Nuisance Bear (Cinecity)

Part of Cinecity 2026 at Depot. Followed by Q&A with co-director Jack Weisman and producer Teddy Leifer.

The sub-Arctic town of Churchill, Manitoba, lies along the migratory path of thousands of polar bears whose lives are shaped by the thawing and freezing of Hudson Bay, earning it the title of the ‘Polar Bear Capital of the World’.

Every year, eco-tourists flock to Churchill for a rare glimpse of these solitary, endangered animals but the Inuit recognise that every bear that reaches town is the result of a shrinking natural habitat. As encounters between humans and polar bears become more frequent, behaviours and expectations begin to shift on both sides.

Narrated by Inuit elder Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons, Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman’s feature debut transcends the conventions of the traditional nature documentary and won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.

’A doc of lingering beauty, sadness, insight and even unexpected humor.’ – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter