Song of the Paddle

A glimpse into the world of Freestyle Canoeing following some of the country's top canoeists as they travel to the Moosehead Lake Regional Finals Competition in northern Maine to duke it out for the title of "Top Paddler".

A north to south canoe trip along quiet bodies of water of Uruguay, exploring the fauna and flora amidst the wilderness.

Six mates embark on a epic 1500km adventure through six remote North American rivers. They overcome class 6 rapids, a grueling portage and 130km upriver, against the flow. All to show the world; the true value of the North.

After years of preparation, a team of highly motivated Quebeckers set out on one of the longest wilderness expeditions ever documented. Stage one involves skiing in relentless polar conditions from Ellesmere Island to the Northwest Passage where the challenge was reaching the mainland. Cue canoes for a 2000km journey across Nunavut and NWT until they reach the first dirt road available where bikes are waiting to be pedalled 4000km to Point Pelee in Ontario.

A story within a story within a story. In Australia's Northern Territory, an Aboriginal narrator tells a story about his ancestors on a goose hunt. A youngster on the hunt is being tempted to adultery with his elder brother's wife, so an elder tells him a story from the mythical past about how evil can slip in and cause havoc unless prevented by virtue according to customary tribal law.

Grandma has become a little doddery. And since the death of her husband, called E.O., ever bigger gaps have opened in her memory, and her disorientation has increased. Director Astrid Menzel makes a decision: to take a ten-day canoe trip on northern German waters with her brother and the 86-year-old lady. An adventure whose outcome is uncertain and which the three travellers have to face anew at every stage.

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In this classic adventure Malcolm Douglas travels with his Aboriginal companions in two Canadian canoes down the Charnley River gorge in the Kimberley. They are the first people to traverse this spectacular river chasm. On reaching the sea they fit out-riggers to the big canoes to complete the journey down the rugged coast to Derby.

A boy's carved boat travels through the Canadian wilderness until it reaches the ocean.

Frank is left with the responsibility for his nephew Bo on an already planned canoe trip. Frank's mate Casper is also coming along. Weighed down a with their obligation, Frank and Casper nevertheless look forward to ending the trip at Skanderborg Festival where there's plenty there for the guys, a spree of drinking and women. Not the best example to set for young Bo. And how do their partners see it all?

The devil makes the biggest splash at Cookham's famed regatta.

Buster and Phyllis endure a number of outdoor adventures trying to prove to each other their survival skills. The balloon, which lands Buster in the wilderness, later proves useful as their canoe is about go over a waterfall.

In this documentary short, two men paddle a canoe across a remote part of northern Lake Superior. Each stroke brings them closer to the culmination of an artistic and spiritual journey, one that begins with ancient rock paintings from their Anishinaabe ancestors.

The second IMAX film made, commissioned by the Ontario Government, and produced by MultiScreen Corporation, later to become IMAX corporation. North of Superior is a Northern Ontario travelogue, and was the first short feature to be shown at the newly created Ontario government theme park, Ontario Place, in it's state of the art cinema, Cinesphere, the first permanent IMAX installation.

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When Todd takes his girlfriend Cammie up to the family cottage for a reclusive proposal, the last thing he expected to be doing was dealing with was his slacker brother and his hippie girlfriend. But in this comedy of errors, Todd and Cammie, have to deal with his accidentally murdered brother in order to live happily ever after.

A documentary portrait of life in the Cook Islands, focusing on Rarotonga and neighboring islands. The film records traditional fishing, weaving, agriculture, canoeing, music, and dance against the islands' picturesque tropical landscapes.

In 1995, a large gathering of transoceanic canoes took place on the island of Raiatea, an opportunity for the navigators of the South Pacific to renew old alliances and reunite their peoples. This film retraces the history of contemporary ancestral navigation through interviews with a number of distinguished Pacific navigators.

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This short documentary by Bill Mason explores Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior, providing a background of the park's geological past and plant life. The film also shows scenes of hiking, canoeing and camping. The result is to put us back in touch with the natural elements that our ancestors both fought and enjoyed.