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Borealis

Kevin McMahon
2020 | 93 min 18 sec

Selections and Awards

  • Homeland Earth AwardSilbersalz Science & Media Awards, Germany, 2021

  • Winner - Best Photography, Documentary or FactualCanadian Screen Awards, Toronto, Canada, 2022

  • Winner - Rob Stewart Award for Best Science or Nature Documentary Program or SeriesCanadian Screen Awards, Toronto, Canada, 2022

Trailer



One-Liner


Long Synopsis

Clip 1: The Design of Nature is Music


Clip 2: Survival of the Boreal Forest


Clip 3: Enemies of the Boreal Forest


Clip 4: Future of the Boreal Forest


Images

NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited
Photo: NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited

The forest burns in Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories
NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited
Photo: NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited

An aerial view of the Boreal forest surrounding mountains in the Yukon Territory
NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited
Photo: NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited

Clear cutting of Boreal forest
NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited
Photo: NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited

Regrowth of the boreal begins after a fire near Lake Wabakimi, Ontario_
NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited
Photo: NFB, Primitive Entertainment Limited

The boreal region is home to the threatened species of Woodland Caribou

Promotional Materials

TEAM


Kevin McMahon
Creative Director and Producer


Photo




Kristina McLaughlin
Producer (Primitive Entertainment Inc.)


Photo




Justine Pimlott
Producer


Photo
Photo : Jennifer Rowsom




Jane Jankovic
Executive Producer (TVO)


Photo




Anita Lee
Executive Producer (NFB)


Photo
Photo : NFB




Michael McMahon
Producer, Executive Producer (Primitive Entertainment Inc.)


Photo



Credits

The National Film Board of Canada, TVO & Primitive Entertainment present

A

PRIMITIVE ENTERTAINMENT

and

NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA

Co-Production

IN ASSOCIATION WITH
ZDF/ARTE and NHK

BOREALIS

FEATURED VOICES
DIANA BERESFORD-KROEGER – BOTANIST
STAN BOUTIN – POPULATION ECOLOGIST
ROGER BRETT – FOREST HEALTH TECHNICIAN
ISABELLE DESROCHERS-STEIN – HERBALIST
NADIR ERBILGIN – FOREST ENTOMOLOGIST
MIKE FLANNIGAN – PROFESSOR OF WILDLAND FIRE
ERIN FLEMING – FIRE SMART SUPERVISOR
CHRISTINE GODWIN – BIOLOGIST
TED HOGG – RESEARCH SCIENTIST
SAM HUNTER – CLIMATE CHANGE MONITOR
KA­JAR KÖSTER – FOREST RESEARCHER
EDMUND METATAWABIN – INNINO AUTHOR
BEN MIRON – TRAPPER
ROBERT PARTRIDGE – FORESTER
TUUKKA PETÄJÄ – ATMOSPHERIC SCIENTIST
JESSICA PIERCEY – ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST
DAVID PRICE – RESEARCH SCIENTIST
GERRY RACEY – ECOLOGIST
DAVID SCHINDLER – AQUATIC ECOLOGIST
THOMAS SCOTT – FORT ALBANY COMMUNITY MEMBER
SANDY SMITH – PROFESSOR OF FOREST HEALTH
CHRISTIAN WIRTH – BIOLOGIST

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
FELICITY JUSTRABO

ORIGINAL MUSIC
JUSTIN SMALL & OHAD BENCHETRIT 

SOUND DESIGN
GRANT EDMONDS

EDITOR
NATHAN SHIELDS

VISUAL EFFECTS
MARK ALBERTS

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
JOHN MINH TRAN

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
JOSHUA SEE
HUGO KITCHING

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
MICHAEL MCMAHON (PRIMITIVE ENTERTAINMENT)
ANITA LEE (NFB)
JANE JANKOVIC (TVO)

PRODUCERS
KRISTINA MCLAUGHLIN (PRIMITIVE ENTERTAINMENT)
KEVIN MCMAHON (PRIMITIVE ENTERTAINMENT)
MICHAEL MCMAHON (PRIMITIVE ENTERTAINMENT)
JUSTINE PIMLOTT (NFB)

DIRECTOR
KEVIN MCMAHON

Story Producer
JAMES BROADLEY

Researcher
NIKITA TAKKAR

Visual Researcher
ANITA TURCOTTE

Featured Voices
DIANA BERESFORD-KROEGER
Author, Arboretum Borealis: A Lifeline of the Planet 

STAN BOUTIN
Canadian Mountain Network Co-Research Director
University of Alberta

ROGER BRETT
Forest Health Supervising Technician, Northern Forestry Centre
Natural Resources Canada

ISABELLE DESROCHERS-STEIN
Herbalist

NADIR ERBILGIN
Professor, Forest Entomology & Chemical Ecology
University of Alberta

MIKE FLANNIGAN
Director, Western Partnership for Wildland Fire Science
University of Alberta

ERIN FLEMING
FireSmart Supervisor, Regional Emergency Services
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

