Nahanni (film)

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Nahanni
Directed by Donald Wilder
Written by William Weintraub
Produced byNicholas Balla
CinematographyDonald Wilder
Edited by George Kaczender
Music by Eldon Rathburn
Distributed by National Film Board of Canada
Release date
  • 1962 (1962)
Running time
18:23 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguagesEnglish
French

Nahanni (La Nahanni) is a 1962 short documentary from the National Film Board of Canada directed by Donald Wilder.

Contents

The film follows the pioneer explorer and prospector Albert Faille up the South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories, in his repeated search for gold that is said to lure men to their doom. [1]

Weintraub's narration depicted the popular image of the frontiersman: hardy, courageous, individualistic; life in the north the struggle of man against nature. At the time of this filming, Faille (pr Fay-lee) was 75 and suffered the lingering effects of a severe back injury sustained during WWI which had been re-injured in a fall on his first trip on the Nahanni River, in 1927. Aside from capturing the wild, wondrous beauty of the region, the film shows Faille's dogged dedication to his quest (his boat was named Nahanni or Bust).

At the time of the film's release, the Nahanni was about to undergo government exploration; from 1963-1965, the Geological Survey of Canada undertook 'Operation Nahanni' to map this little-known region of Canada, and the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources explored the area for its hydro-electric power potential. These activities, and the film, reflected the post-WWII "onward and upward" mood of the nation. [2] The river is now the centrepiece of the Nahanni National Park Reserve.

In April of 1972, shortly before Faille's death, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and Pacific Western Airlines sponsored Faille to fly to Edmonton to present Nahanni to school groups. With the sound off, Faille narrated the film, pausing it to add tales of gold, missing people, headless bodies, hot springs, trapping and wolves. [3]

In 1995, Nahanni was re-released as Part 5 of Planet Earth, a 13-part collection of NFB films on environmental themes. [4]

Awards

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References

  1. ↑ "Nahanni". nfb.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  2. ↑ Abel, Kerry M. "THE SOUTH N.llHANNI RIVER REGION, N.W.T.(1820-1972)..." (PDF). ntassembly.ca. Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  3. ↑ Hibbard, Joel. "Albert Faille: A Nahanni River Icon". nahanni.com. Nahanni River Adventures. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Planet Earth". onf-nfb.gc.ca. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Nahanni". Collection. National Film Board of Canada . Retrieved August 18, 2010.
  6. ↑ Struzik, Ed (2006). Ten Rivers Run Through It. Harper Collins. p. 21. ISBN   0973671947.
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