North: A Love Letter

A poetic dance-movement reflection on the loss of sentient creatures on the earth, North: A Love Letter combines dance, spoken word, and striking images to bring home the emotional reality of our climate crisis.

Produced by the Duke University Department of Theater Studies and Archipelago Theatre/Ciné

Created & Directed by Ellen Hemphill
Inspired Texts Edited by Ellen Hemphill & Nor Hall
Film Designer & Editor – Jim Haverkamp
Director of Photography – Alex Maness
Music –Allison Leyton-Brown
Choreographers – Terry Beck, Mark Haim, Ellen Hemphill, Gerri Houlihan
Wildlife Photographers/Videographers – Wink Gaines, Nina Hale, Judith Scott
Costume Design – Jan Chambers

Dancers Terry Beck, Kaity Granda, Gerri Houlihan, Derrick Ivey, Dana Marks,  Tom Marriott, Bradley McDevitt, Jay O’Berski, Dale Wolf, Andrea Woods Valdés

The film premiered March 25, 26, 27, April 1, 2, 3, 2022 at the Rubenstein Arts Center Film Theater at Duke University

You just don’t know who you are until you catch your reflection in the eye of an animal.

–Loren Eisley

Photos: Wink Gaines/JO     Collage by Jan Chambers  

Screening history

Madonie Film Festival, Region of Sicily
   Best Feature Length Dance Film award 

Nature Without Borders Film Festival, Lewes, DE
   Exceptional Merit award

Universal Film Festival Samothraki, Alexandroupolis, Greece
   Saos Award for Best Wildlife Film

New Generation Film Festival Belgrade, Serbia
   Award Winner

Beaufort Film Festival, Beaufort, NC

IMMAGI]NA Film Festival, Naples, Italy 

Venus Community Awards, Istanbul, Turkey
   Award Winner

Photos: Wink Gaines/EH         Collage by Jan Chambers

“Where is Paradise?  Follow the birds, the beasts, the fishes, they will lead you to it” 

–New Testament