Bears in Hot Tubs - Directed by Maddie Bear & Claire Musser

Jun 9
1 min read

Project Type: Film

Project Title: Bears in Hot Tubs

Brief Synopsis: Bears in Hot Tubs is a tender, observational short film exploring what it means to live alongside wildlife in a world reshaped by human presence. Co-created with Maddie Bear and her wild kin, the film follows American black bears as they move through suburban Los Angeles, soaking in backyard tubs, wandering garden paths, and navigating neighborhoods with curiosity, intelligence, and quiet agency. Rather than framing bears as conflicts to be managed, the film centers their lived experiences, inviting viewers to witness rather than surveil, to recognize rather than control. Through poetic imagery and patient storytelling, Bears in Hot Tubs asks who defines boundaries, who crosses them, and how relationships across species might be reimagined beyond fear and domination. In a time of ecological uncertainty, the film offers a hopeful and intimate vision of co-thriving, one rooted in listening, adaptation, and respect. It suggests that shared landscapes need not be sites of inevitable conflict, but places where empathy and responsibility can shape more just, multispecies futures.

Runtime: 16:38

Completion Date: Dec 2025

Country of Origin: USA

Language: English