Oct. 22, 2023 - Filmmaker Samuel Steiner Riley (WILD TERRITORY)
WILD TERRITORY, 27min., USA
Directed by Samuel Steiner Riley
Wild Territory explores the relationship between a daring wildlife photographer, Etienne Littlefair, and the vast freshwater ecosystems that define Australia’s far north. From free-diving in murky water to find crocodiles and rare turtles, to spending days on end staking out drying riverbeds for parrots and finches, Etienne and his wife Cara go to extreme lengths to photograph rare and under-appreciated species – all with the hope to spread awareness and appreciation for the wildlife and waterways they have come to care so much about. This film is a combination of beautiful imagery, exceptional wildlife, and true human connection with nature. It is a testament to the importance of protecting what we have before it’s gone.
Get to know the filmmaker:
My initial motivation for creating the film was Etienne’s extraordinary underwater photography of aquatic freshwater reptiles. The reason that his photography stood out to me was three-fold. Firstly, it is no secret that swimming in the Northern Territory is notoriously dangerous due to the prevalence of Saltwater Crocodiles, and he is undoubtably the only person doing this type of photography in the region. Secondly, he is representing a largely unseen, little known, and widely misunderstood selection of wildlife that is generally swept under the rug and poorly prioritized when it comes to conservation policy and public opinion. And thirdly, I felt that the range of photography that his work encompasses tied together various realms of a larger ecosystem that is critical to the preservation of Northern Australia’s beauty and biodiversity.
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