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My Ancestors Were Rogues and Murderers

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It was a PR coup that launched the animal rights movement onto the international stage. It's 1977 and Brian Davies, head of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, has brought Brigitte Bardot to Newfoundland to protest the seal hunt. The villains of the piece are the inhabitants of the island's northern outports, their image transmitted to the world as the epitome of brutality. My Ancestors Were Rogues and Murderers tells their story. In a thoughtful contribution to the debate on Canada's seal hunt, artist Anne Troake celebrates the unique culture of Newfoundland's outports. She explores the notions of ecology and conservation through the story of her extended family, descendants of 18th century settlers from the English West Country. In a society shaped by the environment and seasons, sealing became one of many activities that sustained them. Blending poetic ethnography with politics, Troake weaves her argument into a meditation on a resilient people and their special place in the world. A remarkable interview with her grandmother infuses the film with wry wisdom and a bright sense of life's possibilities.

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General Note

Agency - English program:.Atlantic Centre.

Credit Note

Director, Anne Troake ; writer, Anne Troake ; producer, Kent Martin ; cinematography, Nigel Markham ; editor, Chris Darlington ; sound, Harvey Hyslop ; original music, Justin Haynes, Jean Martin, Ross Murray ; original music performer, Justin Haynes, Jean Martin, Ross Murray ; sound editor, Harvey Hyslop ; sound mixer, Paul Steffler ; research, Anne Troake, Elizabeth Klinck ; animation, Peter Evans.

Time of Event Note

Recorded 2005.

Summary

It was a PR coup that launched the animal rights movement onto the international stage. It's 1977 and Brian Davies, head of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, has brought Brigitte Bardot to Newfoundland to protest the seal hunt. The villains of the piece are the inhabitants of the island's northern outports, their image transmitted to the world as the epitome of brutality. My Ancestors Were Rogues and Murderers tells their story. In a thoughtful contribution to the debate on Canada's seal hunt, artist Anne Troake celebrates the unique culture of Newfoundland's outports. She explores the notions of ecology and conservation through the story of her extended family, descendants of 18th century settlers from the English West Country. In a society shaped by the environment and seasons, sealing became one of many activities that sustained them. Blending poetic ethnography with politics, Troake weaves her argument into a meditation on a resilient people and their special place in the world. A remarkable interview with her grandmother infuses the film with wry wisdom and a bright sense of life's possibilities.

System Det Note

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Awards Note

Best Newfoundland Documentary, 2005

Source of Description Note (R)

Description based on online resource; title from title screen (National Film Board of Canada, viewed 2023-08-10).