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Our Archivist (pictured here at work) has dug up these still-tasty acoustic bones buried in our radio root cellar.
Below is a handful of selected kibble. You can chow down on a more complete menu of archival programs at this site (not mobile-compatible) Anything marked with a pdf icon has a transcript available. |
Flight of Fancy
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Flight of Fancy
Homero Gómez González, who managed the El Rosario monarch butterfly reserve in Michoacan, Mexico, was murdered January 28/20. On February 3/20, reserve tour guide Raúl Hernández Romero was killed. Sixteen years ago, we made a documentary about the Monarch butterfly migration, and the reserve that these two environmental activists tragically lost their lives defending against illegal logging. Hector & Raul - Presente! First broadcast: Radio Netherlands 2004 Produced by Chris Brookes AWARDS: Silver Medal, New York Festivals 2005 United Nations Award, New York Festivals 2005 |
The Annotated Jack
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A Tale of two Jacks
One Jack the hero of traditional folktales; the other a retired fisherman passing the time in his fishing stage spinning tales of his youth. The documentary weaves together the real and the mythical Jack, and celebrates the role that stories play in accompanying us through life. "And if they don't live happily ever after, then may all of ye" First broadcast October 31, 2009 in Ireland on RTE Documentary on One Produced by Chris Brookes AWARDS: Special Commendation 2011 Prix Marulic, Silver World Medal, New York Festivals 2010 |
Hark!
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An acoustic archaeology of Elizabethan England
Tracking down ancient sounds that still exist, evoking others which have become extinct, this acoustic film imagines the noises of Elizabethan society through the ears of listeners four centuries ago. Coproduced in St. John's, Vancouver & London by Chris Brookes, Paolo Pietropaolo & Alan Hall. Canadian broadcast: Sept 29/08 on CBC U.K. version broadcast Oct 5/08 on BBC AWARDS: Grand Prix Marulic 2009, Gold World Medal for Best Sound, Grand Award-best of festival, New York Festivals 2009, |
Running the Goat
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A dance in 8 figures:
On July 2, 1992 the once-gigantic Newfoundland cod fishery was shut down. Twelve years later, 70,000 people had left, and coastal communities were struggling to survive. The blow to the culture was as dramatic as the economic effect, but how do you measure cultural change? Perhaps with a centuries-old Nfld “set dance”. Produced by Chris Brookes First broadcast by Radio Netherlands April 24, 2005 AWARDS: Third Coast Festival 2005. Grand Prix Marulic 2006 (Spoiler Alert:) If you want to see the dance with your eyes instead of your ears: |
Songs My Mother Taught Me
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A documentary novel:
About British women who married foreign soldiers during World War II. Based upon real wartime diaries, letters, photos and recordings. More than a reconstruction of history, it is also a personal journey of discovery, as events of the 1990's resonate with those of the 1940's Produced by Chris Brookes. First broadcast by CBC 1997 AWARDS: Special Commendation for Radio Documentary, Prix Europa 1998, Best Special Program, CBC National Radio Awards 1998, Gold Medal, International Radio Festival of New York 1998 |
A Bullet for the General
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A retired British Army major-general...
Who made his home in St. John's, Newfoundland for more than 4o years, Hugh Tudor shunned photographs and interviews, scrupulously avoided publicity and lived a deliberately quiet life in the shadows - far from his country, his wife and children, and very far indeed from the limelight. But he lived in fear. And he harboured a dark secret. One that would cause an assassin to cross the Atlantic with a mission: to hunt him down. Produced by Chris Brookes. Broadcast on RTE Doc on One January 14, 2012. |
The Wire (episode 2)
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The Wire: how electricity changed music (Episode 2):
Somewhere between a documentary, a remix and a music show, this 8-hour series explores the impact of electricity on music, from Edison to Caruso to Les Paul to Bjork. Interviews with Robert Moog, Les Paul, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Steve Reich, Kid Koala, Akufen, DJ Spooky and others. Coproduced for CBC Radio by Chris Brookes, Paolo Pietropaolo and Jowi Taylor. First broadcast by CBC Radio 2005. Hear Remaining episodes. See Series details AWARDS: Prix Italia 2005, Peabody award 2006, 3rd Coast International Audio Festival 2006 |
Mucho Corazon
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A musical love story
Leon restores antique street organs in Holland's oldest surviving street organ business. On the other side of the Atlantic, Cubans too play these unusual instruments. On a visit to Cuba, Leon meets Milades, It was love at first sight, but strict immigration laws keep the two apart. Corresponding through music, they hope to eventually be reunited forever. But will they? Produced by Michelle Ernstein and Chris Brookes, First broadcast by Radio Netherlands, 1998 US version broadcast by This American Life 1999 AWARDS: Special Commendation, Prix Europa 1999 |
The Nerve (episode 1)
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Episode One of a 6-hour series
