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Salmon (6)
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Canadian Screen Magazine No. 41945 10 minBig Liz Brings Home 12 000 Happy Canadians: Canadian soldiers return home from Europe on the S.S. Queen Elizabeth. Troop Carrier to Airliner: Military aircraft are converted for use as commercial airplanes. B.C. Salmon Run: Commercial salmon fishing and processing in British Columbia is shown. Vets Regain Efficiency with Artificial Limbs: Rehabilitation programs for Canadian veterans allow them to become proficient in the use of artificial limbs. Students Produce Art China in New Industry: In Woodstock, Ontario, high school students participate in local ceramic-ware production. -
Incident at RestigoucheAlanis Obomsawin 1984 45 minOn June 11 and 20, 1981, the Quebec Provincial Police (QPP) raided Restigouche Reserve, Quebec. At issue were the salmon-fishing rights of the Mi’kmaq. Because salmon has traditionally been a source of food and income for the Mi’kmaq, the Quebec government’s decision to restrict fishing aroused consternation and anger. Released in 1984, this groundbreaking and impassioned account of the police raids brought Alanis Obomsawin to international attention. The film features a remarkable on-camera exchange between Obomsawin herself and provincial Minister of Fisheries Lucien Lessard, the man who’d ordered the raid. Decades later, Jeff Barnaby, director of Rhymes for Young Ghouls, cited the film as an inspiration. “That documentary encapsulated the idea of films being a form of social protest for me... It started right there with that film.”
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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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Red RunMurray Jurak 2001 25 minIn 1913, a railway blast sent hundreds of tons of rock cascading into the Fraser River, blocking the path of thousands of returning salmon. The Fraser Valley Aboriginal people rallied for days to save their fish, carrying them one at a time over the fallen rock. Red Run recalls this dramatic tale and reveals its impact today. Shimmering salmon still battle the Fraser's currents every summer. And the 'River People' balance on the treacherous cliffs, waiting to scoop them from the river with traditional dip and gill nets. Director Murray Jurak, from the region's Lower Nicola Band, follows members of three Siska families to the river's edge. To provide for her family, Alice follows the time-honoured fishing methods traditionally practised by men. Percy and Fred pass on their skills and respect for the turbulent river to their two young sons. Set in the BC Interior, Red Run captures an event as spectacular as it is dangerous.
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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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Salmon PeopleTony Westman 1976 24 minContrasting ancient myth and modern reality, this short documentary examines the legendary relationship between West Coast Indigenous people and salmon, once their staple food. In the mythical realm, we learn how Raven finds riches in the harvest of the salmon, only to lose everything through a thoughtless act against the Spirit of the Salmon. So too does modern man jeopardize his living from the sea by heedless action. Images of ancient spear-fishing and smoke-houses contrast with images of today's Indigenous people operating a seiner and working in a cooperative cannery.
