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Culture and Currents of Thought (1500-present) (96)
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And So to BedJeff McKay 1999 57 minThis feature documentary is all about beds: their cultural, personal, psychological, and physical importance is examined by Peabody Award-winning director Jeff McKay. This curious film about a seemingly mundane subject takes us on an unusual odyssey into the world of the commonplace: throughout the film, we visit the beds of families, Nevada sex workers, truckers, a prisoner convicted of murder, artists, an undertaker, a coroner, and a homeless man who remembers his mother tucking him in as a child. We even visit the bed of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Maddin. From the threat of bed bugs to the transient nature of RV and motel beds, this film takes a fresh look at the most familiar of topics. -
The Burning TimesDonna Read 1990 56 minThis documentary takes an in-depth look at the witch hunts that swept Europe just a few hundred years ago. False accusations and trials led to massive torture and burnings at the stake and ultimately to the destruction of an organic way of life. The film questions whether the widespread violence against women and the neglect of our environment today can be traced back to those times.
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Celebrating Chiac - Part IIMarie Cadieux 2009 1 h 17 minA documentary about Francophone Acadians in southeastern New Brunswick, and their relationship to language. 40 years after Michel Brault’s Éloge du chiac, Marie Cadieux travels to Moncton, Shediac, Bouctouche and even France, meeting people committed to safeguarding and valuing the specific character of Chiac. Featuring animated clips from Acadieman, this film elicits laughter and some teeth-gnashing, but is above all thought-provoking.
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Canadians AbroadDon Haldane 1956 30 minThis short documentary from 1956 catches up with several talented Canadians who have found a home in the entertainment or arts scenes of London and Paris. Among them are Toronto-born Beverley Baxter, a baronet and MP who claims that London has a history of being invaded (first the Romans, now the Canadians), and then-aspiring novelist Mordecai Richler, who feels he has a better chance of making a living in England than he does back home.
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Canada at War, Part 11: Crisis on the Hill1962 27 minSeptember 1944 - March 1945. On the eve of victory Canada faces an internal crisis: an acute shortage of men for overseas service precipitates the conscription issue, threatens national unity and the King government. In Europe, Canadian divisions fight their way to the top of the Italian boot, then regroup for the final onslaught on Germany. They fight in the battles of the Reichswald and Hochwald forests, and finally cross the Siegfried Line.
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Canada at War, Part 6: Turn of the Tide1962 27 minOctober 1942 - July 1943. The inherent strength of the Allies begins to be felt. Canadian munitions factories operate at peak capacity. U.S. Marines land on Guadalcanal and the Solomons. Montgomery's 8th Army strikes Rommel at Alamein; the R.C.A.F. joins in air strikes against Germany.
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Doctor Woman: The Life and Times of Dr. Elizabeth BagshawMark McCurdy 1978 28 minElizabeth Bagshaw was a forerunner of the women's movement. As one of the first women to practise medicine in Canada, she had to overcome society's bias against women in medicine. During her seventy-year career she helped to instigate change in public opinion on that issue, as well as the issue of birth control. The film captures the personality of this remarkable woman through a contemporary interview and re-enactments of episodes from her youth. The sepia tones of the re-enactments are in keeping with the film techniques of the time, giving the viewer a strong sense of the period. The film is of special interest to persons interested in the evolution of women's roles in Canadian society.
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Dashan - Ambassador to China's Funny BoneGuy Nantel 1996 50 minThis documentary introduces us to Mark Rowswell, a Canadian comedian virtually unknown in his own country who has an enormous following in mainland China, where he is known as Dashan.
The film provides a unique look at China through the eyes of a man who has become fully at home in Chinese culture—his appearances on national television have been known to draw up to 600 million viewers. It shows Rowswell performing, talking about his art and popularity, and discussing the West’s role in the development of the new China. -
Everywhere in the World1941 16 minThis 1940s newsreel demonstrates how the U.S.A. and the Commonwealth countries contributed to the war effort during World War II.
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Fortress Japan1944 16 minThis short documentary examines the strength of the enemy forces in Japan towards the end of World War II. The mobilization of Japan's people and the consolidation of her fleets and armies along the front are weighed against the Allied Forces preparations for increasing attacks.
