There and Back Again: Our West Coast Journey

Looking back over the month of April, our overwhelming emotion here at the Treespeak offices is gratitude. To our friends near and far who joined us for screenings in Kingston, Ottawa and Victoria, you never cease to amaze us with your passionate support of our cause.

Call of the Forest sold out its opening nights in all three cities, with Kingston bringing the film back later in the same month due to the demand.

Jeff and Diana voyaged west for the premiere in Victoria, which opened with a panel discussion featuring Diana, eco-forester Jay Rastogi and ecologist Jessica Hutchinson. We were honored to have David Suzuki introduce the film, and moderate our panel. He later said of the film:

“Call of the Forest is magnificent! This is a very important film and I hope that all of the politicians in Ottawa receive a copy of it – and the forest ministries around the world.”

We also want to thank everyone for a lovely afternoon of forest-bathing with Diana on the grounds of Royal Roads University, accompanied by Head Gardener Barrie Agar. The walk was filled to capacity, and again we were moved by your enthusiasm. We hope to return to Victoria later this summer, for anyone who missed the initial screenings of the film.

In May, we are excited to announce the Toronto premiere of Call of the Forest! The film will screen at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Jackman Hall on May 12th and 13th, at 7 PM both nights. Tickets can be purchased through the AGO Box Office website, at http://buff.ly/2pwO3WF, as well as at the door.

The May 12th screening will be followed by a panel discussion exploring the theme of “Greening the Planet from Urban Microplanting to Forest Conversation,” featuring the diverse perspectives of Janet McKay (LEAF), Dan Kraus (Nature Conservancy of Ontario), Mike Watson (ISA – Ontario Chapter) and Faisal Moola (David Suzuki Foundation), alongside Diana herself. A small reception will follow the panel.

On May 13th, Diana and filmmakers Jeff and Merit will host a Q&A after the screening.

Call of the Forest will travel to Elora and London, Ontario in the weeks following, as well as returning to the Princess Cinemas in Waterloo.

We are endlessly grateful to our supporters for such an inspiring run so far, and can’t wait to visit our friends out east in the coming weeks!