The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes
In this short documentary from conservationist Bill Mason, he illustrates that although the Great Lakes have had their ups and downs, nothing has been harder to take than what humans have done to them lately. In the film, a lone canoeist lives through the changes of geological history, through Ice Age and flood, only to find himself in the end trapped in a sea of scum.
The film was conceived and produced for the educational market. It was to be on the evolution of the Great Lakes (the working title was Evolution of the Great Lakes) and man’s impact on them. Mason agreed to a lighter approach for the film but was disappointed when the producer made several changes to his finished work. Test screenings proved to be very successful with children and teachers, who appreciated the humorous approach to the subject. The feedback was so positive that the film was blown up to 35 mm for theatrical distribution. Nevertheless, Mason was not happy with the finished product, feeling he had lost creative control over it.
Albert Ohayon
From the playlist: Bill Mason: Beyond the wild, beyond the paddle
Pedagogical evaluations and study guides are only available to CAMPUS subscribers.
CAMPUS
Features designed specifically for teachers. Learn more
Already subscribed? Sign in
Embed this code on your site
The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes, Bill Mason, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Video player width
Reset-
directorBill Mason
-
writerBill Mason
-
photographyBill Mason
-
editingBill Mason
-
animationBill Mason
-
producerJoseph Koenig
-
animation cameraKjeld Nielsen
-
sound editingAlex Rayment
-
re-recordingRoger LamoureuxMichel Descombes
-
musicBruce MackayRobert Fleming
-
castBlake James
Show all comments