Saving Luna

A True Story by Mountainside Films

View SAVING LUNA Trailer (YouTube)
View SAVING LUNA Trailer (Quicktime)

SAVING LUNA nominated for two Panda Awards at
Wildscreen Festival!

Wildscreen's Panda Awards are nicknamed the "Green Oscars." We're thrilled that SAVING LUNA is a finalist for both Best Script and Best People and Animals, and look forward to attending the festival.

Upcoming Screenings

Napa/Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival, Napa/Sonoma, CA
July 24 - August 3, 2008, Napa/Sonoma, CA

Wildscreen Festival, Bristol, England
U.K. PREMIERE
October 19-24, 2008, Bristol, England

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"One of the most heart-warming things I've ever seen." indieWIRE

“Stunning... remarkable... a film that will stir even the hardest heart.”
Bermuda Royal Gazette

"Riveting... stunning." Seattle Times

"Astonishing footage ... Mesmerizing ... Poignant." Santa Barbara Independent

"[An] astonishing documentary." Victoria Times Colonist

"A one-of-a-kind true story." Santa Barbara International Film Festival

"Compelling ... Thought-provoking." San Francisco Chronicle

"Compassionate and enchanting." Vancouver International Film Festival

"[T]he film is a delight." The Globe and Mail

"SAVING LUNA is a local story that found the universal." The Vancouver Sun

SAVING LUNA
All he wanted was friendship. Why was that so hard?

What happens when a wild orca tries to make friends with people – not for food, but for companionship? Should humans welcome him or turn away?

SAVING LUNA is a true story about one such killer whale, who was nicknamed Luna. In 2001, when Luna was just a baby, he found himself alone in Nootka Sound, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, more than 200 miles away from his family. Orcas normally spend their entire lives together, but Luna was lost.

Without other whales, Luna tried to make contact with humans. But law and science told people to stay away. Yet the same social instincts that drove Luna to seek companionship also brought people to him, in spite of the law.

As Luna got close to people, he became both treasured and feared. To natives he was the spirit of a chief. To boaters he was a goofy friend. To conservationists he was a cause. To scientists he was trouble. To officials he was a danger. As conflict and tragedy stained the waters, Luna became a symbol of the world’s wildest beauty: easy to love, hard to save.

SAVING LUNA is the title of both a book and a film that tell this story.

Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm, writers and filmmakers, have been involved in the story of Luna for several years. They are currently writing a non-fiction book about Luna to be published in Canada (Penguin) and the USA (St. Martin’s Press).

In addition, their film production company, Mountainside Films Ltd., is producing a documentary called SAVING LUNA for CBC Newsworld’s The Lens.

Mountainside Films recently received support from Telefilm Canada’s Theatrical Documentary Program for a theatrical release of SAVING LUNA.