Paddle to the Sea

I saw this film in second grade and have remembered it all these years. I have been searching the internet for it, I thought it was called Indian in the Canoe. I am so happy to finally have figured out the name. The movie has created a long lasting memory for me and I wish to share it with my child. The Red Balloon is another great film that is soon to be available on a popular DVD rental site, in case anyone is interested. I hope to buy a copy of Paddle to the Sea to share with my child soon. I suggest anyone and everyone who is interested in independent films and who enjoy shorts to watch this immediately. I think more schools should take the time to show timeless treasures as these instead of the typical cartoon of the month. Maybe more kids would grow up interested in real film instead of just the usual blockbuster. Thanks for listening.

A wonderful short that has been a standard in schools for years. It is about life and adventure and we all feel a need to support "paddle" as he heads for the sea."Look out of the snake, paddle!". Wonderful memories that have stayed with me all these years. Lets hear it for the National Film Board that supported the creation of such gems.

As a gradeschooler, we were made to watch a film one day. That film changed my outlook on life significantly. Of course, that film was "Paddle to the Sea."

This is an outstanding look at the Canadian wilderness; and the journey of the boat of as much a symbol of the human condition as anything Shakespeare penned.

I have not seen the film since I was a child. I have ordered it from the Canadian Film Board. Wow, I can't wait to remember what every soul knows deep inside.

When a lighthouse keeper spots a small wooden boat in the water, he imagines it's journey from the fireside of the young man who carved it all the way down stream, facing obstacles both natural and man-made before it reached him. This canoe has but one passenger, a rather formidable looking native, and both have clearly seen some wear and tear with all the original decoration eroded by it's travels and now only the instructions to "put me back in the sea" still visible. The carving is used as a charming conduit to follow the river, lakes and locks as it travels many thousands of miles to the sea. Niagara Falls, threatening propellors, enthusiastic fishermen, curious children. All are encountered by "Paddle" en route and with a simple narration and score, this is quite a gently engaging travelogue with a difference. Maybe it's trip is not finished yet, either...?

Until this evening, I believe the last time I saw this film was in our Wolf Cub pack, around 1969 or '70. Tonight I was tickled right through all over again. The scene of the building of Paddle to the Sea was still familiar even after all this time. It's amazing how they were able to anthropomorphize that heroic little piece of carved wood.

This film should reinforce the spirit of adventure in any child. The selfless actions of the secondary characters shouldn't be discounted either.

(Kids aren't likely to notice the occasional geographical shortcut, such as Niagara Falls being adjacent to Detroit!)