The Edge of the barrens

Canada, 1963

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A distinguished film study of the tundra of Canada’s sub-Arctic. It stretches from the polar sea to the southern treeline and supports, despite the permafrost, a surprising variety of life. Here you see the ungainly musk-ox, survivor of the Ice Age, and herds of caribou following the migrant trails; also birds and flowers, smaller animals, and insects. (Awards: Venice; Buenos Aires; Yorkton)

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Collection

In ACMI's collection

Credits

director

Dalton Muir

co-producer

Hugh O'Connor

Tom Daly

production company

National Film Board of Canada

Duration

00:12:16:00

Production places

Canada

Production dates

1963

Collection metadata

ACMI Identifier

320565

Language

English

Subject categories

Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Film festivals - Italy - Venice - Awards

Animals & Wildlife → Animal culture

Animals & Wildlife → Animal migration

Animals & Wildlife → Wildlife conservation - Canada

Animals & Wildlife → Zoology - Polar regions

Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → Arctic Coast (Canada)

Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → Arctic regions

Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → Canada, Northern

Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → Geography

Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Environment

Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Geology

Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Glacial epoch

Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Natural history

Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Tundra ecology

Climate, Environment, Natural Resources & Disasters → Wildlife conservation - Canada

Documentary

Documentary → Documentary films - Canada

Mathematics, Science & Technology → Geography

Mathematics, Science & Technology → Geology

Places → Arctic Coast (Canada)

Places → Arctic regions

Places → Canada, Northern

Short films

Short films → Short films - Canada

Sound/audio

Sound

Colour

Holdings

16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)

16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)

Please note: this archive is an ongoing body of work. Sometimes the credit information (director, year etc) isn’t available so these fields may be left blank; we are progressively filling these in with further research.

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If you would like to cite this item, please use the following template: {{cite web |url=https://acmi.net.au/works/67022--the-edge-of-the-barrens/ |title=The Edge of the barrens |author=Australian Centre for the Moving Image |access-date=24 May 2025 |publisher=Australian Centre for the Moving Image}}