousin, and the memory of her late uncle all come along for the ride to make it a fun and amazing adventure. From Tla'Amin to Klemtu, BC, this family navigates their blend of cultures and desires, while their spirits honour the coast as a place for each of us to call home and protect.
Director Zoe Leigh Hopkins
Cinematography Vince Arvidson
Writer Scooter Corkle, Zoe Leigh Hopkins, Michael Sparaga
Production Designer Nataliya Fedulova
Starring Ta'kaiya Blaney, Jared Ager-Foster, Sonja Bennett, Evan Adams, Lorne Cardinal
Audience Choice Award
Best Lead Performance By A Female - Motion Picture Ta'kaiya Blaney
Best Supporting Performance By A Female - Motion Picture Sonja Bennett
Families grow apart. Ships drift. Blood is thicker than water – and so is oil. Cleanups are hard; prevention is easier – so goes Kayak to Klemtu, Hopkins’s worthwhile testimony.