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Arctic Region (23)
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28° Above BelowBané Jovanovic & Ken Page 1973 9 minTwenty-eight degrees above zero was the temperature below the sea ice, although surface temperatures dipped to fifty below at Resolute Bay within the Arctic Circle when the MacInnis Expedition made its first organized winter dive in the polar sea. The object was to test the ability of people and equipment to function in that extremely hostile environment. Commenting on the expedition is Dr. Joseph B. MacInnis himself, in brief conversation with astronaut Scott Carpenter. There is underwater film of the dive and of Sub-Igloo, the plastic spherical habitat that was anchored to the ocean floor. -
Arctic IVJames de B. Domville 1975 57 minThis feature-length documentary offers a glimpse at the unknown world that lies beneath the Arctic ice. Arctic IV follows Dr. Joseph MacInnis, a specialist in underwater medicine, as he probes and explores the polar depths. Filmed at Resolute Bay, Dr. MacInnis and his team must chip through over 2 metres of ice and dive into the frigid, watery depths at the North Pole - all in the name of science.
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Across Arctic Ungava1949 20 minThis documentary follows four scientists and their Native guides into the unmapped wilderness of the Ungava Peninsula, in northern Quebec. Crossing this territory in large canoes, they collect samples of Arctic flora and rocks, take readings of soil temperature and record the correct bearings for rivers and lakes en route. The keen excitement of opening a new chapter in Canadian exploration is evident throughout the film.
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The Conquered Dream1971 51 minA documentary history of the exciting, sometimes ill-fated exploration of Canada's Arctic, produced jointly by the British Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board of Canada. The film shows the challenge and the rewards of the far north and, from rare film footage, some of the exploits of the first and last men to run the gauntlet of the cold: Byrd's flight; Stefansson's sled journey; Captain Bernier's explorations; and finally, the voyage of the U.S.S. Manhattan.
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Climate on the EdgeAlain Belhumeur & Jean Lemire 2003 52 minA documentary that gives scientific context to the controversy and debate on climate change. Accessible interviews with climatologists, glaciologists, astrophysicists and oceanographers, juxtaposed with stunning footage, bring understanding to the impact of the melting of the Arctic permafrost and release of greenhouses gases that affect our whole planet.
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Canada's Awakening NorthRonald Dick 1951 32 minThis short documentary from 1951 offers an appraisal of the social and economic development of the Mackenzie District, Northwest Territories. Get a look at the topography, resources, development, and settlement of this most-northerly Canadian frontier. Rather than depicting it as “harsh, stubborn, and silent” land, the film presents it as being filled with varied activity and opportunity.
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The Face of the High ArcticDalton Muir 1958 12 minThis short documentary studies the geological evolution that has gone on for millions of years in the High Arctic. Following the evidence of glaciers that have advanced and receded, the film also traces life forms that have changed with the climate.
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High Arctic: Life on the LandDalton Muir 1958 21 minAn ecological study of plant and animal life on the Queen Elizabeth Islands in the Canadian Arctic. The film includes profiles of animals such as musk-oxen, lemmings, arctic hares and various forms of plant life.
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Henry Larsen's Northwest Passages1962 27 minNorwegian-born Superintendent Henry Larsen of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was the first man to navigate the Northwest Passage in both directions. In this film he relates anecdotes of his voyages in the tiny schooner, the St. Roch.
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Henry Larsen1965 16 minSuitable for schools but of interest to all audiences, this film recounts the epic story of Canada's Arctic explorer, Superintendent Henry Larsen of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He was the first man in history to navigate the Northwest Passage from west to east, and the first to complete the hazardous voyage both ways. Seen in the film is the little Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrol ship the St. Roch, in which he made the crossings.
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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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KluaneMarc Hébert & Roger Rochat 1981 57 minKluane National Park is situated in the Yukon area of northern Canada and is a research paradise for glaciologists, geologists and other scientists. Mountaineers come to scale the impressive heights. Animals are free to roam, protected by stringent legislation. This film reveals many facets of this beautiful park, which has been declared a protected zone by UNESCO,
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The Last Voyage of Henry HudsonRichard Gilbert 1964 28 minThis short film realistically portrays the conflict Henry Hudson experienced when he went in search of an open water route to the Orient, and no one would follow him. What he discovered instead was an inland sea, a discovery that ended in tragedy.
