First Winter (1981)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Writer:

Cynthia Scott (writer)

Genre:

Short | Drama | History

Plot:

With the father away, an Irish immigrant family struggle to survive their first winter in the Canadian wild.

Plot Keywords:

Irish | Canada | Tragedy | Historical | 1800s

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Kathleen McAuliffe	...	Mother
Sharon O'Niell	...	Daughter
Eric Patrick Godfrey	...	Son
Kevin Kennedy	...	Father

Runtime:

24 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Argentina:Unrated

Company:

National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

A Rare Irish-Canadian Tale

Oscar-nominated for best short film the year it was released, this touching film in English and Irish Gaelic tells the story of young girl and her brother's survival in the Canadian wilderness. It is the nineteenth-century era of pioneer immigration. Father is some distance away and Mother and two children try to survive the first winter in the wilds.

The film shows the loneliness of that first year and the tragedy that often accompanied dispossessed peoples on arrival in the New World. The three characters in this ensemble piece rely on memories of their culture, stories and songs to cope with their new and strange environment. Some aspects of the film stretch one's belief, particularly the children's lone survival, but the acting is fine and the children play their roles endearingly and convincingly.

It is a rare but pleasant event to see Irish Gaelic in a Canadian film. The native language of Irish and Scottish Gaels is so often ignored in films concerning these cultures.