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Oscar® Nominee, Best Short Subject (Live Action), 1967

Paddle to the Sea

1966 27 min
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Based on Holling C. Holling's book of the same name, Paddle to the Sea is Bill Mason's film adaptation of the classic tale of an Indigenous boy who sets out to carve a man and a canoe. Calling the man "Paddle to the Sea," he sets his carving down on a frozen stream to await spring’s arrival. The film follows the adventures that befall the canoe on its long odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea.

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Paddle to the Sea

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Based on Holling C. Holling's book of the same name, Paddle to the Sea is Bill Mason's film adaptation of the classic tale of an Indigenous boy who sets out to carve a man and a canoe. Calling the man "Paddle to the Sea," he sets his carving down on a frozen stream to await spring’s arrival. The film follows the adventures that befall the canoe on its long odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea.

Literature and Language Canada - Images of a Country Geography and Geology All subjects
Kids' Movies All channels
  • director
    Bill Mason
  • photography
    Bill Mason
  • producer
    Julian Biggs
  • associate producer
    Stanley Jackson
  • editing
    Bill Mason
  • commentary
    Stanley Jackson
  • musical score
    Louis Applebaum
  • sound editing
    Don Wellington
  • sound recording
    Ron Alexander
    Roger Lamoureux
  • production assistant
    Blake James

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Education

Ages 6 to 11
School subjects
English Language Arts - Children's Stories/Fables Indigenous Studies - Arts
Why did the little boy make Paddle? Discuss the many dangers and adventures that Paddle faced from Nature and "the world of men". Was his journey to the sea successful? Suggest reasons why everyone who found Paddle put him back in the water.
Paddle to the Sea
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Licencing information

Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

You may download this film for private, personal or classroom use only. Public screenings and institutional (non-educational institutions) uses are not permitted. Download films in standard or high definition. (Please note that bonus materials are not available for DTO films.) You can copy each file up to 5 (five) times, onto various devices. DTO films cannot be hosted on a streaming server. To add DTO films to an institutional or educational streaming server, please contact a sales agent to discuss pricing.

Institutional licence

The institutional price includes the rights to screen this film in institutional settings and in free public screenings.

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