Force of Nature: The David Suzuki story at the Capitol
By Nelson Daily Staff
FLIKS movie: Force Of Nature: The David Suzuki Story
Capitol Theatre, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $8.50 for members, $10 for non-members
At 75 years old, David Suzuki shows no signs of slowing down.
In this captivating documentary portrait, the passionate environmentalist’s legacy lecture is entwined with candid interviews in which he reflects on his life and shares deeply personal stories, revealing a side previously unseen.
David Suzuki holds 24 honorary degrees from academic institutions around the world and has written 48 books. A household name synonymous with nature and science, he was voted one of the top 10 greatest Canadians of all time in 2004, ranking ahead of Wayne Gretzky and Sir John A. Macdonald.
He is best known as the host of the long-running CBC TV show The Nature of Things and as a pioneering and passionate environmentalist.
By all measures David Suzuki is extraordinary, and you can’t help but wish that everyone cared about the Earth as much as he does. But what drove him to become the phenomenon he is? This engrossing documentary guides us through his life and reveals the key events and people that shaped him.
The occasion for the film is Suzuki’s return to the University of British Columbia to deliver his legacy lecture to a sold-out audience. Director Sturla Gunnarsson interweaves Suzuki’s stirring and insightful address with candid interviews to create a captivating portrait.
It is in these interviews that Suzuki shares his deeply personal reflections and stories, revealing a side of him previously unseen.
Most memorable is his painful recollection of the attack on Pearl Harbor that led to the forced relocation of his Canadian-born family from their home to a British Columbia internment camp for Japanese Canadians in New Denver.
The humiliation suffered by his family, particularly his father, during this dark time in Canadian history sheds light on the values and priorities that propelled Suzuki to the top of his field.
Suzuki is by turns touching and funny and, above all, endlessly engaging. His powerful words and inspiring life epitomize his commitment to making science vital and accessible to everyone. Gunnarsson’s film is certain to make you reconsider how we live.
— Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo
Advance tickets are available at Otter Books.
