By Cameran Small
This Is My Place follows Armando, a bear research technician with Fundación Cordillera Tropical (FCT) in Cuenca, Ecuador. Director Zach Mather focuses on Armando’s daily fieldwork—trekking into Sangay National Park to place and check camera traps that document elusive Andean bears and the ecosystem that sustains them. The film’s intimate perspective makes conservation feel personal: it’s science rooted in home, responsibility, and community stewardship. With producer Sahar Safavi, cinematographer Zane Moulton, and editor Lisa Aquilino, Mather shapes a clear, heartfelt portrait that shows why protecting place matters—and why local expertise is indispensable to lasting environmental care.
Credits: Director Zach Mather; Producer Sahar Safavi; Cinematography Zane Moulton; Editor Lisa Aquilino.
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Cameran Small is currently a senior at Savannah College Of Art And Design studying dramatic writing.
