Documentary backdrop image for The Homing Instinct (2018)

Documentary backdrop image for The Homing Instinct (2018)

201888 minGdocumentary

The Homing Instinct

201888 minGdocumentary

Every summer, herds of salmon return to Sakhalin Island from the ocean, but their numbers decrease dramatically each year.

Genres

Director

Alexandr Zarchikov

Synopsis

Every summer, herds of salmon return to Sakhalin Island from the ocean, but their numbers decrease dramatically each year.

People

Alexandr Zarchikov

Alexandr Zarchikovdirector

Alexandr Zarchikov

Alexandr Zarchikovwriter

Synopsis

Vanya's family faces separation on Sakhalin Island, mirroring the decline of local salmon populations. Every summer, salmon return from the ocean, but their numbers dwindle. Persuaded by his older brother, Vanya's father takes him around the island, promising to show him spawning salmon. As they travel, the bond between father and son reflects the fragile state of their environment.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

The Surprise Salmon - Life On Fire (2022)

The Surprise Salmon - Life On Fire

Nearly 2,000 years ago, a population of salmon was forced to abandon their natal river due to volcanic eruptions that poisoned their habitat.

The Surprise Salmon - Life On Fire

6,000 Miles Of Death: Inside The World's Most Dangerous Migration (2026)

6,000 Miles Of Death: Inside The World's Most Dangerous Migration

Sockeye salmon embark on a perilous 6,000-mile migration to survive after a catastrophic volcanic eruption in Alaska devastates their ancestral home.

6,000 Miles Of Death: Inside The World's Most Dangerous Migration

The Haïda tribe: renewing the pact with nature (2022)

The Haïda tribe: renewing the pact with nature

The Haïda tribe, known as the Salmon People, faces cultural and environmental challenges as salmon populations decline off the northwestern coast of Canada.

The Haïda tribe: renewing the pact with nature

Artifishal: The Fight to Save Wild Salmon (2019)

Artifishal: The Fight to Save Wild Salmon

Workers at the Pullman National Fish Hatchery release 12 million salmon each year to compensate for habitat loss caused by the Shasta Dam.

Artifishal: The Fight to Save Wild Salmon

Kermode: The salmon fishing spirit bear (2018)

Kermode: The salmon fishing spirit bear

In Katmai National Park, Alaska, brown bears fish for salmon and grizzly bears forage for berries along the Douglas River amid volcanic landscapes.

Kermode: The salmon fishing spirit bear

Russia's Lost Paradises: Secret Forests, Bison Comebacks & Arctic Mysteries (2022)

Russia's Lost Paradises: Secret Forests, Bison Comebacks & Arctic Mysteries

Curonian Spit, Kamchatka, and Yamal showcase Russia's diverse ecosystems, where climate change and gas production threaten their unique wildlife and habitats.

Russia's Lost Paradises: Secret Forests, Bison Comebacks & Arctic Mysteries

From Streams to Seas - The Unseen Struggles of Fish (2024)

From Streams to Seas - The Unseen Struggles of Fish

Nearly 40 million tons of fish are harvested every year, but many populations face overfishing and threats to their survival.

From Streams to Seas - The Unseen Struggles of Fish

Salmons, from deadIy waters to native river (2022)

Salmons, from deadIy waters to native river

In Alaska, volcanic eruptions poison fish, impacting salmon and river ecosystems over 2000 years.

Salmons, from deadIy waters to native river

Komi, a Journey Across the Arctic (2024)

Komi, a Journey Across the Arctic

Each autumn, two Komi families migrate across the Ural Mountains with 5,000 reindeer to secure food for the harsh Siberian winter.

Komi, a Journey Across the Arctic

Destination Wild: Wild Islands - Vancouver Island (2026)

Destination Wild: Wild Islands - Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island's diverse ecosystems, including ancient rainforests and glacial peaks, showcase the adaptations of black bears, orcas, and humpback whales through seasonal changes.

