Politics and History
From its beginnings, the National Film Board has tackled social and economic issues. Excerpts in this theme show how documentary film can play a part in social action.
Excerpts
Front of Steel
1
"I Just Didn't Want to Die": The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster
1
"Just One Big Mess": The Halifax Explosion, 1917
1
Land For Pioneers
1
On Strike: The Winnipeg General Strike, 1919
1
Rush for Gold - The Klondike Gold Rush, 1897
1
"They Didn't Starve Us Out": Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s
1
Trans-Canada Express
1
Voice of Action
1
When Asia Speaks
1
"I Just Didn't Want to Die": The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster
1991, Director: Joe MacDonald
1 min 32 s
2. How would the impact of the film be different without an eyewitness narrator?
3. Is the use of still images an effective way to illustrate the story? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the technique?
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Short Description
In March, 1914, 132 Newfoundland sealers were stranded on the ice to endure howling winds and freezing snow. When rescue arrived three days later, 78 men were dead and nine missing.