500 Days in the Wild
Embarking on an artist's journey to look for lost wisdom on the world's longest trail, Dianne Whelan spends six years traveling the entire length of the Trans Canada trail.
The 24,000 km Trans Canada Trail stretches across the continent of North America, connecting the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans. It is the longest trail in the world. For six years filmmaker Dianne Whelan traveled the entirety of the land and water trails, the only person to ever accomplish this journey. From pushing 150 pounds of bike and a heavy backpack over rocks to hiking through flooded bogs, paddling one of the largest lakes in the world, snowshoeing through dense forest, skiing and biking along pristine trails in all seasons, 500 Days in the Wild weaves Dianne’s adventures with her cross-cultural visits with those who live close to the land.
This feature doc culled from 800 hours of footage is an intricate weave of adventure film, personal reflection and stunning captures of wildlife and landscapes. The people Dianne encounters include the Indigenous elders she pays her respects to along the way, friends who occasionally join her on the trail and locals in the communities she passes through.
Using humor, adventure, beautiful cinematography and a great soundtrack, 500 Days in the Wild will entertain audiences and inspire hope for the future.
She started out alone, disillusioned with state of the world, to look for different ways of caring for the land and for each other. She ended the journey a bit wiser, more hopeful, in love and with a passion to share this story. Just as Dianne was profoundly changed by her experience, the film will give audiences of all ages and walks of life a window into their own possibilities in life, and entertain them while doing so.
