‘The Art of Adventure’: How a world-renowned artist and his biologist best friend became environmental activists

Filmmaker Alison Reid discusses her new documentary, which tells the story of the enduring friendship between two iconic Canadians.

When award-winning filmmaker Allison Reid pitched the idea for a documentary about Robert Bateman, she was surprised to find how many people didn’t know the Canadian artist.

“Robert Bateman was a household name when I was growing up, I mean, he’s a world-renowned artist, and Canada has given his paintings as gifts to royalty, he’s known all over the world,” she says.

Bristol Foster is an accomplished biologist in conservation and Bateman’s best friend.

In 1957 when the two were in their 20s, they travelled the world in a land rover, taking a ship to Ghana and travelling across 19 different countries. Bristol documented the journey on a Bolex camera.

“Of course, Robert was not a famous artist at this time, he was a high school teacher. But, he was painting and sketching as he went so we get to see that art in the film as well, so it’s quite a special experience,” explains Reid.

In Reid’s new documentary “The Art of Adventure,” she puts together clips from their journey. She describes working with the archival footage as a treasure trove, even keeping the clips in their original aspect ratio in the final cut.

“The journey was about exploration and discovery and just their love of the planet,” she says. “But as Bristol and Robert got older and things started to change on the planet, their journey evolved into environmental activism, and they both had such an incredible effect and positive influence in that way.”

Since the 1957 trip, the duo has spent their lives trying to create change in environmental conservation.

“There’s so much to feel anxious about in this world right now, and these guys are like a breath of fresh air, they’re glass half full guys, and we’ve had so many people come out of screenings saying they were moved to tears at certain parts,” she says.

“The Art of Adventure” will be screening in Halifax at The Carbon Arc Theatre on June 21 and 25.

A full list of the documentary’s screenings can be found on its website.

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