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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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Men Against the IceDavid Bairstow 1960 28 minA look at the history of Arctic travel and the perils confronting early explorers in search of fabled riches and the Northwest Passage. Modern developments in air and sea navigation are also noted.
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PassageJohn Walker 2008 1 h 48 minWith a unique blend of dramatic action and behind-the-scenes documentary footage, filmmaker John Walker shares the multi-layered story of British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew of 128 men, who perished in the Arctic ice during an ill-fated attempt to discover the Northwest Passage, and John Rae, the Scottish doctor who in 1851, discovered their dismal fate. Rae's dark report, which described the crew’s madness and cannibalism, did not sit well with Sir John's widow, Lady Franklin, nor with many others in British society, including Charles Dickens. They waged a bitter public campaign to discredit Rae's version of events and mark an entire nation of northern Inuit with the label of murderous cannibals. A stunning face-to-face meeting between the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens and Tagak Curley, an honoured Inuit statesman who challenges the fraudulent history, vaults the story from the past into the present and we are witness to history in the making.
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People of the IceCarlos Ferrand & Jean Lemire 2003 52 minThis feature documentary explores the threats of global warming to the Arctic environment that has nurtured the Inuit for 4,000 years. The Inuit have lived in harmony on this frozen landscape for generations. Today, global warming threatens their habitat. As the ice disappears, so does the Inuit culture it is intimately connected to. Ever-changing temperatures have even made predicting the Arctic climate difficult. Will this extraordinarily resilient people be able to adjust to such dramatic change?
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Radar StationAllen Stark 1953 15 minThis short from 1953 takes us on a guided tour of a northern Canadian radar defense post. There, Squadron Leader Bill Lee of the Royal Canadian Air Force discusses the station’s operations, revealing the little-known role of these isolated posts scattered across Canada’s Arctic.
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Steering NorthDavid Bairstow 1960 30 minThis short film from 1960 highlights some of the modern navigational aids that have alleviated some of the problems in arctic navigation. With increased interest in northern resources, there's renewed interest in devising safe and efficient methods of exploration and transportation. This film serves as the sequel to Men Against the Ice.
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Stories from Our Land 1.5: TideEricka Chemko 2011 3 minThis beautiful short film captures the majesty of ice sculpted by wind and water. By using time-lapse imagery, Iqaluit filmmaker Ericka Chemko reveals the dynamic intertidal dance of water and ice in the Arctic. Stories from Our Land: 1.5 gave 6 Nunavut filmmakers the opportunity to each create a 5-minute short. Each film had to be made without the use of interviews or narration while telling a northern story from a northern perspective. The project was a collaboration between the NFB and the Nunavut Film Development Corporation.
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Stefansson: The Arctic Prophet1965 15 minHe was the last of the "dog sled" explorers and a legend long before his death. Suitable for the classroom, this film presents the life and polar expeditions of Vilhjalmur Stefansson. Travelling by dog team when sailing was impossible, he mapped vast stretches of Arctic territory. A film adventure to give new meaning to any study of Arctic geography.
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This LandDianne Whelan 2009 35 minThis short documentary recounts a 2000-km expedition undertaken by 7 rangers (both Inuit and non-Native) and a female filmmaker to raise a flag on the northernmost tip of Canadian soil, 412 km from the North Pole. With a mesmerizing soundtrack by Nunavut-born singer Tanya Tagaq and spectacular footage of the Arctic landscape, This Land captures the epic adventure with raw immediacy.
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Water - Reserves and NetworksMichel Barbeau 2000 20 minCanada possesses the greatest supply of fresh and salt water on the planet. This video examines the country's waterways, reserves and networks, and looks at the important role water has played in the past and present. Water shows how this precious resource has been both a boon and a challenge. Early explorers trying to locate the Northwest Passage to Asia ended up marooned and shipwrecked on the treacherous ice floes of the Canadian Arctic. Yet coastal waters have been treasured the world over for their bountiful fish stocks. And inland, the country's intricate systems of rivers and lakes have served as navigational arteries, sources of energy and playgrounds for leisure.
TRANSIT features five videos that examine Canada's rich and diverse geography. Each film in the series combines spectacular cinematography and lively animation, using the Earth's basic elements as themes: Air explores climate; Water showcases the country's network of rivers, lakes and oceans; Land looks at the vast territory that makes Canada the second largest country in the world; Fire documents old and new sources of energy; plus Life, which develops the themes of people, fauna and flora.
