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Animal Life (43)
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The Animal MovieGrant Munro & Ron Tunis 1966 9 minAn animated cartoon to help children explore why and how animals move as they do. A little boy discovers that he cannot compete with a monkey, a snake or a horse by imitating the way they move. He can only outdistance them when he climbs into a vehicle that can travel in any environment, proving that the human capacity for technological invention creates a wholly different relationship to our environment. -
Along Newfoundland's Shores1962 7 minThis short documentary includes three vignettes about life off the coast of Newfoundland. In Island of Birds, we visit Green Island, a sea bird sanctuary where puffins frolic. In Caplin Harvest, little silvery fish called caplin spawn by washing ashore along the waves, making an easy catch for fishermen. In Outports on the Move, off-shore houses are pried loose from their foundation and floated to the Newfoundland mainland, where schools, hospitals, stores and services are available to the community.
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Babine River Story1961 6 minThis short documentary illustrates the work of the Department of Fisheries in combatting the problems caused by a rockslide in British Columbia’s Babine River during the annual salmon run.
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Bad SeedsClaude Cloutier 2020 6 minBad Seeds takes us to a bizarre world populated by carnivorous plants that can change shapes the way a chameleon changes colours. The veteran director of
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Beyond the Naked EyeClaudia Overing 1973 18 minA film of marvels, an amazing view of the living, pulsing universe contained in a single drop of water from an aquarium. Colour film and a microscope, and the infinite patience of the filmmakers, reveal life that no one would ordinarily see. This is a view of creation, of birth, life and death, of the laws of nature that apply even to the smallest of living things. It is a film that will add knowledge and insight to the pleasure of any audience.
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The Garden of EcosCo Hoedeman 1997 10 minIn this animated short, animals and plants are living peacefully together in a large garden until predators attack and ravage their habitat, stealing food and destroying plants. This creates an imbalance that leads to war. A fable that poetically describes how conflicts between 2 different groups in the same community can upset the natural balance of an ecosystem.
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Horses of SuffieldNick Bakyta 1998 46 minThis documentary explores the fate of the endangered wild Suffield horses of Alberta. Located near a military base close to Medicine Hat, these animals were originally domesticated but returned to the wild over generations. These horses face endangerment because of their growing numbers and the limitations of their environment.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Black Bear1978 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces viewers to the black bear.
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The Hinterland Who's Who: Whooping Crane1978 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series provides an introduction to the whooping crane.
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Hinterland Who's Who: The Greater Snow Goose1978 1 minThis very short documentary film depicts the spring and fall migratory visits of snow geese to Cap Tourmente, Québec.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Grizzly1972 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces viewers to the grizzly bear.
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Hinterland Who's Who: The Willow Ptarmigan1973 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces you to the willow ptarmigan.
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Hinterland Who's Who: The Polar Bear1973 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who's Who series introduces viewers to the polar bear, one of the largest bears in North America. See first-hand how they swim, hunt, and raise their cubs.
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Hinterland Who's Who: The Musk Ox1973 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who's Who series introduces viewers to the musk ox, relative of the sheep and goat. They live in the most remote regions of the far North, and are now considered a protected species.
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Hinterland Who's Who: The Canvasback Duck1973 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland’s Who’s Who series is an introduction to the canvasback duck.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Red Fox1967 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series provides an introduction to the red fox.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Blue Jay1972 1 minA short public service announcement of the blue jay.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Peregrine Falcon1972 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces viewers to the peregrine falcon.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Canada Goose1967 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces viewers to the Canada goose.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Robin1972 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces viewers to the robin.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Moose1963 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces viewers to the moose.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Caribou1967 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series provides an introduction to the caribou.
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Hinterland Who's Who: The Raccoon1978 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces viewers to the raccoon.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Bighorn Sheep1969 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland’s Who’s Who series is an introduction to the bighorn sheep.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Woodchuck1972 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who's Who series introduces viewers to the woodchuck, also known as a ground hog. From eating habits to mating schedules, a great deal about this large rodent is revealed in under 60 seconds.
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Hinterland Who's Who: The Bison1973 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who's Who series introduces viewers the bison.
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Hinterland Who's Who: Herring Gull1967 1 minThis very short documentary from the Hinterland Who’s Who series provides an introduction to the herring gull.
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Hinterland Who's Who: The Snowy Owl1973 1 minThis very short film from the Hinterland Who’s Who series introduces viewers to the snowy owl.
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Islands of the Frozen SeaDalton Muir , Hugh O'Connor , … 1958 29 minThis short documentary offers a look at the life forms on the Queen Elizabeth Islands within the Arctic Circle. Even in this frigid zone of icebergs and glaciers a surprising variety of wildlife and vegetation is seen. Writings from the logbooks of early explorers provide vivid descriptions of scenes as arresting to them in their century as to today's explorer.
