Vladimir, a scrappy Russian marine biologist, stows away aboard a boat filled with adventure junkies and a world-renowned cyber security expert to help fulfill his quest to understand and protect the Kuril Islands. Set in one of the most inaccessible volcanic island chains in the world, the film introduces us to a true warrior for the planet on an intimate journey of visual bliss, sea lion chaos, and ultimately a greater hope for the Earth. The remote Kuril Islands are a volcanic archipelago between Hokkaido, Japan, and Kamchatka, Russia. Directors Taylor Rees and Renan Ozturk evoke a deep sense of discovery in visiting a little-known place, and report that — as documented by a team of intrepid Russian scientists — climate change is pushing life, even here, to the edge of collapse. “I don’t want [the] Kurils to collapse,” says lead scientist Vladimir Burkanov, who hopes that public awareness of the islands’ precious ecosystem might inspire humanity to save it.

This short documentary made its world premiere at 2020 Mountainfilm and was a finalist at the 2020 International Wildlife Film Festival.

Learn more about the Kurils Islands Research & Conservation Initiative featured in this film:  Vladimir has seen the decades-long changes in the region firsthand and also the sad decline of some important top predators in the area. His vision is to turn large parts of the region into marine protected areas and national parks to safeguard their beauty for future generations, protect biodiversity and improve overexploited coastal and oceanic ecosystems in the Kurils Islands.

Stream the 25-minute film at the link above.