Geographies of Solitude
By Kit Macdonald
Meditative and visually poetic, this 2022 documentary, directed by Jacquelyn Mills, focuses on the life and work of environmentalist and naturalist Zoe Lucas, the only human inhabitant of Sable Island, a remote sandbar off the coast of Nova Scotia. Lucas, who is now 75, has been studying and protecting Sable's fragile environment for more than 40 years and shares its rich ecosystem with wild horses, seals, birds and insects.
Mills intertwines the rhythms of the environment with the story of Lucas’s life there, and comes out with offering a peaceful contemplation of the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. The experimental techniques Mills employed in achieving this are worthy of note: she uses immersive cinematography and incorporates eco-friendly filmmaking techniques, even developing some of the film using organic materials from the island. Respect and love for the natural environment course through this gorgeous, healing piece.