Survival in the Bush

Survival in the Bush

| 30 min
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streaming

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This short documentary illustrates what to do when you're lost in the bush. Filmed in 1954, an NFB producer and a Native guide allow themselves to be marooned in the bush with only an axe and their wits as means of survival. They eat off the land, build their own birchbark canoe and make their way out.

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Survival in the Bush , Bernard Devlin, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

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Credits
  • director
    Bernard Devlin
  • producer
    Robert Anderson
  • narrator
    Robert Anderson
  • photography
    Doug McKay
  • editing
    David Mayerovitch
  • host
    Robert Anderson

  • Patrick

    the camerman is in the canoe and the camera follows as they depart. Clearly there were more people with them. And it looks like they were able to shave. They filmed the mother taking their food instead of chasing her away. The cub died of hunger or strangulation. Disappointing all the way around.

    Patrick, 30 May 2021
  • benoit.croteau

    It's an excellent documentary. Let's be in context at the time when animal treatments were different. In addition to this context, the title is "Survival in the bush" and when it comes time to survive, it means surviving and doing the right thing. The methods are excellent, the guide is fantastic.

    benoit.croteau, 3 Nov 2017
  • MCC

    An appalling advert for 1950's attitudes towards wild animals. Killing a mother bear for the fun of it and then incompetently letting the small baby bear escape to certain death by starvation or strangulation from the tight belt collar that had been put around its neck. Quite sickening and a totally needless exercise. Shame on all those involved in this nauseating production.

    MCC, 2 Aug 2015
  • lyndabarr

    I was appalled by the way the bear was baited by leaving the camp and fish unattended, except for the camera. This was an excuse to show that they could build a trap to kill the bear. To make matters worse, it turned out this was a mother with a cub that they caught and collared. Unfortunate that it escaped before the collar could be removed. No matter that it was hoped the bear could get the collar off as a last comment. I agree with the above comment regarding the woodsman's skills. As for the camera man, there were liberties taken at the end during the paddle away, as well.

    lyndabarr, 2 May 2014
  • markkerschbaumer

    This film I watched as a cub scout at summer camp in the 70's, and never forgot it. Was working away and thought to google some key words and could not believe how quickly I found it and also that I was able in a few clicks to watch the whole thing. awesome.

    markkerschbaumer, 28 Mar 2013
  • eddougsmith

    I ran across this when i was looking for information on survival in the Canadian wilderness. Absent the incredible woodsman skills of Angus Baptiste thsi guy would be screwed. Also liberties were taken with the filming where we have the camera moving and the camerman in the picture. I was appalled to think about the bear cub choking on the collar and trying to survive without its mother. This could not be done today and that is a good thing.

    eddougsmith, 27 Feb 2011

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