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High Steel
Directed by Don Owen
Produced by Julian Biggs
Written by Don Owen
Narrated by Don Francks
Starring Harold McComber
Music by Bruce Mackay
Cinematography John Spotton
Editing by Don Owen
Studio National Film Board of Canada
Release date(s) 1965 (1965)
Running time 13 minutes 7 seconds
Country Canada
Language English

High Steel is a short documentary film from 1965. It was made by the National Film Board of Canada and directed by Don Owen. The film is about Mohawk ironworkers from Kahnawake, a community near Montreal. These brave workers helped build the tall skyscrapers of New York City.

About the Film: High Steel Workers

The film High Steel shows amazing scenes of workers walking on narrow steel beams. These beams are very high up, far above the city streets. The story mainly follows Harold McComber, a Mohawk ironworker in Manhattan.

The movie compares the exciting and risky work Harold and his friends do high in the sky. It also shows their quiet life back home in Kahnawake.

The Mohawk Connection to High Steel

The film explains how the Mohawk people became known for their skill in high steel work. This started in the late 1800s. They worked on a railway bridge that crossed their land near the Saint Lawrence River.

However, this dangerous work sometimes came with a high price. The film shares how many lives were lost during the building of the Quebec Bridge in 1907. This event deeply affected the small Mohawk community.

Leaving Home for Work

High Steel celebrates the courage and amazing skills of the Mohawk ironworkers. But it also shows that many Mohawks had to leave their homes to find work. Harold McComber, for example, felt sad that his sons grew up without him being there all the time.

Making the Film: Behind the Scenes

The person in charge of filming High Steel was John Spotton. Don Francks was the narrator, who tells the story in the film. Julian Biggs was the producer, who manages the making of the film.

The movie also features a song called "Mountains of Iron and Steel" by Bruce Mackay. The filmmakers used special 35 mm cameras to shoot the movie. The film crew had to climb ladders from nearby buildings to reach the high construction sites.

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