{{Short description|Canadian filmmaker (born 1952)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} [[File:Nettie Wild VFF 2016.jpg|right|thumb|Wild at the 2016 [[Vancouver International Film Festival]]]] '''Nettie Wild''' (Nettie Barry Canada Wild)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/women/030001-1270-e.html|title=Nettie Wild|access-date=2 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401131056/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/women/030001-1270-e.html|archive-date=1 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> is a Canadian filmmaker with a focus on documentaries that highlight marginalized groups and discrimination that these groups face, including people in Canada and around the world. She has worked throughout her professional career as an actor, director, producer, and cameraperson.
== Early life and education == Wild, full name Nettie Barry Canada Wild,<ref name=":04">{{Cite web|url=https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/women/030001-1270-e.html|title=Nettie Wild|access-date=October 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401131056/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/women/030001-1270-e.html|archive-date=April 1, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> was born in [[New York City]] on May 18, 1952 to a British father and a [[Kitsilano]] mother. Their occupations were journalist and opera singer, respectively.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Rossi|first=Cheryl|date=13 Jan 2010|title=Documentary filmmaker wild about real life drama; pacific cinematheque hosts Nettie wild retrospective, book launch.|journal=Vancouver Courier|id={{ProQuest| }} }}</ref> Wild's mother felt that Nettie sticking to her Canadian roots was important, hence the name, and one month after Wild was born, the family moved to Vancouver where Wild would live the majority of her life.<ref name=":04"/>
While studying at the University of British Columbia, Wild gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) with a major in creative writing along with a minor in film and theatre.<ref name=":04"/> Alongside her studies, Wild co-founded Touchstone Theatre and Headlines Theatre with David Diamond, a fellow student.<ref name=":1" /> Wild worked with the Touchstone Theatre in 1975–1976 and Headlines Theatre during 1980–1985.<ref name=":04"/>
==Career== In 1991, she founded the Canada Wild Production with producer [[Betsy Carson]]. The production company was named in part after Wild's full name and reflects their general interest in Canadian based issues, despite making several films on more global issues.<ref name=":04"/>
One of Wild's earliest documentaries was ''Right to Fight'' (1982)<ref name=":04"/> which focused on the housing crisis that was taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which caused many people to have difficulty finding adequate housing or to live under the poverty line.<ref name=":22">{{Cite journal|last=Lyons|first=Tom|date=Mar–May 2003|title=A Passion for Social Justice: The Activist Films of Nettie Wild.|journal=Take 1; Toronto|volume=11|id={{ProQuest| }} }}</ref> This issue was very close to Wild as she grew up in Vancouver. Despite this, the film was received poorly and did not gain the filmmaker critical acclaim.<ref name=":22"/>
Wild would go on to make ''[[A Rustling of Leaves: Inside the Philippine Revolution]]'' (1988) after spending months in the Philippines, recording footage and interviewing individuals.<ref name=":22"/> During her time in the country, one of Wild's interviews was with a local DJ broadcasting anti-guerrilla propaganda. After threats of violence from this individual, Wild would go on to interview the president of the Philippines who showed support for the DJ.<ref name=":22" /> Wilds motivations behind this film was to show a look inside the revolution taking place in this country; shedding light on the situation, dispelling common Western myths about it, and advocating for support of the country.<ref name=":22" /> This documentary would gain Wild notoriety and support for future endeavors.