Music is found in every culture worldwide. It's our constant companion, from birth through childhood, love, marriage and death. It has a starring role on every stage of the great human drama — whether we are at war or at prayer, by ourselves or with others, in high spirits or low — music is there. But why does music have such power over our hearts and minds? Produced by Chris Brookes & Paolo Pietropaolo with host Jowi Taylor Hear Remaining episodes. AWARDS: Shortlisted Prix Italia 2009. New York Festivals Silver World Medal 2009 |
Bones of the Earth
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The Galapagos of geology
Visitors to Gros Morne National Park in western Newfoundland experience first-hand the wonder of geology and the theory of plate tectonics. It is the site of one of the world's best illustrations of plate tectonics in action. Featuring the poetry of Don McKay, traditional music performed by Daniel Payne, Jean Hewson and Christina Smith, and original music & sound design by Paolo Pietropaolo & Chris Brookes based on field recordings made in Gros Morne. Produced 2010 for Parks Canada visitor interpretation. Broadcast version on CBC Radio "Ideas" May 2011 Produced by Chris Brookes & Paolo Pietropaolo AWARDS: Gold Medal, Best Environmental program, New York Festivals 2011 |
The Letter S
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Whispers in the Air
On December 12th, 1901 Guigliermo Marconi received the world's first trans-Atlantic wireless signal on the cliff just above our studio. Or... did he? Created for the 2001 centenary of Marconi's transmission. First broadcast: ABC "Classic FM" Dec. 12, 2001. Produced by Chris Brookes AWARDS: Special Commendation, Prix Marulic 2002, Atlantic Journalism Award 2002 |
The Moratorium
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10th Anniversary of the Newfoundland Cod Moratorium
Created to mark the tenth anniversary of an environmental catastrophe. The gigantic Northern Cod Stock discovered by European fishermen five centuries ago prompted the settlement of Newfoundland and was known as the "Greatest Fishery in the World." In July 1992 the once-massive fish stocks had collapsed and a two-year fishing ban was introduced. 30,000 fishery workers were thrown on the dole. A decade later fish stocks had not rebounded. Composed as a collaboration with dancer Louise Moyes, this feature was danced in July 2002 at the St. John's International Sound Symposium, and released on the CD "Radiant Dissonance" by the Canadian Society of Independent Radio Producers |
Vestigial Tale
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Your Brain on Stories: part 1 & part 2
The evolutionary origins of human storytelling Analysing stories is territory traditionally claimed by writers, critics, and university scholars. But recently, evolutionary psychologists have begun to look at the human propensity for storytelling from a scientific perspective. Why are we humans such suckers for a good story? Literary critics find the answer in story structure, characters, and plotlines. The literary Darwinists find the answer in evolution. Broadcast on CBC Radio "Ideas" 2015 Produced by Chris Brookes |
Any Mummers Allowed?
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An old Christmas card for your ears
Long before Santa, Bing Crosby and the Mattel Toy Company stole the occasion, the Winter Solstice was celebrated with seasonal rituals like this. Although this great-great-grand-daddy of Halloween masquerade died out in most of North America long ago, mummers still appear annually in parts of Newfoundland, England and Ireland. The best way to get the lowdown on mummers is to tag along with them, and in this series we did just that -- on both sides of the Atlantic. (2-part series produced in 2006) More... |
Little Girl in a White Dress
On the Package
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Little Girl in a White Dress
Reportage from the Salvadorean civil war 3 decades ago. Broadcast on CBC's national Sunday Morning program, the predecessor to the present-day CBC Sunday Edition. The little girl skipping would be 39 today. If she survived. Producer: Chris Brookes First broadcast October 5, 1986 AWARDS: Best Documentary, ACTRA awards 1987 On the Package
The multiple award-winning feature documenting the aftermath of the 20th century's greatest marine ecological disaster: the collapse of the 500-year-old Newfoundland cod fishery. First broadcast: CBC Radio NL On the Go, 1993. Produced by Chris Brookes AWARDS: Gabriel Award 1994, Best Special Program, Canadian National Radio Awards 1994 |
Survivor
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The Shipwreck that changed a Life
The remarkable story of a remarkable man: Lanier Phillips. This is a story about growing up with fear in KKKlan-dominated Georgia, enlisting in a segregated navy, facing death in the icy North Atlantic, and a rescue which galvanised a man to fight racial discrimination for the rest of his life. MORE>>> First broadcast: Radio Netherlands 1999. Produced by Chris Brookes 1999 AWARDS: International Radio Festival of New York 2000 |
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Spools of Time
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Time.
In the current pandemic, we have a lot of it on our hands. Life under lockdown changes our experience of time daily - stretching and warping it ever more tediously - ticking away the minutes, hours, days, months before either the vaccine or the virus knocks on our door. This little piece about time was made for our friends FallingTree Productions in the UK, years before Covid-19 came to visit. Ages ago. Back in Pre-Pandemic time. |