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The Future Is Now!Gary Burns & Jim Brown 2010 1 h 31 min
In this feature film, a journalist (Liane Balaban) meets “The Man of Today” (Paul Ahmarani) who, while a responsible citizen, is disengaged from greater society. He believes once he’s dead nothing more matters! As an experiment to see if she can turn his pessimistic view around, the journalist sends him on a journey of enlightenment to prove that the future does matter. Traveling the globe, he finds himself in surprising encounters with great minds in the arts and sciences. Starting with an unexpected poetry reading and conversation with experimental poet Christian Bök, “The Man of Today” engages with architect Shigeru Ban, activist Francis Dupuis- Déri, philosopher Alain de Botton, artist Marlene Dumas, novelist Rivka Galchen, leading scientists and even a ghost. Will the journalist succeed in turning a cynic into an optimist? Will it matter? What can one person do?
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Finding MacphersonSerge Giguère 2014 1 h 17 minThis feature doc tells the story of the improbable friendship between acclaimed Quebec singer Félix Leclerc and the intriguing Frank Randolph Macpherson. A chemical engineer from Jamaica, Macpherson immigrated to Quebec in 1917 and was the inspiration for the popular song that Leclerc named after him. But this is also a story about memory: it was animator Martine Chartrand’s memory of this song that compelled her to create the striking animated short MacPherson, made by filming paintings on glass using 35mm film. A sympathetic look at an artist at work, Finding Macpherson takes audiences on a personal journey, exploring the imperceptible yet powerful connections that bind us to each other.
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Gateway to AsiaTom Daly 1945 10 minWith the distance between Canada and Russia, China and India cut by high-speed planes, new international links are being forged. In this Pacific world, British Columbia is a unit of growing importance. In a brief survey of the province, this film covers the people, natural resources, industries, and some of the social problems of British Columbia - specifically the imprisonment of Japanese citizens and brief references to the lives of Chinese and Indian migrants. Located on the Pacific Coast, it is the jumping-off place for planes bound for East Asia, and a vital link between the rest of Canada and her neighbours across the Pacific.
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Global Air RoutesStuart Legg 1944 14 minThis short 1944 documentary is an account of the development of air transport during wartime and a review of issues to be solved in regulating international civil aviation. The film traces air routes established to connect Russia with Canada and the United States and highlights the contribution of air transport to world unity.
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GriersonRoger Blais 1973 57 min
This feature film is a portrait of John Grierson, the first Canadian Government Film Commissioner and founder of the National Film Board in 1939. Interweaving archival footage, interviews with people who knew him and footage of Grierson himself, this film is a sensitive and informative portrait of a dynamic man of vision.
Grierson believed that the filmmaker had a social responsibility, and that film could help a society realize democratic ideals. His absolute faith in the value of capturing the drama of everyday life was to influence generations of filmmakers all over the world. In fact, he coined the term "documentary film."
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High Tide in NewfoundlandGrant McLean 1955 21 minThis 1950s account of the Newfoundland fishing industry shows equipment and methods of fishing. The film also documents the processing and marketing of fish. A record of the problems confronting fishermen in Newfoundland during the past, it also serves as a comparison with present-day Newfoundland fishing.
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History on the Run: The Media and the '79 ElectionPeter Raymont 1979 56 minThis documentary examines the media's coverage of the federal election of May 1979. Filmed over a 3-week period, it takes a fascinating look at journalists in action and the politicians who attempt to manipulate the media.
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How They Saw Us: Women at WarAnn Pearson 1977 10 minThis 1942 British film, Women at War, contrasts sharply with similar Canadian productions. It accepts women's direct participation in the war effort as a natural outgrowth of their peacetime occupations.
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Julie O'BrienBeverly Shaffer 1981 18 minThis short film depicts Newfoundland’s “old times” as seen by Julie O’Brien, an 11-year-old living in Tors Cove. Told in the first person with cutaway shots to the girl’s many activities, the film illustrates the way traditions are maintained, remembered and evolved. This film is part of the Children of Canada series.
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J.A. Martin PhotographerJean Beaudin 1977 1 h 41 minIn this feature drama, a wife takes the courageous decision to leave her 5 children at home and accompany her husband on his yearly summer tour as an itinerant photographer. This despite housework, routine and 14 years of marriage having created a mutual indifference. They travel through a turn-of-the-century countryside of narrow lanes and old-time weddings, but most importantly, to an eventual rediscovery of each other.
