‘OR7 The Journey' to play at Summerfield Cinemas

Who knew a documentary about a wayward wolf would sell out a theater?

“OR7 - The Journey,” an inspiring film about Oregon’s famous wandering gray wolf who made an epic journey into California, is scheduled to play Aug. 26 at Summerfield Cinemas in Santa Rosa. But the showing quickly sold out so a second screening has been added, Aug. 27 also at 7 p.m.

A Q&A with filmmaker Clemens Schenk and Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity, which is co-sponsoring the event, will take place after the film has shown.

Amid so much troubling news about the environment, “OR7 - The Journey” documents a uplifting success story about the potential for regional recovery of wolves in the Pacific West. Since Oregon’s last wolf bounty was paid in 1947, wolf populations have slowly rebounded, aided by protections under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1973.

Oregon is once again home to a fragile, recovering population of gray wolves thanks to preservation efforts. All of them inhabited the northeast corner of the state until a lone male broke from his pack in 2011 and made history by becoming the first documented wolf west of the Cascades since 1947, and the first in California in nearly a century. In the process, he inspired people around the world and has become an ambassador for recovering native wildlife. That wolf was dubbed OR-7 by biologists and was given the name “Journey” by schoolchildren in a naming contest.

The film tells Journey’s story, not just as an adventure thousands of miles in the making, but representing the return of his species to their native habitats. It explores an awakening in how Americans view native wildlife and wild places, and the increasing conflict between 21st century science and values, and the old prejudices and politics that still threaten the future of wolves.

Also sponsoring the showing are the The Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma County Conservation Action and Pepperwood Preserve. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com/event/2019973. 551 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa.

You can reach Meg McConahey at meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or 521-5204. On Twitter @megmcconahey.