Film Reviews of The Hand of Franklin
"Wolf's film features the region's desolate beauty while effortlessly drawing attention to the accelerated affects of climate change; it's these effects that recently opened up the traditionally ice-locked waterwayenough to make expedition's such as Wolf's plausible, but not without new risks of unpredictable weather and drifting walls of mammoth ice floes. His interviews with local residents along the route offer a ground-zero persective that even the most hardened global warming cynic would be hard-pressed to dismiss. More educational than activist, The hand of Franklin delivers its environmental message, with a balanced mix of humour and adventure, in riveting fashion." - Jamie Bliss, Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine
"Part science class and part adventure story, The Hand of Franklin also wins as a personal travelogue." - Dana Gee, from review in Vancouver Province newspaper
"I love Frank Wolf’s film work. He’s different—and that’s always a good thing when you’re trying to spread an important environmental message. I tested his latest film, The Hand of Franklin, on a group of students at a college where I teach part-time. The students are different as well. Their attention span is generally under two minutes. When it comes to showing a film, usually the eyeballs roll back and the heads hit the desk a few seconds in, unless there's zombies, bloodshed or sex. Out of the dozen students who viewed Frank’s film, none dozed off. The storyline captivated them, and the environmental message alarmed them. Climate change is drastically altering ice conditions in the Arctic." -Kevin Callan, from Explore Magazine review of The Hand of Franklin
"An epic journey of exploration and adventure brings four intrepid travellers together to go where no row boat has gone before. Full of insight, a dash of science, and a sprinkling of good humour, this film sheds new light on the tightening grip of climate change in Canada's Arctic." - VIMFF Jury Statement about Best Canadian Film winner The Hand of Franklin
"Just finished showing your film to my class, what a great film- it is so relevant and had so many direct links to the curriculum and is the perfect length. Specifically, this is a great movie for talking about climate change in the context of Geography. Lots of curriculum links. Has a ton of potential for lesson plans related to Geography. Great job." -David Stibbe, grade 7-8 Geography Teacher, Ottawa, ON