# Bear 71

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***Bear 71*** is a 20-minute 2012 interactive [National Film Board of Canada](/source/National_Film_Board_of_Canada) (NFB) [web documentary](/source/Web_documentary) by Leanne Allison and Jeremy Mendes about a female [grizzly bear](/source/Grizzly_bear) in [Banff National Park](/source/Banff_National_Park) named Bear 71, who had a [tracking collar](/source/Tracking_collar) implanted at the age of three and was watched via [trail cameras](/source/Trail_camera) in the park from 2001 to 2009.[1][2][3] The documentary follows the bear, exploring the connections between the human and animal world, and the far-ranging effects that human settlements, roads and railways have on wildlife.[2]

## Production

Through the work of Leanne Allison's husband and film collaborator Karston Heuer (*[Being Caribou](/source/Being_Caribou)*, *[Finding Farley](/source/Finding_Farley)*), a [park ranger](/source/Park_ranger) at Banff, Allison was aware of thousands of hours of wildlife footage captured on remote trail cameras in the park. After obtaining permission from researchers, including [Parks Canada](/source/Parks_Canada), [Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation](/source/Alberta_Tourism,_Parks_and_Recreation), and [Montana State University](/source/Montana_State_University), she spent months sifting through these low-res images. Allison originally [pitched](/source/Pitch_(film)) the idea to the NFB as a traditional documentary. [Rob McLaughlin](/source/Rob_McLaughlin), then head of the NFB's digital studio in [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver), suggested an interactive project.[4]

The story was written by [J.B. MacKinnon](/source/J.B._MacKinnon), co-author of the *[100 Mile Diet](/source/100_Mile_Diet)*. The bear is voiced by [Mia Kirshner](/source/Mia_Kirshner).[5][6] The two co-directors were [remote workers](/source/Remote_work): Allison was based in [Canmore, Alberta](/source/Canmore,_Alberta) and Mendes was based in Vancouver.[6] The website was designed by Toronto-based digital design firm Jam3.[7]

The film had a budget of $350,000.[8]

## Release

*Bear 71* went live on the NFB website on January 19, 2012. It was also the subject of an [installation art](/source/Installation_art) exhibit at the [2012 Sundance Film Festival](/source/2012_Sundance_Film_Festival)'s New Frontier program beginning January 20, and at the [Utah Museum of Contemporary Art](/source/Utah_Museum_of_Contemporary_Art)[5] or via webcam through the documentary’s website.[9] The webdoc features a map of Banff National Park that allows users to follow Bear 71's movements by scrolling over the cameras, and look at other users by activating the computer's webcam.[5]

In April 2012, [DOXA Documentary Film Festival](/source/DOXA_Documentary_Film_Festival) opened its 2012 season with a public showing of the film at [St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church](/source/St._Andrew's-Wesley_United_Church), with a live musical accompaniment by [Tim Hecker](/source/Tim_Hecker), [Loscil](/source/Loscil), and [Heather McIntosh](/source/Heather_McIntosh).[10]

In March 2017, the film was re-released as a [virtual reality](/source/Virtual_reality) work, viewable on [Google Daydream](/source/Google_Daydream) and [Google Cardboard](/source/Google_Cardboard).[11]

## Awards

In June 2012, Jam3 received a Gold Cyber Lion Award the [Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival](/source/Cannes_Lions_International_Advertising_Festival) in the category of Charities, Public Health & Safety and Public Awareness Messages, for its work on *Bear 71*.[7]

Also in June 2012, [Sheffield Doc/Fest](/source/Sheffield_Doc/Fest) awarded Bear 71 the Sheffield Innovation Award sponsored by [BT Vision](/source/BT_TV).

In December 2012, *Bear 71* was named the best non-fiction web series at the Digi Awards (formerly Canadian New Media Awards).[12]

On January 15, 2013, *Bear 71* was named Site of the Year for 2012 by the Favourite Website Awards.[13]

On April 30, 2013, *Bear 71* received the [Webby Award](/source/Webby_Award) for best [internet art](/source/Internet_art).[14]

The film also received Webby nominations for best public service & activism video, best use of interactive video and best green website.[15]

## See also

- [Bear JJ1](/source/Bear_JJ1)
- *[Bears and Man](/source/Bears_and_Man)*, a 1978 NFB documentary on human-bear interaction
- [List of individual bears](/source/List_of_individual_bears)

