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CM . . . .
Volume VII Number 11 . . . . February 2, 2001
Daniel Frenette (Director). Pierre Lapointe (Producer).
At the Heart of the 20th Century is a series of short black-and-white videos which range from
five to six minutes in length and focus on major events in Canadian history. Each video features a
fictional character who serves as a background narrator and offers his/her personal reflections on
the events that shaped this country's past. Both archival stills and film images are used to lend
authenticity to the stories.
Pre-viewing and post-viewing questions and activities, designed to stimulate discussion and to
serve as starting points for further study, are provided on the inside of the video case. All of the
videos are closed captioned, requiring a decoder, and are also available in French.
Lost Dreams
Lost Dreams is narrated by a young Winnipeg woman of Ukrainian descent whose father
gave up his hopes of ever owning his own farm. Her father, who fled Austria in the early
1900s with many other Ukrainians, came to Canada for a better life, only to find that his
people were badly treated and mistrusted by their English-speaking employers. The video
focuses on the trials and tribulations of these immigrant workers, victims both of
circumstance and discrimination, who worked for half wages and lost their jobs once the
first World War ended and the factories shut down. In 1919, the workers formed a union to
fight for better wages and working conditions. However, even though the unions were
successful, many Ukrainians, like the narrator's father, resorted to Anglicizing their names
in order to secure better paying jobs.
Recommended.
Death Rained Down from the Sky
In Death Rained Down from the Sky, a World War II veteran speaks to a friend who is
off-camera. The man reminisces about his war experiences, from the time he enlisted in the army
to his capture by the enemy. Feeling useless after spending three years in a training camp in
England, he volunteered for a dangerous mission in France. It was the first and last time he saw
action, but the horror of seeing several of his comrades killed remains with him always. It is not
until the final scene that viewers learn that the friend to whom the veteran has been speaking is his
German captor, Hans. With poignant footage of families living in shelters during the bombing
of London, this moving video puts a human face on war.
Highly Recommended.
Linked by a Wavelength
Linked by a Wavelength is narrated by Thomas Lyndsay, a young radio engineer. The video
chronicles the development of long-distance communication, from the telegraph to the birth of
radio and the CBC, and discusses the impact that the new communication technologies had on
people's lives. An SOS from the sinking Titanic in 1912 demonstrated the importance of
the wireless telegraph, for many lives were saved as a result of the call for help. When people
discovered how to broadcast voices and music, the radio gained popularity. When radios were
installed in CN railway cars, people wanted to take the train. The CN telegraph network later
served as the basis for the CBC, and listening to the radio became a social event as entire families
gathered by their radios (or their neighbours' radios) to enjoy music, stories and newscasts. People
who were illiterate could keep informed by listening to the news on the radio. Over time, radio
shows offered more variety to suit the different tastes of their audiences. Then came television
with its ability to transmit pictures as well as sound.
Highly Recommended.
Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian at Bird's Hill School in East St. Paul, 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
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - February 2, 2001.
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