The Backwoodsman is a film about a folk song, the life it portrays, and the culture that lingers. The film is a 15-minute documentary employing a variety of interviews, musical performances and recreations of pioneer life. The Backwoodsman looks at the lives of 19th century lumbermen in the Kawarthas, and shows how the musical heritage of those pioneers has persisted through to the present day.
The film takes as its starting point the traditional folk song “The Backwoodsman.” The song takes place in the former Emily Township in 1845. It is the story of a young worker who abandons his job hauling wood, goes drinking in a tavern in Omemee, and then later rides to an Irish dance in nearby Downeyville. While the verses portray a carefree escape from responsibility, there is a coda that adds a darker tone, indicating that while the protagonist is making merry, the man’s old father is searching in the night for his wayward son.
Through interviews with Canadian folk musicians and historians, we learn the history of the song itself, and show something of the lives of working men of that era. The film, through interviews and performance, highlights regional musicians working today who keep local folk culture alive.
