The Group Of Seven: A Northern Shore

Feeling a bit cramped by the burgeoning metropolis of Toronto in the 1920s, seven design artists decided to check out the north country, and "The Group of Seven" was born. This beautifully made documentary traces the history of Tom Thomson and his "group" (Harris, MacDonald, Carmichael, etc.), city-dwellers all, who headed for the rugged mountains and flowing rivers of unbridled nature with a mission: "to paint the soul of things." As The Group of Seven demonstrates with its numerous pictures--currently on display at the Art Gallery of Toronto--the group succeeded quite well, displaying a wide variety of artistic approaches within a single unified theme. Wonderful early film footage of bustling Toronto is combined with period stills of the group, while voiceover and on-camera narration tells the tales of these disparate characters with a shared vision. Enjoyable and informative, The Group of Seven is an excellent documentary which chronicles the genesis of the Canadian nationalist landscape movement. Highly recommended for public and university libraries with strong art collections. (Available from: Art Gallery of Ontario, Edward P. Taylor Audio-Visual Centre, 317 Dundas St. West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1G4.)