Reel Alternatives: The Art of Adventure

Monday, December 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. PDT

Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James Street, Duncan, BC

Published by Cowichan Performing Arts Centre

The Cowichan Hospice Society presents Subscribe to all 5 shows for $70! Single tickets on sale on September 2, 2026. Subscriptions can be purchased by phone or in-person only. Between 1957 and 1958, Robert Bateman and Bristol Foster undertook the adventure of a lifetime — driving a Land Rover dubbed “the Grizzly Torque” 30,000 kilometres across Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia. More than just an adrenaline-pumping adventure story of two young men crossing half the planet, The Art of Adventure maps out how Bateman and Foster’s trip inspired a love of nature that would last a lifetime. The film interweaves an account of their travels with a look their lives through the decades that followed: Bateman became a beloved Canadian wildlife painter and Foster a prominent biologist and the first director of BC’s Ecological Reserves program. Through in-depth interviews with friends and family and the original 16mm film footage of their incredible journey, director Alison Reid shows how the trip expanded the pair’s knowledge of the physical world while deepening their spiritual and emotional connection to it. A heartwarming, inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself. Drama Reel Alternatives is a monthly fundraiser bringing Toronto Film Festival’s critically acclaimed films to the Cowichan Valley. This year’s circuit will feature five acclaimed films. All proceeds go directly to benefiting individuals and families in Cowichan through Cowichan Hospice by ensuring hospice services are available when they need them!