- Hunting whales is a matter of life or death for the residents of St. Lawrence, a tiny island in the Bering Sea. So, when Chris Apassingok becomes the youngest person to ever harpoon a whale for his Alaskan village, his mother proudly shares the news on Facebook. To her surprise, Paul Watson and thousands of his international followers brutally attack Chris online without fully understanding the scope of his accomplishment. ONE WITH THE WHALE is a heartwarming yet thrilling story of one family's struggle to fight against cultural genocide and environmental racism, while regaining a foothold in both the ancient and modern world.—Genevieve Villaflor
- In some ways, the Apassingoks are a typical American family. They watch the NBA, have a dog named Blue, and are often glued to social media. They live on St. Lawrence island, the furthest Alaskan island in the Bering Sea, with their son Chris, a shy teenager. But, unlike mainland kids, he must regularly cut school and head out in -20°F into the deadly waters to provide food for his family and the elders of the community.
Chris is one of the last whale hunters of his generation, which has recently become infinitely more difficult due to climate change. So, when Chris becomes the youngest person to harpoon a whale, the village is ecstatic. His proud mother posts photos of Chris on social media to share with other Native communities. But, to their surprise, they receive hundreds of hate messages and death threats from armchair activists around the world. Emotionally fragile and struggling to graduate high school, Chris looks to his family, especially his older sister Nalu, to overcome the intense adversity. But Nalu faces her own challenges, and must leave the island to find love and happiness.
ONE WITH THE WHALE unravels the multiple challenges that Chris, Nalu, and their family face. Caught in the cross-hairs of climate change, food security, and social media the Apassingoks and their entire village are on the cusp of losing everything, unless they can find a way to navigate these precarious times and strike a balance between being modern Americans and subsistence hunters.
With the blessing of the Gambell community, co-directors Pete Chelkowski and Jim Wickens filmed the project on a shoe-string budget, spending weeks with the hunters and filming offshore in sub zero temperatures to capture a world never before seen on camera. They combine the thrill of the chase with the intimate, painful, and ultimately uplifting journey that Chris and his family must face, embracing the ancient world, as well as the online one.
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