The sheer number of reality TV shows about survival shows how obsessed we are with the idea of enduring in the wild.
In True Survivors, Sarika Cullis-Suzuki goes on a scientific and personal journey, challenging the modern stereotype of ‘man against nature’ to get to the root of human survival.
Growing up, Cullis-Suzuki loved to play ‘survival’ on the beach with her sister and dad, David Suzuki. The challenge was set: With nothing, how would you survive? Where will you find food? Water? Shelter? Fire?
Today, she plays the same game with her own kids but, one thing is clear: climate change has raised the stakes.
Cullis-Suzuki, a scientist and mother who fears for her children’s future, embarks on a journey that takes her from the stunning deserts of New Mexico to the edge of the ice in Canada’s North to learn about how humans adapted to extreme environmental change in the past.
She meets with experts in anthropology, paleobotany and restoration ecology. She speaks with Indigenous elders about cultural survival and the strength of shared knowledge. Finally, right at home in her own province, Cullis-Suzuki witnesses a truly incredible case of survival in the face of a human-caused climate disaster.
A survival story that connects generations, True Survivors explores our shared human resilience. How have humans adapted and survived in the past? And what will it take to survive what’s next?