I saw an amazing documentary/biography last night from the Discovery Channel called Grizzly Man which dealt with the life of Timothy Treadwell. For those not familiar with the name he was an animal activist who spent 13 seasons living with the grizzly bears in the wilds of Alaska producing some of the most visually stunning video and still images you will ever see.

Treadwell saw himself as the saviour of the bears. In his mind he was protecting them from the ravages of poaching so it is somewhat ironic that his life, and the life of his girlfriend Amie Huguenard, would finally come to an abrupt and violent end at the “hands” of one of “his” bears.

I think it goes without saying he actually did more harm than good. He crossed an unseen line. There is a reason humans avoid bears and vice-versa. While his death may have drawn attention to his cause habituating bears to humans was a gross error in judgment and is not fair to the animals.

But this film was disturbing on another level for it revealed a darker side to the man who referred to himself as the kind warrior. When watching the film you got the sense that in Treadwell’s mind he didn’t fit in with society - that he was an outcast - and thus sought refuge in this primordial and violent world. A former substance abuser, he seemed to “find himself” as he totally immersed himself in his new life with the animals. His on camera rambles gave a haunting insight into the psyche of a man struggling to find acceptance.

During the 13 seasons he spent living among the bears he shot over one hundred hours of video and produced thousands of stills. Some of his work appeared in the documentary which was expertly created, directed and narrated by Werner Herzog. One item that Herzog declined to include in the film was the audio recording of that fateful night when Treadwell and Huguenard met their demise. Evidently the camera was running but the lens cap hadn’t been removed so all that was captured was the audio of the violent attack.

There is no doubt Treadwell was a man battling personal demons. But no one can deny the passion he felt for the animals. There was nothing hypocritical about him. His actions may have been misguided but his intentions were genuine.

If you haven’t seen this film I highly recommend watching it. Keep an eye on your local listings or even spend a few bucks and rent it from a video store. And be prepared to see one of the most haunting documentaries you will ever see. It is an emotional rollercoaster ride.