Geographies of Solitude

Jacquelyn Mills's 2022 Canadian documentary takes place on Sable Island in the Atlantic. The naturalist Zoe Lucas has lived there for more than forty years, recording the wild horses, the insects and the plastic washing up on the shore. The documentary follows that work closely. Lucas takes measurements, collects samples and keeps records; the narrative shows this not as a scientific presentation but as daily labour. The form uses the island too. Mills processed the film stock with plants and materials gathered there; the sound was recorded on site and used in place of music. It was shot on sixteen millimetre. Who it's for: those who like nature documentary and experimental form. Who it's not for: viewers expecting an informative nature film; the narrative does not explain and moves slowly.