WIFT NZ - "500 Days in the Wild" Event Screenings Across Aotearoa

Canadian filmmaker and Wiftie Dianne Whelan is coming to New Zealand for 20 event screenings in 17 cities and towns across the motu to showcase her documentary 500 Days in the Wild.

She spent six years traversing the entire 24,000 kms of Canada’s land and water trails from sea to sea to sea, and her film it cut from the 800 hours of footage she shot.

Whelan is the first and only person to complete this extraordinary odyssey - hiking, biking, paddling, snowshoeing, and skiing across the world’s longest network of trails.

In her 50s and not an extreme athlete, Whelan faced gruelling storms, isolation, and the constant threat of fire, flood, and fatigue. What began as a solitary adventure, born from disillusionment and fear for the planet’s future, evolved into a deeply human journey. Along the way she discovered wisdom from Indigenous communities, unexpected kindness from strangers, and a renewed sense of connection to the land.

By the end of her six-year trek, she had not only crossed an entire country but also rediscovered hope, found love, and gained a profound passion to share what she had learned.

500 Days in the Wild is both epic and intimate: an inspiring chronicle of resilience, renewal, and the enduring power of nature to bring us back to what truly matters.

When the trail is endless, the lessons are too. An intimate epic of resilience, nature, and human connection.