To The Orcas, With Love

To The Orcas, With Love

In To the Orcas, With Love, Northern Ontario filmmaker Natalie Lucier crafts an enlightening and deeply personal exploration of Canada’s orca whale population and the profound relationships that connect humans to the natural world. What we do to nature, we do to ourselves—a message that runs through every frame of this moving documentary.

Inspired by elders and environmental leaders including David Suzuki, whale researchers Alexandra Morton and Paul Spong, totem carver Wayne Alfred, and lifelong Broughton Archipelago resident Billy Proctor, the film captures stories of personal connection, resilience, and respect. Anchored by Rob Stewart’s call to “rise up and create the world we dream for ourselves,” Lucier’s film becomes both an ecological reflection and a journey of self-discovery.

Beautifully shot along British Columbia’s rugged coastlines, the film pairs stunning cinematography of B.C.’s resident orcas with an evocative score by composer Jeff Rona. The result is an uplifting contrast to the environmental challenges it addresses—an invitation to rediscover empathy, harmony, and responsibility for the planet we share.

To the Orcas, With Love reminds viewers that our bond with the Earth is inseparable from our bond with one another—revealing that what we do to nature, we ultimately do to ourselves.

Viewers will come to understand the importance of the personal choices we make; it becomes clear that what we do to nature, we do to ourselves.

Q&A with Director Natalie Lucier

Natalie Lucier, the director of ” To the Orcas with Love” is a graduate of Advanced TV and Film program (2011), majoring in producing and documentary filmmaking at Sheridan college in Ontario. Natalie has a deep love of nature and the outdoors and hopes to inspire others to see the beauty in our natural world.

Natalie is also an honours graduate of the 2 year Radio broadcasting program at Canadore College ( 2007).  She has also attended the intensive eight day Adventure Filmmaker’s workshop at the Banff Centre ( 2011) in Alberta and a Documentary storytelling and film structure workshop with Tom Schlesinger – Toronto, Canada.

To the Orcas with Love is her first feature film.

In October 2013, she directed and produced a 3 minute short documentary film “One with the Horse” – “An inspiring story of connection.” This short documentary showcased her use of natural light and raw voice to create a compelling story of the relationship between a horse owner and her horse.

In 2011-2012 Natalie worked with Rob Stewart and his team in Toronto assisting with projects including setting up a new editing suite, researching and coordinating interviews in Washington, D.C. and obtaining media rights for photography for website accompanying Rob’s film – “Revolution’ in 2012.  She also assisted in the development of Rob’s NGO United Conservationists.

Natalie is passionate about supporting the growth in filmmaking in Northern Ontario and served on the Board of Directors for Near North Mobile Media Lab in North Bay Ontario. The Near North Mobile Media Lab provides tools for media artists, students, filmmakers and audiences in Northern Ontario to produce, present and enjoy contemporary media arts in all its forms.

See the full photo gallery HERE

Screening With:

Fix and Release

Canadian Shorts Showcase

Fix and Release explores a small turtle trauma center in Peterborough, Ontario, as it fights to even the odds for survival that freshwater turtles face in the modern world. This visually beautiful films shows turtles in a way that few have seen before.

16 mins
Canada, 2017
Dir. Scott Dobson
Language: English