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Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed

1979 57 min
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Bureaucracy shapes our lives and guides us from the cradle to the grave. This documentary, directed by Donald Brittain, lays bare the idiosyncrasies of bureaucracy, whether in Canada, Austria, Hungary, the Vatican or the Virgin Islands. It also attempts to make the functioning of the public service more comprehensible. The absurdities of bureaucratic behaviour are exposed with humour and irreverence.

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Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed

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Bureaucracy shapes our lives and guides us from the cradle to the grave. This documentary, directed by Donald Brittain, lays bare the idiosyncrasies of bureaucracy, whether in Canada, Austria, Hungary, the Vatican or the Virgin Islands. It also attempts to make the functioning of the public service more comprehensible. The absurdities of bureaucratic behaviour are exposed with humour and irreverence.

Politics and Government All subjects
  • director
    Donald Brittain
  • producer
    Marrin Canell
    Donald Brittain
  • executive producer
    Barrie Howells
    Paul Wright
  • script
    Donald Brittain
    Ronald Blumer
    John T. Random
  • photography
    Douglas Kiefer
    Barry Perles
  • sound
    Hans Oomes
  • editing
    Richard Todd
  • sound editing
    Bernard Bordeleau
  • re-recording
    Hans Peter Strobl
    Adrian Croll

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Education

Ages 14 to 17
School subjects
Civics/Citizenship - Citizen Responsibilities Civics/Citizenship - Federal/Provincial Government History and Citizenship Education - Issues in Society Today
The film states that what is often frustrating about a process is also what makes it fair. Write about a personal experience of bureaucracy that exemplifies this. Interview a civil servant or person working in administration and then present the importance of their job and the steps in a process or procedure they must follow.
Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed
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Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

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Institutional licence

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

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