To kick off the summer exhibit “The Grizzly Bear Illustrated: 1828 – 1943,” curated by Lee Silliman, the Livingston Depot Center and Elk River Arts & Lectures will host a screening of the film, Beast of Our Time: Climate Change and Grizzly Bears, at the Depot Center, 200 W. Park St. on Friday, June 13, at 6 pm. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with the film’s director, Maikke Middleton, grizzly expert and author Doug Peacock and author and biologist Susan Consolo-Murphy. A book signing will follow, and a cash bar and light refreshments will be offered.
The Beast of Our Time, a 28-minute, award-winning documentary produced by Save the Yellowstone Grizzly, is an unflinching inquiry into the relationship between climate change and grizzly bears. The film, directed by Maaike Middleton, is narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges and scored by pianist Bill Payne of Little Feat.
Middleton is the director of two films by Save the Yellowstone Grizzly: The Beast of Our Time: Grizzly Bears and Climate Change and Return of the Grizzly. Born in The Netherlands and raised in Montana, she has filmed wildlife globally, including pumas in Patagonia and Amur tigers in Russia. Maaike is dedicated to impactful storytelling and her work includes collaborations with Smithsonian, Nat Geo, Netflix, BBC, PBS, and Arte.
Peacock is an author of Was It Worth It?: A Wilderness Warrior’s Long Trail Home and Grizzly Years, reflecting his passion for defending wilderness areas and the grizzly bear. A Green Beret medic in Vietnam and the inspiration for the character George Washington Hayduke in Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang, he writes extensively on wilderness issues. Peacock co-founded Round River Conservation Studies, aiding in the preservation of 20 million acres, and Save the Yellowstone Grizzly, which advocates for grizzly bears in the lower 48 states.
Consolo-Murphy, author of The Bears of Grand Teton: A Natural and Cultural History, retired in 2019 as Chief of Science and Resource Management at Grand Teton National Park. With a 40-year career in the National Park Service, she held various roles including cultural resources chief and editor of Yellowstone Science.
All are welcome to join the screening of “Beast of Our Time” and panel discussion Friday, June 13th starting at 6pm. The event is free and light refreshments will be provided.
