Legends of the North (TV)

Aventures dans le grand nord – French title

Les légendes du Grand Nord – French title

Grand nord – French title

Esperanza – English title

Erämaatarina – Finnish title

To perasma ston Vorra – Greek title

Northern Passage – English title

Tales of the Wild – English title

Legends of the North – English title

A 1995 French, Canadian co-production [Ellipse Programme, Gaumont Television (Paris), Cinevideo Plus, FUND, Telefilm Canada (Quebec)]

Producers: Justine Heroux, Robert Rea, Jacques Salles, Christian Charret

Director: René Manzor (René Lalanne)

Story: “Smoke Bellew” by Jack London

Teleplay: Robert Geoffrion, René Manzor (René Lalanne)

Photography: Pal Gyulay [Astracolor]

Music: Milan Kymlička

Running time: 96 minutes

Cast:

Charles Bel-Air – George Corraface (Yiorgas Horafas)

Whip – Randy Quaid (Randall Quaid)

Laura Fleming – Macha Grenon

Kanata – Sandrine Holt (Sandrine Ho)

McTavish – Serge Houde

O’Malley – John Dunn-Hill

Mawaki – Billy Merasty (William Merasty)

Nigel Plinkers – Jon Baggaley

Paul Bel-Air – Aubert Pallascio

Annabelle – Linda Smith

Indian women – Esther Mayo, Sharon Thompson

Indian warriors – Flint Eagle, Jason Cavalier (Jason Leboruf), Stephane Lefebvre, Louis Pharand, Jean Frenettie

Gorillos – Minor Mustain, Johnny Goar (John Goar)

Late 19th century: Charles Bel-Air inherits from his father a diary with directions to Esperanza, a legendary gold-filled lake in northern Yukon, Canada.  After he arrives in Canada from France, a mixed company will go looking for the treasure.  Thieves and Inuits, all with their own reasons for finding the treasure cross the path of Bel-Air on the winter ice floes of Quebec.

This was a four part French, Canadian co-produced mini-series. Each episode was a separate film based on the tales of Jack London.

Episodes: ‘Legends of the North’, ‘Blood of the Hunter’, ‘Eye of the Wolf’, ‘Northern Passage’