''Bears and Man'' (French title: ''L'Ours Mon Frère'') is a 1978 Canadian educational film by Bill Schmalz. It was produced by the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

(NFB) and

Parks Canada Parks Canada ()Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 37 National Parks, three National Marine Co ...

. The film documents human-bear interactions in Canada's

National Parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

. It was narrated by Chief Dan George and Patricia Best, and was co-written and edited by Adbusters founder Kalle Lasn.

Background

Canada's mountain national parks, particularly Banff and Jasper, had become popular international destinations by the 1930s.

allowed the development of new paved roads, resulting in an influx of automobile tourism. Interacting with the many

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

and

grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...

s in the parks became a popular activity, with many tourists feeding the animals and posing for pictures. By the 1960s, Parks Canada noted the existence of "problem" or "bum" bears; these were animals who had become dependent on human food and habituated to human contact, making them a threat to both visitors and themselves. Tourists were mauled and killed, and hundreds of bears were destroyed. By the late 1960s, the agency decided that it needed more educational materials to help inform tourists of good practices regarding bears. It had published pamphlets since the 1940s, but saw the need for a film exploring the troubled relationship between bears and humans.

Production

Schmalz, who had recently finished a film on Dall sheep, contacted the NFB about making an educational film about bears in the Parks. The filmmaker had become interested in the topic after learning of the shooting of two grizzly cubs in Banff by park wardens. Parks Canada agreed to help produce the film, and Schmalz began work in 1974. He consulted with park wardens in Kootenay, Waterton, Banff, and Jasper national parks.

Storyboard A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of simple illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding proce ...

s were developed with the consultation of the Parks agency. Schmalz attended bear conferences and worked with biologists, including Stephen Herrero from the

University of Calgary {{Infobox university , name = University of Calgary , image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , former ...

. The film was shot in 16 mm over three years and adhered to a strict script. He witnessed some horrific events during the filming; a wildlife biologist technician was mauled to death when a drugged grizzly woke up during transport. Wardens also enticed bears into good filming locations with elk carcasses. Scenes of wardens shooting bears were cut from the final film by Parks Canada. After filming was completed, the NFB brought in Kalle Lasn, an Estonian-Canadian editor. Lasn had just returned from Japan, and brought "avant-garde" editing styles. They worked together on writing the narration, which would be spoken by Chief Dan George and Patricia Best. The musical score was written by Craig Tomlinson who also had suggested the use of Chief Dan George for narration and singers Anne Mortifee and Jane Mortifee to be used in the film's score. Tomlinson had worked during production on second camera and sound recording as well as in post production with Lasn, as an assistant editor. The film was released in 1978.

Synopsis

The film is roughly separated into five sequences. The first sequence features George's narration, where the relationship between the two species is introduced. As Best's narration takes over, the film relates the problem of the "bum" bear and how bears become habituated to human contact and food. A third sequence uses actors to portray a couple camping in Banff. They notice grizzly tracks and subsequently use the Parks' suggested practices when setting up their camp. The film documents tourists interacting with bears, often feeding them from cars. It captures dramatic scenes of "bear traffic jams", where dozens of vehicles stop to feed and cajole groups of bears. Parks officials relate bear problems within the parks; Schmalz filmed one official describing a tourist attempting to push a black bear into the driver's seat of his car for a photo opportunity. Through the Park wardens, the film illustrates the measures humans should take to keep bears wild and unspoiled.

Awards

The film won the 1980 Wildlife Society Conservation Education Award, as well as an award at the International Wildlife Film Festival. Schmalz's camerawork was recognized by the Alberta Cinematographers Association. It also received the Certificate of Excellence from the 1981 Audubon International Environmental Film Festival.

Sources

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External links