Bears in Hot Tubs is a tender, emotionally resonant short film co-created with Maddie Bear and her wild kin, who move through the suburban landscapes of Los Angeles with curiosity, intelligence, and quiet grace. From soaking in backyard tubs to wandering garden paths, these black bears are not intruders; they are neighbors, navigating a world remade by human presence.

Rather than depicting wildlife as problems to be solved, the 16-minute film centers the lived experiences of the bears themselves. Maddie shares her world on her own terms, inviting us to witness rather than surveil, to recognize rather than manage.

Through poetic imagery and observational storytelling, Bears in Hot Tubs challenges us to rethink coexistence, not as a burden, but as a shared opportunity. This is a story about boundaries: who draws them, who crosses them, and what it means to co-thrive across species lines.

In a time of ecological uncertainty, the film offers a hopeful reminder: co-thriving begins with us, by listening, adapting, and treating wild lives with empathy, care, and respect.