Alaska: Forever Wild(2018)

Gates of the Arctic(en)

Glenn Close narrates this National Park Service movie about the many varied aspects of Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve. Shown at Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center.

First Descent(en)

First Descent is a 2005 documentary film about snowboarding and its beginning in the 1980s. The snowboarders featured in this movie (Shawn Farmer, Nick Perata, Terje Haakonsen, Hannah Teter and Shaun White with guest appearances from Travis Rice) represent three generations of snowboarders and the progress this young sport has made over the past two decades. Most of the movie was shot in Alaska.

Grizzly Man(en)

Werner Herzog's documentary film about the "Grizzly Man" Timothy Treadwell and what the thirteen summers in a National Park in Alaska were like in one man's attempt to protect the grizzly bears. The film is full of unique images and a look into the spirit of a man who sacrificed himself for nature.

Big Alaska: Modern Day Pioneers(en)

Four Alaskan bush families take the leap of faith to pursue their lifelong dream of living off the grid in the remote and unpredictable wilderness.

The White Pass Journey(en)

Includes all new footage which captures the WP&YR experience and history from Skagway, Alaska to Fraser, B.C. and from Fraser, B.C. to Carcross, Yukon. Fully narrated with insights and historical context.

Alaska – Wildnis am Rande der Welt(de)

Wild National Parks(en)

Answer the call of the wild and visit Alaskan grizzly bears, Arizona rattlesnakes, and a wealth of noble creatures nurtured by devoted park workers.

Growing Native Alaska: People of the North(en)

All across Alaska, Native cultures have depended on the abundant natural resources found there to support their families, cultures and way of life. Now these resources are growing scarce, and the people who have relied on them for centuries have to find new ways to adapt.

Igloo(en)

Documentary detailing the hardships of life among Alaskan Natives.

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild(en)

Alaska... Here, in this vast and spectacularly beautiful land teeming with abundant wildlife, discover the "Spirit of the Wild." Experience it in the explosive calving of glaciers, the celestial fires of the Aurora Borealis. Witness it in the thundering stampede of caribou, the beauty of the polar bear and the stealthful, deadly hunt of the wolf pack.

Over Alaska(en)

Come fly with us in OVER ALASKA as we take off on a breathtaking tour of our 49th state. Soar over Mt. McKinley and through the craggy crevasses of electric blue glaciers. Follow the Iditarod and kayakers as they navigate past icebergs. Then touch down to Earth and get as close to bears, whales and wildlife as humanly possible.

Alaska Lifeboat(en)

This "Theater of Life" series short focuses on a medical services ship that stops in the native village of Haines, Alaska. The natives are depicted as superstitious of modern medicine. In the end, however, youngster Ralph Sarlan (the only person identified by the narrator) is taken by airplane to get corrective surgery on his deformed foot.

Lines(en)

The documentary follows a crew of snowboarders for six weeks in the Chugach mountains, and showcases what it takes to ride these unique Alaskan mountains: the waiting, the stress, the dangers, everything that goes into it and is usually never shown. It also retraces some of the history of this unknown discipline and pays tribute to the pioneers. But the film really focuses on the human aspect and why these people do what they do.

Report from the Aleutians(en)

A documentary propaganda film produced by the U.S. Army Signal Corps about the Aleutian Islands Campaign during World War II. The film opens with a map showing the strategic importance of the island, and the thrust of the 1942 Japanese offensive into Midway and Dutch Harbor. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Sitka and Juneau: 'A Tale of Two Cities'(en)

This Traveltalk series short takes the viewer to Alaska, focusing on the cities of Sitka and Juneau.

Alaska's Silent Summer(en)

In 2019, 1.2 million people stepped off a cruise ship into the small, south-east Alaskan town of Ketchikan. The next year, in 2020, zero did. After decades of diligent work building a sleepy fishing, mining, and logging town into one of the most sought after cruise destinations in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed Ketchikan into an empty shell—lined with restaurants, shops, and attractions for the visitors who no longer come. Now, the town must find a way to survive without its key economy until the day arrives when cruise visitors once again pour into its docks.

Children of the Arctic(en)

Children of the Arctic is a portrait of five Native Alaskan teenagers growing up in Barrow - the northernmost community in the United States. As their climate and culture undergo profound changes, they strive to balance being modern American kids and the inheritors of an endangered way of life.

Extreme Alaska: Denali National Park(en)

This video includes excellent scenery and computer-generated videos that provide nice visual aid. These visual aides and the facts given by the narrator deliver on the National Geographic credibility you have come to expect. It includes wildlife in the Denali area, including two moose battling for a mate, as well as a brown bear cub taking out a caribou. The wildlife portion takes up about half of the video, about 25 minutes or so. The second half of this DVD shows a group of eight individuals who are climbing Mt. Mckinley. This gives an additional viewpoint of the Denali area for those who seek challenging ventures. The cons about this video are that I would have liked to see a longer wildlife portion, and it is not a very long video altogether (50 minutes), so the $18 price tag seems a bit much. If you are interested in Alaska, the arctic, national parks, mountain trekking, and wildlife, this is a good movie for you.

Alaska Far Away(en)

'Alaska Far Away' tells the story of the Matanuska Colonization Project of 1935, a creative and controversial New Deal program that relocated 202 families devastated by the Great Depression, taking them from the upper Midwest to the Matanuska Valley in Alaska to start an experimental farming colony. It generated a whirlwind of publicity and controversy at the time, not only as a federally-funded social experiment, but also as one of the last pioneer movements in America. The Matanuska Colony isn't just a fascinating footnote to the history of Alaska. It encompasses the despair of the Depression, the creative energy of the New Deal, the adventure of pioneering in Alaska, and the best and worst of our government and ordinary citizens in facing those extraordinary challenges.

Alaska and the Wilds Beyond(en)