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Louis-Joseph Papineau: The Demi-GodLouis-Georges Carrier 1961 26 minThis short drama is a portrait of Quebec lawyer and politician Louis-Joseph Papineau (1786-1871). A proud, defiant man, skillful in parliamentary debate, and Speaker of the Lower House, his heart was with the people being pillaged by the business elite. When legislation became the instrument of private advantage, Papineau brought government to a standstill.
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The Little SistersPierre Patry 1959 29 minThis short documentary offers a privileged view of convent life at Les Servantes de Jesus-Mariet, in Hull, Quebec. The film focuses on Micheline Robert, who, while all her friends were thinking about marriage, turned her back on that world for a life of obedience, chastity, and poverty. We follow her progress, right up to her final vows.
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Lost Over Burma: Search for ClosureGarth Pritchard 1997 46 minThis documentary follows a mission into the Burmese jungle to recover the remains of a RCAF crew of six young Canadians lost during World War II. Their lives and wartime experiences are recalled through the memories of colleagues and families, who attend the emotion-laden funeral near Rangoon, where the men have finally been laid to rest with full military honours.
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Michael M. KoernerMary Lewis 2015 4 minThroughout his imposing career in the energy and financial sectors, Michael Koerner has dedicated himself to philanthropic work of similarly epic proportions. In his personal life, long-standing passions still burn as bright and steady as the North Star. Driven by generosity and an unadulterated curiosity, he seems heroically intent on evading the limelight.
Produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2015 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards. -
Minoru: Memory of ExileMichael Fukushima 1992 18 minThe bombing of the American naval base at Pearl Harbor thrust 9-year-old Minoru Fukushima into a world of racism so malevolent he would be forced to leave Canada, the land of his birth. Like thousands of other Japanese Canadians, Minoru and his family were branded as an enemy of Canada, dispatched to internment camps in British Columbia and finally deported to Japan. Directed by Michael Fukushima, Minoru's son, the film combines classical animation with archival material. The memories of the father are interspersed with the voice of the son, weaving a tale of a birthright lost and recovered.
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Nollywood BabylonBen Addelman & Samir Mallal 2008 1 h 13 minA feature documentary on Nigeria’s successful movie industry. The creative duo of Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal – the same team who made Discordia – profile the Lagos-based dream machine. Operating on low budgets and tight schedules, “Nollywood” specializes in a unique form of African B-movie that draws upon both traditional voodoo stories and contemporary urban themes.
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The New AlchemistsDorothy Todd Henaut 1974 28 minThis short documentary profiles a community engaged in developing sustainable living methods, including food production and small-scale solar and wind technology, on a farm in Massachusetts in the 1970s. Well before sustainability was a mainstream concern, these prescient innovators attempted to create a vision of a greener, kinder world. "Think small," say the New Alchemists. "Look what thinking big has done."
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North China FactoryTony Ianzelo & Boyce Richardson 1980 56 minThis documentary from 1980 depicts a factory community in China where over 6000 workers process, spin and weave raw cotton into 90 million yards of high-quality cloth per year. Also seen are the workers' residential, social, recreational and educational facilities, all located on factory property. The film presents an engrossing study of a lifestyle that is very different from that of the Western world.
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Opre Roma: Gypsies in CanadaTony Papa 1999 52 minThis documentary celebrates the vibrant culture and tenacious struggle of the Canadian Gypsy and introduces a new generation of Roma who claim their roots with pride. They call themselves by their rightful name, the Roma. Almost 80,000 call Canada home. Meet Julia Lovell, a passionate defender of Roma human rights, whose father is slowly gaining the confidence to reveal his heritage; and Karen Gray Boothroyd, a flamenco dancer just beginning to reclaim her Gypsy roots.
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A Place that MattersRenée Blanchar 2015 1 h 29 minIn Sainte-Anne-du-Bocage in Caraquet, New Brunswick, Acadian artists Renée Blanchar, France Daigle, René Cormier and Allain Roy launch several community projects to bring back the former Youth Club built by Acadie’s first architect, Nazaire Dugas.
