Michael Boland obit

Remembering Mike Boland, the “Human Steadicam”

Cinematographer and hockey player passes at age 75

 He was not on the list.

Vale Michael Anthony “Mike” Boland, a Gemini Award winning documentary cinematographer, director and book author, has died at the age of 75.

The news was announced on Oct. 5 by Boland’s daughter, Tarryn, who said in a social media post that he “died peacefully at St. Joseph’s Medical Centre, Toronto. Fly high. You are at peace now. Love you forever.”

Boland was the director of photography for documentary series such as Ken Dryden’s Home Game, Patrick Watson’s Struggle for Democracy and Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World.

Before joining the film and television industry in the late 1970s, Boland  was a hockey player. Boland attended St. Michael’s College in Toronto, a factory for National Hockey League (NHL) players such as the Mahovlich brothers. Boland also attended the University of Toronto, where he played on the school hockey team. He played most of his professional hockey in the American Hockey League (AHL) during the Slapshot era. Boland only broke through to the NHL for two games with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1974-75 season, but continued his professional career in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and as the second Canadian to play professionally in Finland.

Boland’s final hockey venture was playing in Australia. Once this opportunity ended, Boland found work as an apprentice camera operator for a local television station in Melbourne. This marked the beginning of his true calling.

Boland brought his physicality to his work as a director of photography. He was known as the “human Steadicam” for his work as a documentarian.

Mike made an indelible mark on scores of documentary films in Canada. His series work included the CBC’s The Fifth Estate and The Nature of Things, and doc series like Home Game, The Struggle for Democracy, The Fifties, Legends of Hockey I&II, Out in the Cold, Empire of the Word, and Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World for which he won a Primetime Emmy and a Gemini Award with fellow cinematographer Vic Sarin. Dozens of one-off documentaries included The Al Qaeda Code, The Climb, Sarah McLachlan: A Life of Music, Jean’s Marines, Riddle of the Polar Sky, In the Shadow of a Saint: The Ken Wiwa Story, and Niagara: A History of the Falls.

Mike brought his hockey experience together in the landmark sports documentary, The Boys on the Bus, the film about the 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers. He co-directed the documentary with journalist Bob McKeown. The film is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Boland’s memoir, Through the Lens of My Eye: Life as a Documentary Cameraman, about his life as a non-fiction cinematographer, was published in 2012.

Boland is survived by his daughter, Tarryn Gillies, as well as his sister Barbara, and granddaughter, Amber.

Cinematographer

Six femmes sur la planète des grands singes (2020)

Six femmes sur la planète des grands singes

TV Mini Series

Cinematographer

2020

 

Niobe Thompson and Sarika Suzuki in The Nature of Things (1960)

The Nature of Things

8.3

TV Series

director of photography

2014–2019

2 episodes

 

Political Blind Date

TV Series

Cinematographer

2017

 

Pixelated Heroes (2017)

Pixelated Heroes

8.6

Cinematographer

2017

 

War Story (2012)

War Story

7.4

TV Series

Cinematographer

2012–2014

15 episodes

 

Sector Sarajevo (2013)

Sector Sarajevo

7.8

Cinematographer

2013

 

A Promise Is a Promise

Cinematographer

2010

 

Empire of the Word

7.0

TV Mini Series

Cinematographer

2009

4 episodes

 

The Al Qaeda Code (2008)

The Al Qaeda Code

6.0

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2008

 

Out in the Cold

TV Series

Cinematographer

2008

 

The Climb (2007)

The Climb

7.4

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2007

 

Riddle of the Polar Sky

8.0

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2005

 

Tanker Time Bomb

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2005

 

Sarah McLachlan: A Life of Music (2004)

Sarah McLachlan: A Life of Music

Cinematographer

2004

 

Jean's Marines

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2003

 

The Life and Times of Sarah Mclachlan

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2003

 

Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia in Olga - den sidste storfyrstinde (2003)

Olga - den sidste storfyrstinde

6.9

Cinematographer

2003

 

Blood, Smoke and Tears

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2002

 

Legends of Hockey: The Second Season (2000)

Legends of Hockey: The Second Season

8.4

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2000

 

In the Shadow of a Saint: The Ken Wiwa Story

TV Movie

Cinematographer

2000

 

Grand Canyon

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1999

 

Niagara: A History of the Falls (1999)

Niagara: A History of the Falls

7.3

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1999

 

The Fifties (1997)

The Fifties

8.1

TV Mini Series

director of photography

1997

1 episode

 

Great Adventures of the 20th Century: Lawerence of Arabia

4.7

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1996

 

God's Dominion: By the Word of God

Cinematographer

1993

 

God's Dominion: In the Name of the Father

5.4

Cinematographer

1993

 

Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World (1992)

Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World

6.5

TV Series

Cinematographer

1992

 

Disparaître

Cinematographer

1989

 

Strangers in a Strange Land: The Adventures of a Canadian Film Crew in China

Cinematographer

1988

 

The Boys on the Bus (1987)

The Boys on the Bus

7.4

Video

photography

1987

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Political Blind Date

TV Series

assistant camera

2019

1 episode

 

Women Behind the Badge

TV Series

additional cinematographer (uncredited)

2005

3 episodes

 

Film Club

TV Movie

additional camera

2002

 

Legends of Hockey (1996)

Legends of Hockey

9.0

TV Movie

still photographer

1996

 

Savage Skies (1996)

Savage Skies

7.6

TV Movie

camera operator

1996

 

God's Dominion: Spiritual Seekers

additional cinematography

1993

 

Director

Niobe Thompson and Sarika Suzuki in The Nature of Things (1960)

The Nature of Things

8.3

TV Series

co-director

2014

1 episode

 

Canada's National Parks (2020)

Canada's National Parks

TV Mini Series

Director

2004

1 episode

 

Producer

To Russia with Love

executive producer

2012

 

The Boys Are Back (1989)

The Boys Are Back

8.8

Video

associate producer

1989

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season                        Playoffs

Season Team   League GP       G         A         Pts       PIM     GP       G         A         Pts       PIM

1967–68          University of Toronto CIAU  —        —        —        —        —        —        —        —        —            —

1968–69          University of Toronto CIAU  10        5          5          10        4          —        —        —        —            —

1969–70          University of Toronto CIAU  10        3          13        16        22        —        —        —        —            —

1970–71          University of Toronto CIAU  1          1          0          1          0          —        —        —        —            —

1970–71          Springfield Kings        AHL    34        7          5          12        33        12        2          6          8            4

1971–72          Springfield Kings        AHL    48        4          20        24        47        5          1          0          1            2

1972–73          Ottawa Nationals         WHA  41        1          15        16        44        1          0          0          0            12

1973–74          Richmond Robins       AHL    38        10        19        29        49        5          3          1          4            8

1974–75          Philadelphia Firebirds NAHL 59        31        55        86        49        3          2          1          3            0

1974–75          Philadelphia Flyers     NHL    2          0          0          0          0          —        —        —        —            —

1975–76          Philadelphia Firebirds NAHL 13        4          8          12        9          —        —        —        —            —

1975–76          Cape Codders  NAHL 35        13        23        36        24        —        —        —        —        —

1976–77          FPS     FIN      17        5          12        17        30        —        —        —        —        —

1976–77          HIFK   FIN      18        6          4          10        28        4          0          0          0          0

1978–79          Philadelphia Firebirds AHL    3          0          0          0          0          —        —        —        —            —

WHA totals      41        1          15        16        44        1          0          0          0          12

NHL totals       2          0          0          0          0          —        —        —        —        —