Manitoba filmmaker returns to rural roots for feature documentary
Sam Karney left his small western Manitoba town to pursue an education and career in the city. Little did he know the road would one day circle back, return him to his rural roots and reveal the secrets of one of Canada’s oldest professions.
A Life on the Line is the story of a young man returning to the fur-trapping life he once turned his back on. Even though Canada today has largely forgotten about the fur trade, there are still men and women dedicated to preserving this way of life and passing it down to the next generation. A Life on the Line explores this important part of Canadian history, set against the stunning backdrop of Manitoba’s rugged boreal forest.
“For as long as I can remember, fur trapping has been in my life,” says Karney, a Métis filmmaker from Roblin, Manitoba.
“My dad Chuck Karney started working on a trapline when I was very young, so, to me, the sights and smells became everyday things. But as I got older and moved away for school and work, the trapline got further and further away.”
“A few years ago, through my work at a TV station, I was given the opportunity to produce short documentaries. I pitched the idea of spending a weekend on my dad’s trapline, documenting the activities and exploring the challenges in a modernized world. After that, I began thinking there was something bigger here.”
And he was right. What turned out to be ‘something bigger’ was the story of Karney returning to his roots and reconnecting with his father. The idea eventually turned into A Life on the Line, Karney’s first full-length documentary as a filmmaker.
About the Story
Chuck Karney is a fur trapper with over 20 years of experience. Though not Indigenous himself, he married a Métis woman and spent the better part of his life living a traditional “off the land” existence.
Throughout the 2016-2017 trapping season, Sam Karney spent time with his father learning what it takes to run a trapline. From bone chilling cold to the gruesome realities of the job, Karney went hands on – and all in – every step of the way. “No matter how macho you think you are living in the city, there are things that happen on the trapline that make even the strongest men wilt,” says Karney.
Often humorous and even heartwarming, A Life on the Line shows a father’s desire to teach his son a dying way of life and passing on traditional knowledge that would otherwise be lost. The documentary also takes a look at Karney’s Métis roots on his mother’s side.
“It’s kind of funny actually,” says Karney. “Here’s my dad, a full-fledged Ukrainian, living a traditional Métis lifestyle. It’s quite something.”
A Life on the Line is co-produced by Winnipeg-based production companies Ice River Films and Wookey Films. It is directed by Sam Karney, produced by Andrew Wiens and Jérémie Wookey, and executive produced by Janelle Wookey, with Rudy Gauer as director of photography.
A Life on the Line received its national television broadcast on APTN earlier this year. The documentary is now streaming on APTN’s website on the Reel Insights page. http://aptn.ca/reelinsights/video