Jewel’s Hunt

Premiered November 18, 2019

Directed by

Alexandra Stergiou

Can Jewel balance the complications of a modern teenager with her connection to village life?

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About the Documentary

Sixteen-year-old Jewel Wilson is the next generation in a long line of prolific Inupiat subsistence hunters in Unalakleet, Alaska. Her ability to hunt moose is hindered by two pressing issues – scarce wildlife and the pressures of high school life. Finding sufficient food competes with track practice and homework in Jewel’s multilayered world. Along with her father, Jewel turns to the land to feed their family and finds that their village’s way of life is endangered by the same environmental shifts that could affect us all. In hunting moose, we see that Jewel is also hunting for answers. How will her village survive if subsistence hunting is threatened? Can she honor the traditions of her Elders while navigating the pressures and anxieties of a modern, connected teenager? Jewel’s Hunt proves to be both physical and philosophical in this insightful exploration of what it means to come of age in complicated times in Unalakleet, Alaska.

The Filmmaker

Alexandra is a director based in New York City. Her work has been recognized by the Wasserman Awards, National Board of Review, and British Council. She studied filmmaking at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and began her career at Vice. She went on to run a filmmaking workshop for refugees in Greece with an NGO supported by the European Commission and Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Her work has been featured in Filmmaker Magazine, Woman and Hollywood, NPR, and The New York Times. She has directed and shot projects for brands such as John Frieda, Maybelline, Cole Haan and companies such as Vox Media and Refinery29. Alexandra recently directed and produced the feature documentary, The Candidates, an official selection of DOC NYC and Big Sky. It will have its US broadcast debut later this year.

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