The urge to relieve a winter valley of permanent shadow and find gold in alluvial gravel is part of a long history of desire and extraction in the far Canadian north. Cancan dancers, curlers, smelters, former city officials, and a curious cliff-side mirrored disc congregate to form a town portrait. Shot on location in Dawson City, Yukon Territory.
You can now watch Optimism online on the following streaming providers in the United States.
| Directing | Deborah Stratman | Director |
| Sound | Steven Badgett | Sound Recordist |
| Sound | Deborah Stratman | Sound Recordist |
| Camera | Deborah Stratman | Camera Operator |
| Editing | Deborah Stratman | Editor |
| Sound | Deborah Stratman | Sound Designer |
| Writing | Deborah Stratman | Writer |
| Camera | Deborah Stratman | Director of Photography |
| Sound | Charlie Chaplin | Music |
