The Shimmering Beast
1982
2 h 7 min
Coming soon
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.
Details
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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directorPierre Perrault
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producerJacques Bobet
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cameraMartin Leclerc
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soundYves Gendron
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editingSuzanne Allard
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sound editingGilles Quintal
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re-recordingJean-Pierre Joutel
Education
Ages 14 to 17
Health/Personal Development - Bullying & Discrimination
Health/Personal Development - Healthy Relationships
Media Education - Documentary Film
Science - Life Systems/Ecology
Social Studies - Communities in Canada/World
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.
