High Tide in Newfoundland

Among these lively impressions of Newfoundland today, coloured by history and by the sea, there are scenes of historic events, fishing on the high seas and squid jigging inshore, mining deep underground, and operations of the giant pulp and paper industry.

Newfoundland's role in World War II, her economic structure and post-war prospects are discussed as Atlantic Crossroads surveys its barren hinterland and busy outports. The depression of the thirties is contrasted with the sudden, feverish activity of war.

Richly woven of fine threads that mingle and separate, surface and disappear, this poetic documentary studies the works of one of Canada's greatest contemporary etchers: Newfoundland-born David Blackwood. The artist himself guides the viewer through a step-by-step explanation of the entire etching process. Scenes of his hometown outport, examples of his masterfully crafted prints, and the vivid tales of an old mariner recall the tragic seal hunts and a way of life that has now vanished.