Private Project

Mount Gariwang: An Olympic Casualty

Sport, politics, and the environment – what happened at Mount Gariwang in PyeongChang, South Korea? This documentary grapples with questions about environmental issues, politics, and the Olympic Games, and about relationships between democracy and the ‘greatest show on earth.’

  • Liv Yoon
    Director
  • Brian Wilson
    Director
  • Jordan Wade
    Director
  • Liv Yoon
    Writer
  • Brian Wilson
    Writer
  • Brian Wilson
    Producer
  • Robert Boushel
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    environment
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 30, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    6,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada, Korea, Republic of
  • Language:
    English, Korean
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Liv Yoon, Brian Wilson, Jordan Wade

Liv Yoon is a PhD Candidate at The University of British Columbia studying environmental politics and communication, and intersecting axes of social inequality. Research that informs this documentary is based on Liv’s doctoral dissertation. Liv is fascinated by the idea of alternative futures, and is excited about the potential of the film platform to convey affective dimensions of issues.

Brian Wilson is a sociologist and Professor at The University of British Columbia (UBC), and Director of UBC’s Centre for Sport and Sustainability (CSS). His research focuses on links between sport, environmental issues, peace, and media. He is author/co-author of The Greening of Golf: Sport, Globalization and the Environment, Sport & Peace: A Sociological Perspective, and Fight, Flight or Chill: Subcultures, Youth and Rave into the Twenty-First Century.

Jordan Wade is a journalist who has a deep adoration for culture, community engagement, great stories and unabashed enthusiasm for life. Jordan and his company Storyhero Media have produced social-impact reporting projects at the last four Olympics. He is also a producer for Novus TV and teaches Copywriting at Vancouver Community College.

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Director Statement

When PyeongChang, South Korea won the bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, the fate of Mount Gariwang changed. Formerly a protected area, this 500+ year old ancient forest was razed for a 2-week event.

‘Mount Gariwang: An Olympic Casualty‘ is a documentary that grapples with questions that transcend sport mega-events and geographical boundaries, such as: what inequalities are perpetuated in environmental controversies?; how are environment-related decisions made and whose voices are featured or marginalized in the process?; what assumptions underline dominant approaches to 'sustainability' and how do they influence our ability to imagine alternative and preferred ecological and socio-political futures?

The documentary follows director Liv Yoon, who interviews various stakeholders in relevant locations around Mount Gariwang to capture different perspectives and provoke reflections about environmental issues, politics, sport mega-events, inequality, globalization, and development.