Tomm Moore: Storytelling, Environmentalism, and WolfWalkers

Defender Radio and The Switch

I have watched a LOT of content in the last year and a half. But little of it has hit me in the heart and mind as thoughtfully and powerfully as the Oscar-nominated animated feature WolfWalkers.

I’ll rewind, briefly. Earlier this year, friends of mine Christopher and Cynthia of the Not About Lumberjacks podcast, suggested that I try connecting with a filmmaker they knew – Tomm Moore. He’s an environmentalist, has made these incredible films and is an all-around interesting fellow, they said – a great interview for Defender Radio.

While connecting with Tomm and his team at Cartoon Saloon to arrange a chat, I immersed myself in his work, namely the trio of Irish folklore-based films he’d helped create. All the films are outstanding and I strongly recommend them, but WolfWalkers leapt off the screen for me. By the way – spoilers ahead!

WolfWalkers is described by IMDb.com as the tale of a young apprentice hunter and her father journeying to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumoured to transform into wolves by night.

The depth of characters, themes and the sheer beauty and vision in the artwork of Wolfwalkers is astounding. It was an amazing opportunity to sit and chat with Tomm about the environment, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, how storytelling brings together generations of people who can all see themselves in characters, and ways of moving forward in the world, together. Rather than tell you more about it – let’s just have a listen!

Follow Tomm Moore on Instagram @tomm9769 and Twitter @tommmoore; You can find more about Cartoon Saloon and WolfWalkers at CartoonSaloon.ie. WolfWalkers is currently streaming on Apple+ in Canada.

Episode art provided by Cartoon Saloon.

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Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Twitter (www.twitter.com/furbearers) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).