________________ CM . . . . Volume VII Number 17 . . . . April 27, 2001

cover Postcards From Canada.

Sally Bochner & Don Haig (Executive Producers).
Montreal, PQ: National Film Board of Canada, 2000.
41 min., 15 sec., VHS, $39.95.
Order Number: C9100 023.

Subject Headings:
Video recordings for the hearing impaired.
Canada-Description and travel-Views.

Grades 2 and up / Ages 7 and up.

Review by Janice Foster.

**** /4

excerpt:

"Canada can be divided into two parts; one part where we live and one part where we don't."
Updated from the 1967 centennial film, Helicopter Canada, Postcards from Canada takes its viewers on a breathtaking tour of this vast and varied country. Narrated by Peter Gzowski, the dialogue informs and entertains the audience providing a variety of geographical and historical facts and amusing quotes and clips. The interjection of two other voices providing both factual and statistical information adds to this whimsical trip through Canada. This video examination of this immense country is non-sequential in that it doesn't explore the regions from coast to coast nor does it explore the country through its chronological historical development. Rather, like postcards, it transports the viewer through its magnificent photography providing snapshots ranging from panoramic vistas to specific cultural and architectural highlights.

      Postcards from Canada is a video of contrasts showing the geographical, seasonal and cultural diversity of Canada. The full-length 42 minute program is a multimedia tour of Canada in its entirety. The visual depiction of the different geographical regions from the Arctic tundra to the Canadian Shield to the western prairies is interspersed with historical vignettes connecting Canada's present to its past and revealing the impact Canadians have had on the land. The assorted filming techniques provide the viewer with a potpourri of visual experiences such as aerial views, Radarsat satellite images, high speed traffic pictures and postcard-like snapshots. The music and other sound effects enhance the visual imagery, and the accompaniment of the final scenes to the words and music of "O Canada" leaves the viewer with a sense of marvel at this vast and varied nation.

      This video is produced in collaboration with The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. It will appeal to a variety of audiences, from tourists to students. Postcards from Canada provides its viewers with a multimedia tour of a country noted for its large land mass and diverse geography. Not only does the magnificent photography capture the wonder of the wilderness and the relationship between the land and its peoples, the accompanying dialogue informs and entertains viewers of all ages. Whether you are a student learning about the history and geography of your country, a tourist visiting or planning a visit to Canada or a Canadian in search of an entertaining armchair travel experience, Postcards from Canada will delight all and entice you to see it again.

Highly Recommended.

Janice Foster is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - April 27, 2001.

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