National Film Board & Nature – What’s Old is News

By Sean Graham
I talk with Michael Clemens, author of Screening Nature and Nation: The Environmental Documentaries of the National Film Board, 1939-1974. We discuss the origins of the NFB, its approach to portraying the environment, and the influence of federal politicians. We also chat about the filmmakers who documented Canadian wildlife, how the films changed over time, and some of the best picks for people to watch today.

If you want to watch some of the films discussed, you can check them out on the NFB website:

Cree Hunters of Mistassini

Death of a Legend

Historical Headline of the Week

Martin Morrow, “‘Iconic’ documentarian Gudrun Bjerring Parker helped define NFB’s signature style,” Globe & Mail, December 8, 2022

Sean Graham is a media historian, an Adjunct Professor at Carleton University, and a contributing editor at Activehistory.ca

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