''[[A Place Called Chiapas]]'' (1998) is a documentary by Wild following the protests and revolts that took place in Chiapas, a rural state in Mexico, known for its high rates of poverty.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Stratton|first=David|date=2 March 1998|title=A Place Called Chiapas|journal=Variety|volume=370|via=Gale}}</ref> The events that are documented in this film take place after the signing of NAFTA (the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]]) and shows its immediate effects. This includes that it caused the [[Zapatista National Liberation Army]] (EZLN) to take over several towns and ranches in the area.<ref name=":3" /> The group was led by [[Subcomandante Marcos]] and caused much chaos for the town, surrounding area, and the Mexican government. Wild focused her documentary on an outsider's perspective of the rebellion, and in that way the film became immensely successful.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Feldman|first=Seth|date=January 2005|title=Canadian Social Documentary in the Age of Michael Moore: "the Corporation" and "Fix"|journal=CineAction|id={{ProQuest| }}}}</ref>
One of Wild's most successful films was ''[[FIX: The Story of an Addicted City|Fix: The Story of an Addicted City]] (2002)'' which focused on the drug issue in Vancouver and the fight over whether safe injection sites should be constructed.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=MacQueen|first=Ken|date=18 November 2002|title=Needles, Love and Revolution|journal=Maclean's|volume=115|id={{ProQuest| }} }}</ref> Wild, working as the co-producer and director of the documentary, wanted to show the issues plaguing her home town. The film followed the two sides of the fight over safe injection sites and how to remedy the drug issue killing hundreds of residents every year. The film would go on to become one of Wild's most acclaimed films and lead to governmental involvement.<ref name=":4" />
== Filmography == * ''Right to Fight'' (1982) dealing with the housing crisis in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada<ref name=":04"/> * ''[[A Rustling of Leaves: Inside the Philippine Revolution]]'' (1988) * ''Blockade'' (1993) about a [[Gitksan]] logging blockade at [[Gitwangak]] * ''[[A Place Called Chiapas]]'' (1998) about [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation|Zapatistas]] in [[Chiapas]], [[Mexico]]. * ''[[FIX: The Story of an Addicted City]]'' (2002) which deals with efforts to provide a [[safe injection site]] in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]] * ''[[Koneline: Our Land Beautiful]]'' (2016), about the [[Tahltan]] people, its culture, and its lands.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://tahltan.ca/press-coverage/tahltan-band-honoured-to-host-world-premiere-of-koneline-our-land-beautiful-documentary/ |title=Tahltan Band Honoured to Host World Premiere of "KONELĪNE: our land beautiful" documentary |date=1 February 2016 |access-date=18 October 2016 |publisher=Tahltan Band Council}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/koneline-cinematic-poem-tahltan-1.3436793 |title=New film Koneline a cinematic poem for Tahltan traditional territory |website=CBC.ca |author=Meagan Deuling |date=7 February 2016 |access-date=18 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/movies/koneline-our-land-beautiful-serves-moral-ambiguity-and-beautiful-british-columbia-visuals |author=Chris Knight |date=9 June 2016 |access-date=18 October 2016 |title=Koneline: Our Land Beautiful serves moral ambiguity and beautiful British Columbia visuals |newspaper=National Post}}</ref>
==Awards== Wild was awarded the audience award for best documentary film at the 1998 [[AFI Fest]] for ''A Place Called Chiapas''. She was given [[Genie Awards]] for [[Canadian Screen Award for Best Feature Length Documentary|Best Feature Length Documentary]] for both ''A Place Called Chiapas'' and ''Fix'', and won two awards at the [[Berlin International Film Festival]] for ''A Rustling of Leaves''.
At the 2016 [[Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival]] (HotDocs), Wild won the Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award for ''KONELĪNE: our land beautiful''.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.hotdocs.ca/news/hd16-awards|title=Hot Docs 2016 Festival Award Winners Announced|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518224807/http://www.hotdocs.ca/news/hd16-awards|archive-date=18 May 2016 |date=6 May 2016 |access-date=18 October 2016 |publisher=Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival}}</ref>
At the 2016 [[Vancouver International Film Festival]], Wild's film ''KONELĪNE: our land beautiful'' won the Women in Film and Television Artistic Merit Award, presented to a Canadian feature film at VIFF written and/or directed solely by a woman.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://archive.viff.org/e-blasts/viff/2016/PR/19_VIFFAudienceAward_PR.html |title=Maudie Wins Coveted VIFF Super Channel People's Choice Award |date=14 October 2016 |access-date=18 October 2016 |publisher=Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society |archive-date=18 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018010139/http://archive.viff.org/e-blasts/viff/2016/PR/19_VIFFAudienceAward_PR.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Wild was awarded the 2023 [[Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts]] for Artistic Achievement.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=2023-03-28 |title=The Canada Council for the Arts Announces the 2023 Winners of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts |url=https://canadacouncil.ca/press/2023/03/the-2023-winners-of-the-governor-general-s-awards-in-visual-and-media-arts |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Canada Council for the Arts |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website |1=https://www.canadawildproductions.com/}} * {{IMDb name|0928370}} * Nettie Wild on [http://www.northernstars.ca/nettie-wild/ Northernstar]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wild, Nettie}} [[Category:Canadian women film directors]] [[Category:Canadian documentary film directors]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Directors of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Documentary Film]] [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:University of British Columbia alumni]] [[Category:Film directors from Vancouver]] [[Category:Canadian women documentary filmmakers]] [[Category:Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners]] [[Category:Producers of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Documentary Film]]