## References

1. ["THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN HUMANS, ANIMALS AND TECHNOLOGY"](https://www.nfb.ca/interactive/bear_71/). [National Film Board of Canada](/source/National_Film_Board_of_Canada)

1. Makarechi, Kia (24 January 2012). ["'Bear 71': Interactive Film At Sundance Tells Dark Side Of Human Interaction With Wildlife"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bear-71-interactive-film-sundance_n_1225040). *[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost)*

1. ["Alberta filmmaker tracks female grizzly in documentary"](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-filmmaker-tracks-female-grizzly-in-documentary-1.1245034). *[CBC News](/source/CBC_News)*. 11 July 2012.

1. Martel, Lynn (8 March 2012). ["NFB interactive documentary stars Rockies' grizzly"](https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler-news/nfb-interactive-documentary-stars-rockies-grizzly-2490654). *[Pique Newsmagazine](/source/Pique_Newsmagazine)*

1. Hutter, Kristy (18 January 2012). ["A documentary like no other documentary"](https://www.macleans.ca/culture/movies/a-documentary-like-no-other-documentary/). *[Maclean's](/source/Maclean's)*

1. Mackie, John (11 June 2011). ["NFB soars in cyberspace"](https://www.pressreader.com/canada/vancouver-sun/20110611/295141563995464). *[Vancouver Sun](/source/Vancouver_Sun)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120801195711/http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/arts/story.html?id=724c3bf7-176c-4594-85e8-90eff0199f8b&p=1) 1 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine. – via [PressReader](/source/PressReader)

1. Barnard, Linda (22 June 2012). ["NFB's Bear 71 picks up Cannes prize"](https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2012/06/21/nfbs_bear_71_picks_up_cannes_prize.html). *[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120801200505/http://www.toronto.com/article/733783--nfb-s-bear-71-picks-up-cannes-prize) 1 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["The Making of Bear 71"](http://archive.pov.org/blog/news/2013/05/the-making-of-bear-71/). *[PBS](/source/PBS)*. May 25, 2013.

1. ANDERSEN, MICHAEL (21 February 2012). ["Documentary Film Bear 71 Tags and Tracks Viewers"](https://www.wired.com/2012/02/documentary-film-bear-71-tags-and-tracks-viewers/). *[Wired](/source/Wired_(magazine))*

1. Mack, Adrian (4 April 2012). ["DOXA Documentary Film Festival gets bigger and badder"](https://www.straight.com/article-651346/vancouver/doxa-documentary-film-fest-bigger-and-badder). *[Georgia Straight](/source/Georgia_Straight)*

1. Jardine, Alexandra (1 March 2017). ["National Film Board of Canada's 'Bear 71' Gets a Virtual Reality Makeover"](https://adage.com/creativity/work/bear-71-vr-version/51125?). *[Ad Age](/source/Ad_Age)*

1. Ng, Danielle & Quan, See (5 December 2012). ["Secret Location, NFB take two wins each at Digi Awards"](https://playbackonline.ca/2012/12/05/secret-location-nfb-take-two-wins-each-at-digi-awards/). *[Playback](/source/Playback_(magazine))*

1. ["The FWA Site Of The Year 2012"](https://thefwa.com/article/fwa-site-of-the-year-2012). Favourite Website Awards.

1. ["Canadians Grimes, Justin Bieber, Bear 71 doc among Webby winners"](https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/house-of-cards-frank-ocean-top-webby-awards-1.1368640). *[CBC News](/source/CBC_News)*. [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). 30 April 2013.

1. ["Webby Award contenders include NFB docs, Obama"](https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/webby-award-contenders-include-nfb-docs-obama-social-media-1.1343425). *[CBC News](/source/CBC_News)*. 10 October 2013.

## External links

- [Official website](https://bear71vr.nfb.ca/)
- Stroumboulopoulos, George (20 January 2012). ["VIDEO OF THE DAY: Bear 71, An Interactive Documentary From The NFB"](https://www.cbc.ca/strombo/arts-and-entertainment/video-of-the-day-bear-71-an-interactive-documentary-from-the-nfb.html). *[CBC News](/source/CBC_News)*
- Revis, Layla (January 31, 2012). ["4 Inspiring Examples of Digital Storytelling"](https://mashable.com/archive/digital-storytelling). *[Mashable](/source/Mashable)*

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bear 71](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_71) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_71?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.