Pleistocene Park – Hot Docs 2022
April 28 to May 8, 2022
A Russian geophysicist creates a wildlife preserve in an attempt to reserve the effects of climate change in Pleistocene Park. Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita have been gathering large woolly animals and placing them in a preserve in Siberia, in an effort to recreate the Mammoth steppe ecosystem, to slow down the melting permafrost. However, the biggest issue with Sergey’s plan is acquiring and transporting the animals that they need.
Pleistocene Park is a documentary by Luke Griswold-Tergis about the titular wildlife preserve that hopes to curb the effects of climate change. At the centre of the documentary is the very eccentric Russian geophysicist Sergey Zimov, who is as much a genius as he is a madman. In contrast, Sergey’s son Nikita is more of a realist, realizing the difficulty of reaching the ultimate ecosystem-changing goal of Pleistocene Park.
The story that develops over the course of Pleistocene Park is Sergey Zimov’s desire to include buffalo in the wildlife preserve, with all previous attempts failing. As such, the film ultimately becomes about the quest to acquire buffalo, climaxing with a lengthy cross-continent road trip. While the aspirations for the wildlife preserve might be too high to become reality, Pleistocene Park still makes for an entertaining watch.
Trailer for Pleistocene Park – Hot Docs 2022
