m a r t e n b e r k m a n
the ecology of perception
In an age of adrenaline packed adventures about egos in the wilderness, a group of friends take a different kind of journey into the wild. They follow a river to the Arctic Ocean, to perpetual light and the spectacle of arctic life.
Here they discover the greatest journey is where the land takes us in ourselves.
What they’re saying...
"For me, this film was a wonderful poetic expression of what all humanity wants, a connection with the Universal Mind if you will. Surely we are all divine, all natural heroes, once we dispense with our dualistic thoughts of right and wrong, good and bad, and one of the easiest ways to access this understanding is through communing with nature, beyond thought. Of course, we don't have to go on a river trip in the Yukon to experience our connection and interdependence with the universe, but observing nature is a ready portal to this understanding. And what a majestic space to gain perspective! For what is "up" and what is "down" in your office simply doesn't exist out in space. The filming was beautiful, the music uplifting, the people heroic. "
Amanda Ward
Film reviewer, PBS series “Natural Heroes”
Cascade of Light grew from the soul of the North. It is a
rare and precious thing. Marten’s work has earned my respect.
Leonard Gilday csc
Producer, Director, Cinematographer
(CBC The Nature of Things)
I had the pleasure to watch his beautiful film
“Cascade de lumière”.. I really believe Marten to be an artist...
Benoit Pilon
Director, Producer
Academy Award nominee, “Ce qu’il faut pour vivre”
Marten Berkman is an outdoorsman and film maker with
a deep love of the natural world. His films reflect this ...
David Suzuki
Co-Founder, The David Suzuki Foundation
Cascade of Light documents an actual journey in the arctic, with a dramatic thread inspired by the transformations that took place. It experiments with other art forms to describe the character’s inner journey, an experience beyond words.
When the film came to me, it was clear the main character had to speak french...this latin language speaks so emotively for me. However I have created an english version as well for those who do not want to read subtitles. It was the french version which was licensed by “Natural Heroes” for broadcast on seventy PBS stations in the USA.
director commentary
trailer
director commentary - wild and scenic env. ff
