A TRUE BIOPIC OF SELF-ISOLATION

            As many are binge-watching Netflix to get through these unprecedented times and posting about Tiger King and even the pandemic film Contagion, those inspiring hidden gems should be the films that we should be seeking out.  Director Francis Luta could have not chosen a more pivotal time than to release his documentary Alone Across the Arctic.  The film focuses on Adam Shoalts who goes on a four-month expedition across the Arctic on his own.  This solo mission has him crossing the Arctic on foot and his customized canoe and the journey is 4000 kilometres.  Adam Shoalts must go through all the elements that are thrown at him.  The physical hardships along with the mental anguish of having something go wrong or having barely any human contact shows the sacrifices one must go through in self-isolation.  FERNTV talked to director Francis Luta of what it took to put this timely documentary together and the heroic pursuit of Adam Shoalts.

Francis:  Fellow Canfilmfest board of director Warren Sonoda did a great initiative called “Cooped up creatives” where he interviewed filmmakers on the day of their scheduled Canadian Film Festival premiere. I thought this was a nice idea to keep the morale up amongst filmmakers. My executive producer partner Jeremy Benning and I spoke to Warren live on Instagram story on the night of March 25th, where we talked about everything Arctic and the filmmaking aspect. Having the festival postponed is somewhat of a heartbreaking feeling because CFF is that homegrown festival I wanted to be a part of—although I was lucky to premiere my short film “Among The Soil” at CFF in 2019, it really would’ve been such nice graduation to premiere a feature-length as well. One day!

Francis:  I was given a bunch of footage (shot in 2013 by filmmakers Gary Lang and Jeremy Benning) of Adam that was shot for a network pitch that never materialized. At the time I was building my reel as an editor. I created a teaser trailer out of the footage, Adam caught wind of it, then he approached me and so I took that opportunity to pitch the idea of shooting brand new footage for a short film. “Explorer” was born. That was in 2015. Fast-forward a year later he invited me to make a film about his 2017 solo expedition in the Arctic. It was graduation from making short films for sure so I said yes to an adventure of a lifetime.

Francis:  I had a broad concept in the beginning but I knew it would evolve. I assembled the film from the different legs of the journey and created teaser trailer previews for each leg to get a sense of what this piece is going to be. There were 3 legs of supply drops on my end which meant three opportunities to grab footage from Adam to see what he had been shooting. The only difference from what I had envisioned to the final product is the fact that I had to strip it down to the bare bones of the sole focus of what the film is truly about. Adam was obsessed with telling a linear and chronologically told story. There were a lot of debate, negotiation and passionate discussions. It was a challenge in the beginning to find the balance of having his needs met and mine as the documentarian and editor behind this picture.

Francis:  My team and I (Producers Jeremy Benning, Barclay J. Maude and Cinematographers Martin Wojtunik, Mike Reid) helped Adam at the drop off point at the Arctic circle sign in Yukon Territory along Dempster Highway where he began his trek. Several weeks passed and I went to Yellowknife and flew via bush plane at the second supply drop where I traded camera memory cards and batteries with Adam. Then met him again at the endpoint in Baker Lake Nunavut. It was a unique way of making a film as the title suggests, HE IS ALONE. So much of the time he’s in the Arctic doing 12+ hours of gruelling trek, I would give him my director notes via satellite phone. My messages to him evolved from strictly director’s notes and the kind of shots I wanted him to get with his camera to the more personal pep-talk, reminding him of the bigger picture of what he is accomplishing and what it means for him and everyone else.

Francis:  I had about 10 Terabytes of footage to go through which you can imagine being several hundred hours to go through with a fine comb. Like a puzzle — all the pieces are in front of you except there are no guidelines. That’s what I love about passion projects; it’s daunting and exhilarating all at once.

Francis:  It’s timely now that the film is about to come out (via iTunes Apple TV) because it highlights the epitome of self-isolation by choice. That is what Adam has done to achieve the goal he set out for himself, which is to come out to the other side. It’s poetic in many ways now that we are all collectively self-isolating. It’s not about who has done more self-isolation than anyone else, and as corny as it may sound, it’s about what you did during that time. Did you get stuff done? Did you treat others with kindness? Did you adapt to the changes and inconveniences? Did you take the time to truly stop and reconfigure how you will be on the other side once we get through this?

Francis:  My background in visual arts, advertising, graphic design, art direction and some writing background all came in to play when it was time to attack the making of the film. From the creative standpoint to the technical, it’s all the same language when you’re trying to communicate your thoughts, directing your vision and executing the edit of the film. All of course within a collaborative nature. Being consistent with the vision and theme of the film also helped considering the noise and insecurities along the way. You have to be a juggernaut to usher it along to something you can be proud of.

Francis:  I enjoy looking at my edit timeline. Imagining what it would look like by the end as I’m in the early stages of the edit then fast-forward to the moment of exporting the final finished product for the 500th time. I enjoyed the camaraderie between the guys who came on board to this project and helped make it come to life (Barclay, Marty, Mike and Jeremy). I enjoyed getting the opportunity to see the Canadian Arctic—I didn’t ever think I would get the chance to get up there but now I can say I did and we have a film to prove it! I enjoyed learning all the things I did from the technical to working with different personalities, the many different types of obstacles—even the ones that tested me to the depths of my core. I enjoyed sitting at the back of the theatre at the World Premiere of our film at the Whistler Film Festival (2019) — a sold-out show. A surreal experience. And as a film enthusiast, I enjoy seeing the film now available on Apple TV. https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/alone-across-the-arctic/id1501013725

Francis:   Right now, I am finishing all the other little tasks I’ve started. I try to always finish what I start. I’m finishing some video projects that I have left to do, answering interview questions such as this! Doing a lot of Zoom calls with friends and family, I’m learning some choreography dance move (because why not), I’m crocheting (thanks to my mum and sister who taught me), I’m entering an illustration contest so I have been locked and chained to my editing desk and my drawing desk. I’ve given myself the space to create during this lockdown which I am secretly enjoying because it gives me no choice but to create and set personal goals—much like what Adam Shoalts did—he set a goal for himself and tackled it. That’s the best advice I can give: Do that thing you’ve always put off, the thing you always wanted to try but didn’t have the time to. Now, there is no excuse but to just do it to the very best of your means and ability.