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The Lady and the OwlWilliam Canning 1975 27 minThis short documentary introduces us to the McKeevers, who care for injured owls. They live in the country and have built special cages for different purposes and species. There are many ways of being wounded, yet many ways of being cured
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Lords of the ArcticCaroline Underwood & Jean Lemire 2003 52 minThis documentary by award-winning filmmaker Caroline Underwood focuses on Northern wildlife and its close and tragic relation to climate change, which affects all of the Arctic's fragile ecosystems. The example of the polar bear, studied by biologists for the past 20 years, is revealing. Scientists are also concerned about the precarious situation of bowhead whales and belugas, not to mention seals, walruses and many species of birds. Are the lords of the Arctic in danger of ending their reign over their kingdom of ice and snow?
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Life on IceWilliam Hansen 1986 27 minThis documentary film focuses on the animal life that survives in this harsh arctic climates at the edge of the ice - from the simple algae to narwhals, polar bears, sea birds, seals, whales and walruses.
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The Man Who Digs for FishJack Long 1979 13 minFrank Jenkinson, eighty-two, has been digging for fish for twenty-five years. His unorthodox conservationist practices have increased the numbers of the salmon population in the Jarvis Inlet from a modest 500 to 25 000. Using a spade and accompanied by his dog, Frank wades up and down the stream, digging for the newly hatched salmon that lie buried in the gravel. Without his intervention they risk dying before reaching maturity.
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The Man Who Talks with WolvesCarlos Ferrand 2001 52 minIn the wilderness of northern Quebec, Michel and Louise Pageau devote their lives to caring for injured wild animals and returning them to their natural habitat. Some animals simply cannot make it in the wild any more, so the Pageaus opened a shelter - the Pageau Refuge - for animals that cannot be released.
Michel Pageau has been interested in animals since childhood. A former trapper and hunter, he has a gift for making contact with wild creatures. Pageau feels a particular connection with wolves - and for several years he has maintained a friendship with a number of them, based on mutual trust. Their level of communication is astonishing. When Michel calls, the wolves respond. At one point, Michel is distressed because their rapport seems to have broken down. Ché-Cché, the head of the pack, will not let him approach. Can Michel rebuild their relationship?
With stunning images and poetic narration, The Man Who Talks with Wolves takes us into a mysterious world where the line between human and beast becomes blurred. -
My World, Your MelodyBianca Shonee Arroyo-Kreimes 2024 1 minA choir of tropical frogs performs infectious pop in delightfully unsettling animation from Costa Rican-Canadian artist Bianca Shonee Arroyo-Kreimes. Riffing on karaoke companion videos and the swipe-n-scroll conventions of handheld media, she infuses candy-coloured digital animation with the spectre of ecological collapse.
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Modern GooseKarsten Wall 2022 22 minAble to navigate by reading the Earth’s magnetic field, at home on land, air and water, geese straddle the territory between ancient instincts and the contemporary world. Combining beauty, humour and profound empathy, director Karsten Wall’s exquisitely observed film essay embeds in the daily life of these iconic animals to reveal a deeper message of continuity and connection.
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Plea for the WandererJean Coutu 1975 18 minThis short documentary follows east and west coast salmon from river to sea and back again. Vivid close-ups capture exciting moments of the salmon hatching, jumping rapids and performing their intricate spawning ritual. The film also takes a look at threats posed by high-seas salmon fishing and the Canadian government's attempts to protect the salmon runs.
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Pocket Desert - Confessions of a Snake KillerTeresa Marshall & Craig Berggold 1999 24 minThis personal documentary is the story of Teresa Marshall, who grew up on a British Columbia ranch. Every child needs a demon, and Teresa took battle against rattlesnakes. In the dry interior of B.C., the south Okanagan and Similkameen valleys form the bio-region known as Canada's "pocket desert." As settlers' dreams of creating an agricultural Eden erase fragile desert lands that support a breathtaking array of wild species, the narrator and her snake-hunting neighbours are forced to examine their environmental attitudes.
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Red Runs the FraserE. Taylor 1949 11 minThis short documentary looks at the deep gorge of the Fraser River, shadowed by the mountain ranges of British Columbia. It is a highway for the mysterious migration of the Pacific salmon. The river shallows appear red with the flailing fish as they push up-river to spawn and die. A natural wonder puzzling to the scientist, the fish migration of spring and summer provides renewed activity for fishermen and cannery workers.
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The World at Your FeetLarry Gosnell 1953 22 minThis short, downward-gazing documentary presents the soil in a new light. Man's inevitable and invaluable associate, the soil is a veritable thriving community in miniature, populated by living things of the animal, plant and insect worlds. Using highly magnified sequences, the film shows how this complex universe maintains a harmonious balance.
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Waterfowl - A Resource in DangerDon Virgo 1964 16 minThis nature documentary shows the immense flocks of birds, their habits and their dependence on the wetlands of the Prairies. The Prairies are the incubators of vast numbers of Canadian waterfowl, principally ducks, but as more land is drained and cultivated there are fewer breeding grounds. Produced by the NFB for the Canadian Wildlife Service.
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"Water, Water, Everywhere ..."Gilles Blais 1971 4 minAn underwater close-up of the death of a trout in polluted water. A film for conservationists and for all audiences concerned about preserving the natural world and the creatures that inhabit it.
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Wild in the CityGordon Fish 1985 16 minThis short documentary films some of the wild animal species that have adapted to the city of Vancouver, from the familiar pigeons and starlings to the less familiar herons nesting in Stanley Park and a coyote in a farmer's field.
