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Two Sisters

This animated short, etched directly onto tinted 70 mm film, depicts the story of two sisters: Viola, who writes novels in a dark room, and Marie, her only companion. Disfigured, Viola counts on her sister to take care of her and shelter her from the outside world. But when an unexpected stranger turns up on their front door, the sisters' quiet lives are disrupted and their routine turns to chaos.
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Details

This animated short, etched directly onto tinted 70 mm film, depicts the story of two sisters: Viola, who writes novels in a dark room, and Marie, her only companion. Disfigured, Viola counts on her sister to take care of her and shelter her from the outside world. But when an unexpected stranger turns up on their front door, the sisters' quiet lives are disrupted and their routine turns to chaos.

Families People with disabilities Psychology and Psychiatry Women All subjects
  • director
    Caroline Leaf
  • script
    Caroline Leaf
  • animation
    Caroline Leaf
  • producer
    Robert Forget
    Yves Leduc
    Dagmar Gueissaz-Teufel
    Jacques Vallée
  • animation camera
    Pierre Landry
  • sound
    Shelley Craig
    Louis Hone
  • editing
    Camille Laperrière
  • sound editing
    Wojtek Klis
  • re-recording
    Jean-Pierre Joutel
    Shelley Craig
  • voice
    Kathleen Fee
    Jane Woods
    Michael Rudder
  • music
    Judith Gruber-Stitzer

Education

Ages 12 to 18

Notes

Warning (if any): Animation is slightly jarring and eerie. Depicts a face with stitches and some deformity, blood

Brief “lesson launcher type” activity or a series of inquiry questions with a bit of context:

Animated film depicting the day-to-day life of two sisters as they experience an interruption to their daily routine.

How would you describe the relationship between the two sisters before the visitor comes? How does it appear to change after the visit?

Viola seems to look at herself differently after the visitor arrives. How does acknowledgement from others affect our self-esteem and how we view ourselves in this world?

Do you think the image of leaving the door open is figurative or literal? Why does the sister continue to stand guard? How does this relate to barriers we may put up in our own lives?

More educational content

Two Sisters
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Personal & Single-Classroom Use

Who it’s for:

Individuals watching for personal use, and parents or teachers wishing to screen a film for a single class in Canada.

What it allows:

  • Private, personal viewing in Canada and worldwide.
  • Screening the film for a single class in Canada.
  • Downloading and watching offline.

What it does not allow:

  • Screenings or events for multiple classes, school boards, or campus-wide events.
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Bonus materials are not included with the downloaded film.

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Who it's for:

Organizations, government departments, businesses and non-profits. For other institutions seeking licensing options, please contact info@nfb.ca .

What it allows:

  • Internal screenings for employees, members or patrons.
  • Screenings open to the public on the organization’s premises, with no admission fee and outside the commercial cinema circuit.
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