Leaving the Lights

Beside the crashing waves of the Pacific ocean, the century-old Nootka Lighthouse faithfully stands guard. For decades, lighthouse keepers Ed and Pat Kidder have ensured the safty of mariners along a wild and rocky coastline. Now, Canada's longest-serving lightkeepers bid farewell to a vanishing way of life.

For 42 years, the Kidders have cherished this remote wilderness, rarely leaving the isolation of the lighthouse. Leaving the Lights captures the final year of a life lived "on the lights." Ed and Pat reflect candidly on the unique existence they've forged, from the countless marine rescues to the international fight to keep lighthouses staffed. They also reveal their uneasy preparation for retirement. Will the Kidders lose their sense of identity as the beacon fades on their lives as keepers? Does the uncertain future of Canada's lightkeepers mean a treasured way of life will soon disappear forever?

Director Chris Jaksa, award-winning photographer and co-creator of the book Guiding Lights: British Columbia's Lighthouses & Their Keepers, deftly brings to life a visually stunning world. Featuring colourful first-person tales, the film is a vibrant character study of two of the West Coast's most legendary lightkeepers.