Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven

Get ready for a breathtaking journey into one of North America's most rugged and beautiful landscapes. This documentary will take you deep into the back country of Algoma and the coastline of eastern Lake Superior. The striking cinematography, the exceptional musical score, the weaving of historical footage and letters with a contemporary adventure search for the rediscovery of lost Group of Seven painting sites kept me spellbound. I love history when you can see a photo or a work of art and then be transported today to the exact location where each was created long ago. This is a special film because it brings a deeper understanding of the motivation of artists, writers, and photographers in their interpretation of the natural world. I found it simply enchanting!

Lake Superior Highlands,and Algoma Country have long been remote mystical frontiers.This film revives the nostalgic beauty of the region as captured through the art of the Group of Seven,and the dialogue of our contemporary actors and film crews.In addition,the musical score as a backdrop to the photography in the film is complimentary to the historic and natural panorama as seen by both artists and actors. Once again,we stand proud in the accomplishments of the Group of Seven,and the crews producing this film. Lake Superior and Algoma Country have a renewed place in the Canadian Artistic and Cultural world due to their efforts. As part of our heritage,this is a must see film.

Ray Hyde

Having spent most of my life hiking and canoeing along the Superior coast I found this film a breathtaking reminder of all I had seen and enjoyed.Having always been aware of the Group of Seven I had not appreciated the true scope of their work until viewing this film .The interweaving of the past with the present is excellent. For me the old scenes were nostalgic for others it should be a beautiful window into the past .The ruggedness ,the awe inspiring landscape the boundless natural beauty is presented in a way that will make anyone catch their breath .The makers of this film have done a tremendous job in reminding us of why this land of ours is so wonderful and why it should be valued and protected

The Group of Seven and Tom Thompson's star has been rising for a while in the art market and the art world in general. It is time for a good documentary on their work and vision. This is barely it. First the good stuff: it is quite interesting that this group goes around following the steps of the painters in the Algoma and North Shore of Lake Superior. Their purpose: to make a photography book where they contrast the artists work with the actual locations, some of them hard to reach. They seem to have done their research well. The scenery is breathtaking indeed as something you would see in the Ontario Tourism Board. For the not so good: An art documentary should take exquisite care to film the artworks themselves in crisp glorious detail. This doc resolution can't handle the big screen where it belongs. It contains a great amount of close-ups of the impasto on the boards (not always canvas as they say) which is a treat in itself but the paintings lack context and read more like a slide show. There is some footage of re-enactors dressed in period clothing etc that is totally superfluous. It would have been much better to either do a proper re-enactment with consistent performers or none at all and replace it with footage of the actual painters and a bit more background on their stories. There is a conservation and art education agenda which is an excellent effort but it is delivered mostly by the wild-eyed female collaborator in a gushy repetitive tone that is off-putting. How many times is she going to say "the land" in that reverential new-age tone only a geologists should adopt. The art students joining the expedition offers some slightly cringe-worthy moment as they display a natural but complete lack of understanding of the painting process (Why not use the tools given to the re-enactors?). The students mimic the campers emphasizing the calmness and soundtrack of the forest and the deep breathing as if this was yoga. Never mind plein air studies require a concentrated effort and intensity that they seem oblivious to and is clearly absent in the results. Fair enough, they are young, the film makers are not painters, but why not let the educational experience speak for itself without dragging students into it as in any old Public Service Advert. why not let "the land" speak for itself and tuck the conservation agenda with some actionable advice or none at all? So go in for the scenery, make plans to visit the area and avoid late summer or you'll have to fight the tourists. Better yet, get the book.

This 90 minute documentary takes us to northern Ontario to see the country where the Canadian "Group of Seven" painters did a large portion of their work post WWI / during 1920's. For the first time, the actual sites where the artists stood/sat and painted in a remote and rugged landscape are found. It is fascinating to see the exact viewpoint shown from today, the screen then giving way to the paintings which have become so familiar and iconic to Canadians. It is beautifully shot with rugged landscape, rich fall colours, and rushing waterfalls - in the words of one of the artists, "a fairy land, Dante's dream". Recommend.