Experiencing Interruptions?

Lost Lake: Gone but not Forgotten

The discovery of this lake was its demise. European ideals for life didn’t cohesively work with the environment so instead of adjusting their way of life, they adjusted nature by draining Sumas Lake. 100 years later, the lake is resurfacing - how long can humanity hold back mother nature?

  • Amanda Christmas
    Director
  • Amanda Christmas
    Writer
  • Amanda Christmas
    Producer
  • Blake Vanderheyden
    Cinematography
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Environmental
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 23 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 14, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Sony A7iii
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Amanda Christmas

Amanda was born in Vancouver, BC and growing up she's been fascinated by two things: making movies and understanding nature. With over two decades in film making features, TV specials, and TV shows, she realized she needed a different course of action and turned her life upside-down to achieve it. Amanda left her cushy position as a set decorator and is focusing full time on producing content that speaks to her passions and creativity.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This documentary topic is important to me. I grew up in the lower mainland of British Columbia and had never heard of the history behind this lake. As a filmmaker and environmentalist I was sucked into the story of Sema:th life before settlement and the loss of their life as this lake was drained by the new settlers. The longer documentary covers the Sema:th life and their first encounters, but I wanted something more concise that could grab peoples attention in our three minute lifestyle.

I made this film and created a hypothetical flood to illustrate what would potentially happen to the surrounding prairie, little did I know nine months later the lake would flood back in a weather anomaly known as an atmospheric river. I gazed in awe at the news stories about the lake flooding only fifteen minutes from my home. I didn't think I'd live to see the day.