Although I initially wondered about the relevance to contemporary teens of a film profiling a 17-year-old Cree kid named Robert Grandjambe, Jr., who lives in a northern Alberta village in Canada, I suspect that videogame-playing and computer-surfing teenagers in the U.S. might actually learn a lot from watching this film. Some incredibly valuable lessons are presented simply, yet powerfully: how adults from dysfunctional families can overcome their backgrounds and become outstanding parents, how a boy and his father learn to respect the forces of nature (and each other), and how a truly gifted young man can benefit from the traditions of the past in order to make a success of himself in the future. PETA advocates might wince at the number of animals killed during this brief video, but discovering that people actually still hunt for food and sustenance in this supermarket age, as does the culture-straddling Grandjambe, is refreshingly exciting. Librarians on a tight budget might also wince at the price, but are urged to give this wonderful little program spotlighting the growth and development of a unique young man a chance. Recommended. Aud: H, P. (J. Carlson)
The Little Trapper
(1999) 24 min. $129. National Film Board of Canada. PPR. Color cover. Closed captioned. Vol. 15, Issue 6
The Little Trapper
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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