National Geographic Live presents Life on Thin Ice at the Vancouver Playhouse October 9
Photographer Kiliii Yuyan will be live on stage for the film’s visually stunning exploration of the Arctic

Life on Thin Ice. Photo by Kiliii Yuyan
Vancouver Civic Theatres present National Geographic Live: Life on Thin Ice at the Vancouver Playhouse on October 9 at 7:30 pm
VANCOUVER CIVIC THEATRES’ National Geographic Live series is back on October 9 with a presentation of Life on Thin Ice with National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan.
A visually stunning exploration of the Arctic, the film delves into the significance of sea ice to the region’s wildlife and to the Indigenous people who live there. The ice is crucial for transportation and the daily life of the 40 different ethnic groups of its human inhabitants, and for the polar bears, musk ox, whales, and caribou with whom they coexist. Yuyan, who is of Chinese and Nanai/Hézhè (East Asian Indigenous) descent, has a rare capability of capturing the human experience in some of the harshest environments around the globe. He gives an understanding of the Arctic’s Indigenous peoples and their relationship to the frozen region.
There are two other installments of Nat Geo Live this season. On February 12, there’s Wild Wolves of Yellowstone with wildlife biologist Doug Smith, and on April 2 it’s The Untold Story of Sharks with shark researcher Jess Cramp. Smith led the project that reintroduced gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s, and this series includes never-before-seen photos and videos of the quest to bring wolves back and the momentous changes that happened after they arrived. Cramp specializes in conservation policy and co-championed a grassroots campaign that resulted in the Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary in 2012, an area covering more than 770,000 square miles. She is the founder and executive director of Sharks Pacific, a non-profit organization that conducts research, outreach, and advocacy throughout the Pacific Islands region.
Individual tickets range from $35 to $60. New this season, a $60 premium seating package includes the best seats in the house and access to the post-show meet and greet.
Gail Johnson is cofounder and associate editor of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.
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