CHRISTINE GODWIN
Manager, Ecology Group
Owl Moon Environmental Inc

TED HOGG
Research Scientist, Canadian Forest Service
Natural Resources Canada

SAM HUNTER
Climate Change Monitor
Weenusk First Nation

KAJAR KÖSTER
Academy Research Fellow, Department of Forest Science
University of Helsinki

EDMUND METATAWABIN
Co-Author Up Ghost River
Fort Albany First Nation

BEN MIRON
Trapper

ROBERT PARTRIDGE
Forester

TUUKKA PETÄJÄ
Professor, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research
University of Helsinki

JESSICA PIERCEY
Environmental Scientist
Syncrude Canada

DAVID PRICE
Research Scientist, Integrated Modelling of Climate Change Impacts
Natural Resources Canada

GERRY RACEY
Resource Management Specialist (Retired)
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

DAVID SCHINDLER
Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences
University of Alberta

THOMAS SCOTT
Fort Albany First Nation

SANDY SMITH
Director of Forestry Programs
University of Toronto

CHRISTIAN WIRTH
Head, Department of Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity
German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research

Production Coordinator
MAEVE KERN

Production Support
CAROLIN NEUBAUER

Aerial Photography
CHRIS GOLL
JOSHUA SEE

Additional Photography
CHRISTIAN SCHIDLOWSKI

Camera Assistants
CHRIS GOLL
ALEX MACPHAIL
JORN MEYER

Helicopter Pilot
RJ PRICE

Firebox Footage
DAN JIMINEZ
US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Missoula Fire Science Laboratory

Parks Canada Fire Management Supervisors
STEPHANIE KOROSCIL
BEAU MICHAUD

Location Sound
MIKE FILIPPOV
SANJAY MEHTA
CHRIS GOLL 

Translators
STEFAN RANDSTROM
STEPHANIE WEIMAR

Transcribers
AVA HARNESS
GINGER HOWARD
CAMRYN KERN
ROSANA KHABBAZ DIAZ
GABRIELA SALON

Post-Production Coordinator
JORDAN SCHINKEL

Dialogue Editors
MIMI SCOWEN
PATIENCE BRADFORD

Sound Effects Editor
MARC CHIASSON
ANDY FRECH
JEREMY KESSLER

Re-Recording Mixer
GRANT EDMONDS

Post-Production Picture
JAXX

Finishing Editor
DIPESH MISTRY

Digital Colourist
DAVID ST. LOUIS

Data By
THE MATRX

“Oh Evergreen”
Music: TRADITIONAL
Words by KEVIN McMAHON
Arranged by DAVEED GOLDMAN
Performed by CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR!
Choir Co-directors: NOBU ADILMAN, DAVEED GOLDMAN

Singers:
STEPHANIE BRAITHWAITE
RENÉE GOMES
LAURA HAYWARD
SHAMA JOSHI
PIPER MacFADYEN
LYNNE PROVENCHER
SUSAN K. ROBERTSON
MIRA SHENKER
SHOSHANA WASER
MASON WRIGHT

Boreal Songbird Field Recordings
ALBERTA BIODIVERSITY MONITORING INSTITUTE

ABDI Coordinator
ALEX McPHAIL

Archival Footage
52 MEDIA INC
GETTY IMAGES
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Legal Counsel
DUNCAN MORIN LLP

Insurance
FRONT ROW INSURANCE BROKERS INC.

For the National Film Board of Canada

Studio Operations Manager
MARK WILSON 

Studio Administrators
PATRICIA BOURGEOIS
STEFANIE BRANTNER 

Production Supervisor
MARCUS MATYAS

Production Coordinator
ANDREW MARTIN-SMITH

Technical Coordinator
KEVIN RILEY

Marketing Manager
KELLY FOX

Publicist
JENNIFER MAIR

Filmed with permission on the territories of:
FORT ALBANY FIRST NATION
WEENUSK FIRST NATION

Filmed with permission of the Parks Canada Agency at:
BANFF NATIONAL PARK
JASPER NATIONAL PARK
WOOD BUFFALO NATIONAL PARK

Filmed with permission of Ontario Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks in:
ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK
QUETICO PROVINCIAL PARK
WABAKIMI PROVINCIAL PARK
WOODLAND CARIBOU PROVINCIAL PARK

PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH TVO

Independent Production Officer, TVO
LINDA FONG

VP Of Current Affairs And Documentaries, TVO
JOHN FERRI

PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH ZDF/ARTE, NHK, AND THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

Commissioning Editor, ARTE
MARITA HÜBINGER

Senior Producer, NHK
TAKAHIRO HAMANO

PRODUCED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE CANADA MEDIA FUND

PRODUCED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF ROGERS DOCUMENTARY FUND

PRODUCED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ONTARIO CREATES FILM FUND

and THE ONTARIO CREATES FILM AND TAX CREDIT

A PRIMITIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA COPRODUCTION.

www.nfb.ca

©2020
PRIMITIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC., 2627543 ONTARIO INC., AND THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA.

     



Press Relations

  • About Primitive Entertainment

    Primitive Entertainment is an Emmy nominated, Webby award-winning producer of documentary feature films, television series and digital media. With 30 years experience producing premium non-fiction content, their work has earned more than 40 awards world-wide.

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.