Cinematographer Creates Moving Video About Calgary Flooding

The Calgary flooding has dominated the news this week, but one of the most moving reports on the devastation isn’t from a news outlet but from cinematographer and Calgary resident Bradley Stuckel. His video, “For Our Tomorrow – Calgary 2013” documents how local authorities and citizens are managing in the aftermath—a resident canoes past a home, police cruisers are rendered motionless in water-clogged streets, and sweeping pans of flood waters in slow motion are seen throughout. And, as is often the case during times of crisis, it shows how the community is coming together–neighbours lend a helping hand; strangers become kin.

The video was uploaded to YouTube on Monday and now has over 36,000 views. The Calgary Police have asked Stuckel if they can share his video on their own YouTube page and the comments section is filled with praise.

The video is impressive; as moving as any short film or documentary you would watch about the event (except you’d probably be watching it months later). The expediency in which Stuckel produced the video, coupled with the cinematic storytelling techniques used throughout marks an interesting turning point in the civilian-on-the-street-style dispatch (contrast the Stuckel piece with the usual, shaky and blurry Smartphone videos uploaded by individuals during other disasters).