To film kayakers in powerful whitewater, we had to brave the rapids ourselves

The Magpie River is a powerful force of whitewater and rapids that snakes almost 300 kilometres as it flows through Quebec, down toward the St. Lawrence. 

I Am the Magpie River, a documentary from The Nature of Things, explores the river end-to-end and examines how it was granted legal personhood under Canadian law — a way to protect its waters and those who rely on it.

In 2010, the Magpie river was named one of the top 10 whitewater kayaking rivers in the world by National Geographic. Mathieu Bourdon has been paddling these rapids for over 25 years. "The first time I came here … the river was in pristine condition," says Bourdon in French in the documentary. "And that trip spawned my love for the river.

Bourdon took Benoit Croteau, an Anicinape paddler, down the river for the first time. "I'm so excited …  I have a bucket list to paddle some [rivers]," Croteau says in the documentary in French. "It's top of my list for sure. Magpie is kind of a dream."

Capturing Bourdon and Croteau navigating the twists and turns of the Magpie's powerful rapids was a big challenge for our team. But with the right gear (725 kg-worth) and the right crew, we were able to get some incredible shots.