The NFB is committed to respecting your privacy

We use cookies to ensure that our site works efficiently, as well as for advertising purposes.

If you do not wish to have your information used in this way, you can modify your browser settings before continuing your visit.

Learn more
Skip to content

Embed this code on your site

Video player width

by Reset

Borealis

2020 1 h 33 min
Coming soon

In his new feature documentary Borealis, acclaimed director Kevin McMahon (Waterlife) travels deep into the heart of the boreal forest to explore the chorus of life in Canada’s iconic wilderness. How do trees move, communicate and survive the destructive forces of fire, insects, and human encroachment? Borealis offers an immersive portrait of the lifecycles of the forest from the perspective of the plants and animals that live there.

Sorry this content is not available in your current location.
Your rental expires on
None
You've already purchased this film.
Download it from My purchases.
Not available
Campus
Borealis

Details

In his new feature documentary Borealis, acclaimed director Kevin McMahon (Waterlife) travels deep into the heart of the boreal forest to explore the chorus of life in Canada’s iconic wilderness. How do trees move, communicate and survive the destructive forces of fire, insects, and human encroachment? Borealis offers an immersive portrait of the lifecycles of the forest from the perspective of the plants and animals that live there.

Forestry
Environment and Conservation
Plants
All subjects
The Green Channel
All channels
  • featuring
    Diana Beresford-Kroeger
    Stan Boutin
    Roger Brett
    Isabelle Desrochers-Stein
    Nadir Erbilgin
    Mike Flannigan
    Erin Fleming
    Christine Godwin
    Ted Hogg
    Sam Hunter
    Kajar Köster
    Edmund Metatawabin
    Ben Miron
    Robert Partridge
    Tuukka Petäjä
    Jessica Piercey
    David Price
    Gerry Racey
    David Schindler
    Thomas Scott
    Sandy Smith
    Christian Wirth
  • boreal ecology guide
    Gerry Racey
  • associate producer
    Felicity Justrabo
  • original music
    Justin Small
    Ohad Benchetrit
  • sound design
    Grant Edmonds
  • editor
    Nathan Shields
  • visual effects
    Mark Alberts
  • director of photography
    John Minh Tran
  • wildlife photography
    Joshua See
    Hugo Kitching
  • executive producer
    Michael McMahon
    Anita Lee
    Jane Jankovic
  • producer
    Kristina McLaughlin
    Kevin McMahon
    Michael McMahon
    Justine Pimlott
  • director
    Kevin McMahon
  • story producer
    James Broadley
  • researcher
    Nikita Takkar
  • visual researcher
    Anita Turcotte
  • production coordinator
    Maeve Kern
    Andrew Martin-Smith
  • production support
    Carolin Neubauer
  • aerial photography
    Chris Goll
    Joshua See
  • additional photography
    Christian Schidlowski
  • camera assistant
    Chris Goll
    Alex MacPhail
    Jorn Meyer
  • helicopter pilot
    RJ Price
  • Firebox footage
    Dan Jiminez
  • Parks Canada Fire management supervisor
    Stephanie Koroscil
    Beau Michaud
  • location sound
    Mike Filippov
    Sanjay Mehta
    Chris Goll
  • translator
    Stefan Randstrom
    Stephanie Weimar
  • transcriber
    Ava Harness
    Ginger Howard
    Camryn Kern
    Rosana Khabbaz Diaz
    Gabriela Salon
  • post-production coordinator
    Jordan Schinkel
  • dialogue editor
    Mimi Scowen
    Patience Bradford
  • sound effects editor
    Marc Chiasson
    Jeremy Kessler
    Andy Frech
  • re-recording mixer
    Grant Edmonds
  • post-production picture
    JAXX
  • finishing editor
    David St. Louis
  • digital colourist
    David St. Louis
  • data
    The Matrix
  • lyrics
    Kevin McMahon
  • music arrangement
    Daveed Goldman
  • music performer
    Choir! Choir! Choir!
  • choir co-director
    Nobu Adilman
    Daveed Goldman
  • singer
    Stephanie Braithwaite
    Renée Gomes
    Laura Hayward
    Shama Joshi
    Piper MacFadyen
    Lynne Provencher
    Susan K. Robertson
    Mira Shenker
    Shoshana Waser
    Mason Wright
  • boreal songbird field recordings
    Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute
  • ABDI coordinator
    Alex McPhail
  • legal counsel
    Duncan Morin
  • insurance
    Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc.
  • studio operations manager
    Mark Wilson
  • studio administrator
    Patricia Bourgeois
    Stefanie Brantner
  • production supervisor
    Marcus Matyas
  • technical coordinator
    Kevin Riley
  • marketing manager
    Kelly Fox
  • publicist
    Jennifer Mair
  • independent production officer
    Linda Fong
  • vp current affairs and documentaries
    John Ferri
  • commissioning editor
    Marita Hübinger
  • senior producer
    Takahiro Hamano

Enjoy the NFB experience on your favourite device. 

Roku Apple TV Fire TV Android TV Apple App Store Google Play Store

Education

Ages 15 to 18

Mini-Lesson - Borealis

Geography - Environmental Issues
Science - Environmental Science
Science - Life Systems/Ecology
Social Studies - Environmental Challenges

A beautifully shot documentary on the importance of the boreal forest. Excellent for understanding the interactions within the ecosystem as well as the impact of humans and climate change on the forest. Create a web showing the interactions within the boreal forest ecosystem. What are the important roles of the boreal forest? What is the impact of human activity on the boreal forest? What is changing the boreal forest? What is being done to preserve the boreal forest? Research where the boreal forest is, what species are endangered in the forest, and what is being done to preserve them. 

Borealis
Purchase options
Digital Copy

Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

HD - $ 9.99

Institutional License

HD - $ 65.99
Already paid to see this film?

Explore