Destination Wild: Wild Islands - Vancouver Island

Explore The Homing Instinct

Where else to watch

Sockeye Salmon. Red Fish (2020)

Sockeye Salmon. Red Fish

2020•51m•★9.0TMDB

Billions of people rely on sockeye salmon as a vital food source, while human activities threaten its future and ecological balance.

Sockeye Salmon. Red Fish

Atlantic Salmon: Lost at Sea (2018)

Atlantic Salmon: Lost at Sea

2018•55m•★8.0TMDB

Scientists track Atlantic salmon from rivers like the Miramichi in Canada to the North Atlantic Ocean using advanced DNA technology to study their declining populations.

Atlantic Salmon: Lost at Sea

Alaskan Summer (2017)

Alaskan Summer

2017•48m•★7.5TMDB

Over 140 million seabirds migrate to Alaska's Admiralty Island each summer, nearly half of the birds in the Northern Hemisphere.

Artifishal (2019)

Artifishal

2019•1h15m•★7.3TMDB

In the Pacific Northwest, the salmon-hatchery industry faces criticism from ecologists and organizations like the Wild Salmon Center for its impact on wild fish populations and ecosystems.

Fatei and the Sea (2018)

Fatei and the Sea

2018•1h14m•★6.2TMDB

Fatei runs a marine farm on Rikord, an uninhabited island in the Peter the Great Gulf, harvesting seafood while facing the challenges of remote life.

Fatei and the Sea

Of Fish and Foe (2018)

Of Fish and Foe

2018•1h31m•★4.0TMDB

The Pullar family faces opposition from animal rights groups as they continue traditional fishing methods for wild Atlantic salmon off Scotland's coast.

Of Fish and Foe

Browse more like this

Kermode: The salmon fishing spirit bear (2018)

Kermode: The salmon fishing spirit bear

In Katmai National Park, Alaska, brown bears fish for salmon and grizzly bears forage for berries along the Douglas River amid volcanic landscapes.

Kermode: The salmon fishing spirit bear

No digital watch option in your country

Russia's Lost Paradises: Secret Forests, Bison Comebacks & Arctic Mysteries (2022)

Russia's Lost Paradises: Secret Forests, Bison Comebacks & Arctic Mysteries

Curonian Spit, Kamchatka, and Yamal showcase Russia's diverse ecosystems, where climate change and gas production threaten their unique wildlife and habitats.

Russia's Lost Paradises: Secret Forests, Bison Comebacks & Arctic Mysteries

No digital watch option in your country

From Streams to Seas - The Unseen Struggles of Fish (2024)

From Streams to Seas - The Unseen Struggles of Fish

Nearly 40 million tons of fish are harvested every year, but many populations face overfishing and threats to their survival.

From Streams to Seas - The Unseen Struggles of Fish

No digital watch option in your country

Destination Wild: Wild Islands - Vancouver Island (2026)

Destination Wild: Wild Islands - Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island's diverse ecosystems, including ancient rainforests and glacial peaks, showcase the adaptations of black bears, orcas, and humpback whales through seasonal changes.

Destination Wild: Wild Islands - Vancouver Island

No digital watch option in your country

Koka (2024)

Koka

2024•47m•★8.0TMDB

A father and son fish together in the Bering Sea, balancing survival and education in a remote community shaped by harsh natural conditions.

Salmon Run (2003)

Salmon Run

2003•44m•★8.0TMDB

In Naknek, Alaska, local fishermen struggle with economic and cultural challenges due to the rise of farm-raised Atlantic salmon affecting their livelihoods.

House near the road (2012)

House near the road

2012•57m•★6.7TMDB

Three children live in a wooden izba in the Voronezh region of Russia, where their family faces daily challenges without indoor plumbing.

House near the road

24 Snow (2021)

24 Snow

2021•1h33m•★5.0TMDB

Sergei breeds horses in the Arctic Sakha region, balancing isolation with a deep connection to nature amid the challenges of post-Soviet life.

Browse more by Alexandr Zarchikov

View all films →

The Halves (2015)

The Halves

2015

The Secret of Cape Anastasia (2021)

The Secret of Cape Anastasia

2021

Sea of My Father (2023)

Sea of My Father

2023

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →