Rewilding Patagonia

This is one of the most beautiful rewilding stories of our time, that of Douglas and Kristine Tompkins, a couple of successful entrepreneurs – The North Face and Esprit – who decided to dedicate themselves to protecting vast territories in Patagonia. The results of their actions are astounding: in 30 years they enabled the creation and expansion of 18 national parks between Chile and Argentina, covering a total area of 7 million hectares, equivalent to the size of a country like Ireland.

By transforming these spaces and reconstructing natural ecosystems, the development of these parks has also enabled the creation of social bonds, developed a new form of economic activity, brought forth a political space, and contributed to strengthening the population’s sense of belonging to their territories. By offering local communities a different relationship with their ecosystems, the national parks thus participate in a long-term structural transformation of the relationship between nature and humans. It is to see, learn, and draw inspiration from this that Arnaud Hiltzer and Aurélie Miquel embark on a journey to the heart of one of the world’s largest rewilding projects.

By participating in the actions implemented in the field (releasing wild animals, radio broadcasts, scientific programs…), they blend their discoveries with their learning in a road movie where the beauty of nature takes center stage.

Drawing on the combined contributions of neuroscience, educational sciences, and communication sciences, Jonathan Mille (PhD) provided his expertise to construct the narrative process and co-write this film in order to amplify its impact.