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The Shimmering Beast

A moose hunt is the pretext for this film. Nine men and their Indian guide withdraw to the wilderness to spend one week together away from their daily routines. The film charts the social dynamics of this diverse group, how they relate to one another--alternately revealing and disguising their feelings. A rich mix of personalities lends relief to the human topography in this documentary about an annual event that brings out the best and worst in men. The filmmaker chose not to embellish what the camera recorded.
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A moose hunt is the pretext for this film. Nine men and their Indian guide withdraw to the wilderness to spend one week together away from their daily routines. The film charts the social dynamics of this diverse group, how they relate to one another--alternately revealing and disguising their feelings. A rich mix of personalities lends relief to the human topography in this documentary about an annual event that brings out the best and worst in men. The filmmaker chose not to embellish what the camera recorded.

Social Issues Sports and Leisure All subjects
  • director
    Pierre Perrault
  • producer
    Jacques Bobet
  • camera
    Martin Leclerc
  • sound
    Yves Gendron
  • editing
    Suzanne Allard
  • sound editing
    Gilles Quintal
  • re-recording
    Jean-Pierre Joutel

Education

Ages 14 to 17

Notes

This is an intense film that your students will never forget. Show Chapter 8, in which the new hunters wait for the moose. How does the editing contribute to the film? How did the director manage to show people naturally? Does the fact that the moose is absent mean the film is a failure? Some clips can also serve to illustrate the hunt as a microcosm of society, through its rituals and the relationships that emerge among the participants when thrown together temporarily.

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The Shimmering Beast
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