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Newfoundland (26)
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Andrew Britt at Shoal BayColin Low 1967 14 minBy using film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their daily concerns. This film discusses fishermen's cooperation, the need for a fish plant, and adult education. -
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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BlackwoodTony Ianzelo & Andy Thomson 1976 27 minThis short film studies the works of one of Canada's greatest contemporary etchers - Newfoundland-born David Blackwood. The artist himself guides viewers through a step-by-step explanation of the etching process. Scenes of his hometown, examples of his own work and vivid tales of an old mariner recall the tragic seal hunts and a way of life that has now vanished.
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Brian Earle on Merchants and WelfareColin Low 1967 10 minA look at the relationships among the Fogo Island merchants and fishermen, and at the demoralizing effects welfare has on them.
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Billy Crane Moves AwayColin Low 1967 17 minThis short documentary features Newfoundland fisherman Billy Crane, who speaks frankly on the state of the inshore fishery and how the lack of government support has contributed to the industry’s downfall. He is being forced to leave home to seek employment in Toronto. This film was made with the Challenge for Change program.
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Citizen DiscussionsColin Low 1967 28 minBy using film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their concerns. This film discusses efforts to obtain provincial support for the United Maritimes Fisheries Co-op to run the Seldom fish plant, and comments on the subsequent decision by the Newfoundland government in favour of the Yellow Fish Company.
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The Children of Fogo IslandColin Low 1967 17 minThis short film from Colin Low presents the problems faced by the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland and what keeps them committed to the land. Witness some of the magic of the island, as seen through the eyes of children, and understand why its inhabitants cling to its shores.
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Dan Roberts on FishingColin Low 1967 16 minThrough the use of film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their daily concerns. This film looks at the success of the longliner and the problems encountered in obtaining and running it.
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Eye Witness No. 78Bernard d' Aillencourt & Wilfred Doucette 1955 10 minMontrealers Take Molière to Paris: Members of Montréal's Théâtre du nouveau monde find time for sightseeing in Paris, before presenting works of the famous French playwright at the Second International Festival of Drama. Sealing - Still a Dangerous Gamble: Spring break-up takes the sealer Algerine into the north Atlantic, where intrepid Newfoundlanders hunt the valuable seal.
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Encounter at TrinityAllan Wargon 1957 28 minThe big whale round-up at Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, is brought to the screen with a realism not often found in fish stories. Cameras are on hand to record the annual sea drama as herds of pothead whales are driven inshore by fishing boats and killed in shallow water. There is tense excitement as, their escape cut off, the marine monsters fight for their lives. Reporter Fred Davis is told about the commercial uses of whale meat and whale products, particularly in mink farming.
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Fishermen's MeetingColin Low 1967 27 minBy using film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their daily concerns. In this film, some of the problems discussed are the lack of fish and the inability to market any species but cod.
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High Tide in NewfoundlandGrant McLean 1955 21 minThis 1950s account of the Newfoundland fishing industry shows equipment and methods of fishing. The film also documents the processing and marketing of fish. A record of the problems confronting fishermen in Newfoundland during the past, it also serves as a comparison with present-day Newfoundland fishing.
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"I Just Didn't Want to Die": The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing DisasterJoe MacDonald 1991 19 minIn March 1914, the Newfoundland set sail from Wesleyville, taking 132 men out sealing. Miles from shore, the ship got stuck in the ice so the men went over the side to walk to the sealing ground. When a terrible storm struck, they were stranded. It took rescuers 3 days to arrive; by then, 78 men were dead and another 9 missing. This tragic story is told through the words of men who were there and the haunting prints of David Blackwood.
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Jim Decker Builds a LonglinerColin Low 1967 19 minBy using film as a catalyst for change, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their daily concerns. This film shows how one of the Islanders built a longliner (a fishing boat using long lines) with the help of his friends, overcoming the problems of financing and the lack of tools and government support.
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Le dernier boutte (English Version)Michel Brault & André Gladu 1980 28 minThe French-speaking population of Port au Port was made up of Acadian exiles, fishers from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, and Breton and French deserters. Their descendants preserved a spirit of freedom that can be heard in their music. As the great Newfoundland fiddler Émile Benoît said, Ça vient du tchoeur (It comes from the heart). A touching account!
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My Ancestors Were Rogues and MurderersAnne Troake 2005 55 minThis feature documentary is a thoughtful contribution to the debate on Canada's seal hunt. An exploration of the unique culture of Newfoundland's outports, the film revisits the PR coup that launched the animal rights movement onto the international stage: the 1977 Newfoundland visit, orchestrated by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, of French actress turned animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot to protest the area's ancestral sealing activities. Soon, inhabitants of the island's northern outports we're being introduced to the world as the epitome of brutality.
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McGraths at Home and FishingColin Low 1967 11 minA discussion about Fogo Island fishing, with some criticisms of the longliners.
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Salt CodAllan Wargon 1954 15 minFor four centuries cod has been fished off the coast of Newfoundland. This film shows the exacting work of splitting, salting, drying and grading the fish, as well as the more recent methods of quick-freezing.
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The Story of the Up TopColin Low 1967 8 minThe story of how one Fogo Island family managed to raise an old passenger boat from where it had been sitting for four years, and to renovate it for use as a fishing boat, despite lack of capital and government aid.
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Taking StockNigel Markham 1994 47 minIt was a way of life. It was the backbone of a society. And then the cod fishery off the east coast of Newfoundland collapsed. Taking Stock traces the history leading up to the crisis and the calling for a moratorium of the northwest Atlantic cod fishery. It presents the key players in this complex and tragic story, focusing on those who are now trying to come to grips with an uncertain future. How did the calamity happen? What signals did we ignore? Did we chose the right model in setting up an industry? Ultimately, Taking Stock holds a message for the Canadian as well as the global community: In trying to attain economic success, we must recognize that there are limits to how far we can exploit nature's delicate ecosystems.
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Trawler FishermenMartin Defalco 1966 22 minThis short film was shot on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and shows off the new technology employed on modern fishing boats in the mid-1960s. The featured trawler is open-stern style, allowing full nets to be dragged easily from the sea then lifted to release the silvery catch into the cleaning troughs.
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Terra NovaRoger Blais 1964 18 minAmong these lively impressions of Newfoundland today, colored by history and by the sea, there are scenes of historic events, fishing on the high seas and squid jigging inshore, mining deep underground, and operations of the giant pulp and paper industry.
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Thoughts on Fogo and NorwayColin Low 1967 16 minA discussion on the methods of fishing, marketing, organization and welfare in Norway, with reference to the situation on Fogo Island.
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The White ShipHector Lemieux 1966 14 minSailing ships on an open sea make an attractive sight, all the more to be valued because of their rarity. This film shows one of the Portuguese schooners that fished the Grand Banks off Newfoundland. From the moment the townsfolk turn out for the blessing of the ship and crew, to the time when the ship turns homeward with the season's catch--leaving one crewman in a Newfoundland grave--this film holds the viewer's attention on an ancient calling that will soon disappear.
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"When I Go ... That's It!"Colin Low , George C. Stoney , … 1972 11 minEx-fisherman Billy Crane in Brampton, Ontario, at an industrial job with regular hours. Here he tells why he left Fogo Island and says he has no regrets. (See also Billy Crane Moves Away.)
