Passage

Passage

Passage
| 1 h 48 min

Available options

campus DVD

With 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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Passage, John Walker, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

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Credits
  • writer
    John Walker
  • director
    John Walker
  • producer
    Andrea Nemtin
    Kent Martin
    John Walker
  • executive producer
    Bill Nemtin
  • director of photography
    Kent Nason
  • additional photography
    Nigel Markham
    Andrew Speller
    John Walker
  • editor
    Jeff Warren
    John Brett
  • sound
    Alex Salter
    Jim Rillie
  • music composer
    Jonathan Goldsmith
  • music - arrangement
    Jonathan Goldsmith
  • music producer
    Jonathan Goldsmith
  • based on the book
    Ken McGoogan
  • screenplay
    Andrew Rai Berzins
  • cast
    Rick Roberts
    Geraldine Alexander
    David Acton
    Andrew Alston
    Shaun Austin-Olsen
    Nigel Bennett
    Alistair Findlay
    Colin George
    Patrick Godfrey
    Simon Slater
    James Wallace
    Guy Oliver-Watts
    Gerald Dickens
  • casting
    Clare Walker Casting
    Jessica Carney Associates
  • production manager
    Marlene Rassmusen
    Judith Hackett
    Susan Baker
  • videographer
    Marlene Rassmusen
    Kyle Cameron
  • focus puller
    Becky Parsons
    Brad Larner
  • clapper loader
    Becky Parsons
    David Churchill
  • production coordinator
    Clare Richards
    Shauna Hatt
  • dialect coach
    Aimee Leonard
  • interior designer
    Marion Yorston
  • hunter
    Alan Shearer
    David Nuluk
    John Kaunak
  • climbing support
    Derren Foxx
  • sailing yole
    Maurice Davidson
    Ian Richardson
  • stills photographer
    Gunnie Moberg
    Nance Ackerman
  • driver
    Terry Todd
  • skipper
    Adam Clarke
  • Stromness Drama Club
    Phyllis Brown
    Ciaran Delaney
    Graham Garson
    Finlay Harnden
    Ross Harnden
    Jane Hunter
    Philip Mackay
    Doreen McLellan
    Rose Matheson
    Jim Robertson
  • advisor
    Bernadette Dean
  • interpreter
    Bernadette Dean
  • guide
    David Nuluk
    John Kaunak
  • elder
    John Kaunak
  • camp support
    Susan Nuluk
    Marie Kringuk
    Bobby Sanertanut
    Gary Natar
  • igloo
    Paul, Sr Kanayuk
  • dog team
    Paul, Sr Kanayuk
  • drum dance
    Cecilia Angotialuk
    Elizabeth Aglukka
    Alice Nanorak
    Honore Aglukka
    Michel Akkuardjuk
    Pasqualina Putulik
    John Kaunak
  • musician
    Monica Mapsalak
    Jackie Milortok
    Marcel Mapsalak
    Levi Katokra
    Paul Mablik
  • production consultant
    John Huston
    Lavinia Warner
  • office manager
    Marnie Bienias
  • unit manager
    Tiffany Muckpah
    Lorraine Puqiqnak
    Tracy Wallace
    Vincent Ningark
    Marie Kringuk
  • translator
    Tiffany Muckpah
  • production assistant
    Guido Tigvareak
    Kelly Adams
    Gene Kanayok
    Gary Natar
  • transportation
    Darryl Siusangnark
  • 1st assistant director
    Stuart J.C. Williams
  • 2nd assistant director
    Kay Robertson
  • location manager
    Ralph Cameron
    Debra Beers
  • lighting gaffer
    Steve Swannell
    Ken LeBlanc
  • best boy
    Pat Sweeney
  • camera operator
    Becky Parsons
  • lighting
    Steve Kitchen
    Roy Furness
    Bob Jeffs
    Richard Buckley
    Jess MacGillivray
  • grip
    David Maund
  • boom operator
    Paul Munro
    Andrew Rillie
  • costume design
    Sue Thomson
  • wardrobe
    Emma Fryer
    Jeanie Kimber
  • makeup
    Lisa J. Robbie
  • hair design
    Lisa J. Robbie
  • makeup assistant
    Ely Jim
    Nadine Beed
  • hair assistant
    Ely Jim
    Nadine Beed
  • property master
    Edward Cross
    Keith Currie
  • script supervisor
    Kirstie Edgar
    Joanne Hagen
  • production associate
    Suridh Hassan
    Clare Richards
    Jesse Fawthrop
    Megan Malet-Veale
    Sarah McCarthy
  • craft service
    Didi Jolly
    Lothar Mayer
  • production designer
    Emanuel Jannasch
  • camera assistant
    Paul Bégin
    Darcy Fraser
    Andrew Stretch
  • key grip
    Doug Betts
  • best boy grip
    Peter Fraser
  • swing grip
    David Wishart
  • electric operator
    David Wishart
  • genny operator
    David Wishart
  • set designer
    Karen Toole
  • set dresser
    Mike Holleran
  • construction co-ordinator
    Ewen Dickson
  • graphic design
    John Hencher
    David Howse
  • 3rd assistant director
    Devin Hillier
  • assistant production manager
    Lisa J. Robbie
  • assistant to the producer
    Tiffany Merritt
  • production accountant
    Wendy Brathwaite
    Andrea Romak
  • researcher
    Barbara Sears
    Elizabeth Klinck
    Concetta Principe
  • naval consultant
    Gordon Laco
  • centre administrator
    John William Lutz
  • production supervisor
    Patsy Coughran
  • marketing manager
    Amy Stewart Gallant
  • map animation
    Ian Dunbar
  • sound editor
    Alex Salter
  • re-recording mixer
    Allan Scarth
  • assistant on-line editor
    Chris MacIntosh
  • PowerPost coordinator
    Christopher Fost
  • online editor
    Doug Woods
  • post-production coordinator
    Roz Power
  • assistant editor
    Trevor Schellinck
    Ariel Nasr
    Aaron Shapero
    Colin Kish
    Candice Desormeaux
  • score orchestrator
    Dan Parr
  • score conductor
    Dan Parr
  • score preparation
    David Nichol
  • orchestra contractor
    Roberto Occhipinti
  • soloist
    Hugh Marsh
    James Mason
    Clare Scholtz
    Kathy McLean
  • score recording
    Michael Banton-Jones
  • score mixing
    Michael Banton-Jones
  • associate producer
    Cindy Witten
    Michael Kot
    Ewan Angus
 See also
Geography and Geology
History - Canada - Pre-1867
All subjects
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Add a new comment
  • eBee

    A thoroughly enjoyable ride from start to finish with this film!

    eBee, 26 Mar 2022
  • wemk

    In light of the discovery of HMS Erebus, this film and other factual documentaries are an important part of correcting the erroneous 'history' that has been portrayed for over 150 years. We need to reconcile the facts with the 'history' and offer sincere apologies to the Inuit peoples and Dr. John Rae for the shabby treatment they have received. My only disappointment with this film was the inability to read/decipher the credits at the end. Hats off to the NFB and producers.

    wemk, 24 Apr 2016
  • waterlou25

    Wow, this film was very good! I had never heard about this story before and it was great to hear about it in such a way. Having reenactments as well as present-day footage of the people filming gives much more of an emotional impact. The scene at the end in the conference room was very heartwarming.

    waterlou25, 29 Sep 2014

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