Indian Elephants in the Service of Man

Indian elephants in action as working animals and in hunting.

Gunpoint

Semi-documentary exposé of scandalous hunting practices in the Sologne, a wooded area south of Orléans where he shared a house at the time. The film, part tribute to Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game (1939) and its celebrated hunting scene, is notable for its cinematography by Polish director Walerian Borowczyk.

The Hunters

An ethnographic film that documents the efforts of four !Kung men (also known as Ju/'hoansi or Bushmen) to hunt a giraffe in the Kalahari Desert of Namibia. The footage was shot by John Marshall during a Smithsonian-Harvard Peabody sponsored expedition in 1952–53. In addition to the giraffe hunt, the film shows other aspects of !Kung life at that time, including family relationships, socializing and storytelling, and the hard work of gathering plant foods and hunting for small game.

Natsik Hunting

Mosha Michael made an assured directorial debut with this seven-minute short, a relaxed, narration-free depiction of an Inuk seal hunt. Having participated in a 1974 Super 8 workshop in Frobisher Bay, Michael shot and edited the film himself. His voice can be heard on the appealing guitar-based soundtrack…. Natsik Hunting is believed to be Canada’s first Inuk-directed film. – NFB

Prey

Amarok's Song - The Journey to Nunavut

In this feature-length documentary, three generations of the Caribou Inuit family come together to tell the story of their journey as Canada's last nomads. From the independent life of hunting on the Keewatin tundra to taking the reins of the new territory of Nunavut on April 1, 1999, we see it all. The film is the result of a close collaboration between Ole Gjerstad, a southern Canadian, and Martin Kreelak, an Inuk. It's Martin's family that we follow, as the story is told through his own voice, through those of the Elders, and through those of the teens and young adults who were born in the settlements and form the first generation of those growing up with satellite TV and a permanent home.

Below the Sahara

The photographic record of an African expedition led by producer-explorer Armand Denis and his (very) photogenic and camera-toting wife Michaela, who goes bird-riding at an ostrich farm. The expedition ranges from the central interior jungles and mountains to both coasts and as far south as Capetown, and ends with a gorilla hunt led by natives using 100-year-old muskets.

Blood Lions

Every single day in South Africa at least two to three captive bred or tame lions are being killed in canned hunts. And hundreds more are slaughtered annually for the lion bone trade. The Blood Lions story is a compelling call to action to have these practices stopped.

A Taste of Whale

In the Faroe Islands, hundreds of pilot whales are slaughtered each year in a hunt known as the “Grind.” This gruesome tradition has drawn outrage from activists, most notably the international conservation group Sea Shepherd, who routinely sail to the islands to try to block whaling boats. Yet the Faroese are equally determined to maintain their tradition, defending the practice as more sustainable and less cruel than getting meat from slaughterhouses. Director Vincent Kelner spends time with both Faroese hunters and Sea Shepherd crusaders, building to a nuanced look at a disturbing event with much larger implications for the way humans relate to other creatures.

Звериной тропой

Lion Hunting

Two hunters set out on safari with their African guide. They observe zebras, an ostrich, and a hippopotamus, capture a monkey, and camp for the night. After a lion kills their goat and horse, they shoot it by the water’s edge and later kill a second. The animals are skinned, and the hunters relax with cigarettes beside their trophies. (Note: Produced by Nordisk Film in 1907, Løvejagten gained notoriety because founder Ole Olsen purchased lions from Copenhagen Zoo, released them on an island, and filmed their killing. Supplemented with zoo footage to simulate Africa, the film caused public outrage yet drew huge audiences, establishing Nordisk’s reputation worldwide.)

Hunter's Refuge

Fast on his feet with a fat mustache, short stature, and investigative gaze. For a couple of days in the mountain, in his native land, we approach a man, strange and loud but nevertheless genuine and sensitive, a hunter. In his own way, Mr. Sotiris shines light on our bond with nature, history and man.

Wild Boar Hunt

This short film showcases the skills of Howard Hill, known as the "World's Greatest Archer".

Slipjacht

A dive into the world of a theatrical tradition with riders in classical costumes, hunting horns and bloodhounds. The drag hunt is a hunt without guns, where you do not hunt an animal, but a piece of cloth. It seems to be something of this time, but drag hunting is still under pressure. Can this age-old tradition survive in modern society? How do the riders view this spectacle full of etiquette?

Hunting Footnotes

Amidst Wyoming's rugged beauty, an experienced hunter confronts the challenges of tracking wild game and forges lifelong bonds within his friendships.

The Trouble with Wolves

Death threats, court battles, and an iconic endangered species in middle, The Trouble With Wolves takes an up close look at the most heated and controversial wildlife conservation debate of our time. The film aims to find out whether coexistence is really possible by hearing from the people directly involved.

Stars in the Sky: A Hunting Story

This documentary focuses on the lives of American hunters, presented as an honest exploration of the controversies, emotions, and traditions inherent to this most primal human activity.

Duck Hunters' Paradise

This short follows two duck hunters in the Sacramento River Valley.

Big Blue Goose

In this RKO Sportscope short, a naturalist and his wife go to Louisiana bayou country to hunt a particular species of goose.

Grenzbock

One last time, Hubertus Meckelmann sounds the horns for a big drive hunt in the wild. In the central area of the former military training ground, hunting will soon be prohibited. For the hunting grounds in the area, this is quite an imposition: the populations of red deer, fallow deer and wild boar, limited only with great effort, will get out of control. Nor will the return of the wolf change anything – according to the hunters in the area, the wolf has no place here, anyway. The film accompanies three hunters in their forests and in long, tranquil shots provides insights into the hidden world behind hunting terminology and loden coats.