Universe (documentary)

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Universe

DVD cover
Directed by Roman Kroitor
Colin Low
Produced by Tom Daly
Written by Roman Kroitor
Starring Donald MacRae
Music by Eldon Rathburn
Cinematography Wolf Koenig
Editing by Tom Daly
Distributed by NFB
Release date(s) May 1960
Running time 29 min.
Language English
IMDb profile

Universe is a black-and-white short documentary made in 1960 by the National Film Board of Canada. It dramatizes the nightly work of an astronomer at the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, Ontario, a facility that is owned and operated by the University of Toronto, Canada. The film was a nominee at the 33rd Academy Awards in the category of Best Documentary Short Subject in 1961.

In the film, the astronomer prepares his equipment and then photographs by long exposure one star, using the technology of his era (to check that it works, he sets off a flare!). The short film then presents special effects which show an exploding nebula.

Douglas Rain did the narration for the English version; the French version was titled Notre univers with narration by Gilles Pelletier. Eldon Rathburn composed the musical score.

After this work, co-director Colin Low worked with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey, but as that was a color film the same special effects would not work. His work on this short may have influenced Kubrick to begin his project.

[edit] Awards

Over a dozen awards, including Best Animated Film at BAFTA.

[edit] External links

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