Skip to content
Accessibility
Canada in the World Today (26)
-
Available in English Options
-
Angry InukAlethea Arnaquq-Baril 2016 1 h 22 minIn her award-winning documentary, director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril joins a new tech-savvy generation of Inuit as they campaign to challenge long-established perceptions of seal hunting. Armed with social media and their own sense of humour and justice, this group is bringing its own voice into the conversation and presenting themselves to the world as a modern people in dire need of a sustainable economy. -
Canada at War, Part 12: V Was for Victory1962 27 minApril-August 1945. Hitler had said: 'Whoever lights the torch of war in Europe can wish for nothing but chaos.' By 1945, Germany is beaten. V-Day celebrations verge on the hysterical, but occupying armies uncover the staggering atrocities of Belsen, Auschwitz, and Buchenwald. Franklin D. Roosevelt dies. The world's first atomic bomb is dropped on Japan.
-
Georges P. Vanier: Soldier, Diplomat, Governor GeneralClément Perron 1960 29 minThis short documentary looks at Governor General Georges Vanier: his military service in two world wars, his diplomatic service between the wars and his investiture as Canada's 19th Governor General.
-
High WireClaude Guilmain 2019 1 h 22 minHigh Wire examines the reasons that Canada declined to take part in the 2003 US-led military mission in Iraq, shining a spotlight on the diplomatic tug of war that took place behind the scenes with our neighbours to the south, who have often adopted an interventionist foreign policy to serve their own economic and geopolitical interests. Canada’s historic refusal could have had disastrous consequences, but a number of key players and other analysts remind us of the terrible price we pay when diplomacy fails.
-
If You Love This PlanetTerre Nash 1982 25 minThe NFB’s 7th Academy-Award winning film. This short film is comprised of a lecture given to students by outspoken nuclear critic Dr. Helen Caldicott, president of Physicians for Social Responsibility in the USA. Her message is clear: disarmament cannot be postponed. Archival footage of the bombing of Hiroshima and images of its survivors seven months after the attack heighten the urgency of her message.
-
In Pursuit of PeaceGarry Beitel 2015 1 h 24 minIn Pursuit of Peace makes the case for unarmed civilian peacemaking and mediation as a response to violent international conflict. We follow four Canadian peacemakers as they take us inside the drama of their work in some of the world’s hottest conflict zones: land disputes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the civil war in South Sudan, IDP camps with displaced minorities in Kurdistan in Northern Iraq.
-
JuggernautEugene Boyko 1968 27 minThis documentary follows a convoy carrying a calandria, the 70-ton heart of a Canadian nuclear reactor, to Rajasthan, in India, in 1968. Even the biggest traditional juggernauts could not match this one, passing over roads specially strengthened and through city walls torn down to make way.
-
Kainayssini Imanistaisiwa: The People Go OnLoretta Todd 2003 1 h 9 minIn this feature-length documentary, filmmaker Loretta Sarah Todd takes viewers on a visually lush journey, exploring the significance of land, memory, and knowledge to the Kainai Blood Nation of Southern Alberta. The catalyst for this expressionistic journey is the return of belongings of the Kainai, collected by Europeans during colonial times and kept in distant museums. As the community's elders examine the objects and share stories first-hand, they reveal how the rich threads of Kainai life thrive from one generation to the next.
-
Limit Is the SkyJulia Ivanova 2016 1 h 47 minThis documentary follows six young Canadians, including refugees from the Middle East and Africa, who come to Fort McMurray, the capital of the third-largest oil reserve in the world. “Fort Mac,” as it’s known, becomes a testing ground for these young dreamers as they struggle with their own perceptions of money, glory and self-worth amid plummeting oil prices, an unpredictable economy and, most recently, awe-inspiring wildfires.
-
Michaëlle Jean: A Woman of PurposeJean-Daniel Lafond 2016 52 minIn 2005, Michaëlle Jean became the Governor General of Canada. A social activist, global citizen, and black woman, she would redefine the possibilities of that office. While her national priorities were at-risk youth, women, and Indigenous peoples, her international success came from her cultural diplomacy. 2010: the earthquake in Haiti tragically brings her back to her homeland. Michaëlle Jean: A Woman of Purpose is an intimate and sensitive portrait of the stateswoman she came to be.
-
nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up (52 minutes)Tasha Hubbard 2019 52 minOn August 9, 2016, a young Cree man named Colten Boushie died from a gunshot to the back of his head after entering Gerald Stanley’s rural property with his friends. The jury’s subsequent acquittal of Stanley captured international attention, raising questions about racism embedded within Canada’s legal system and propelling Colten’s family to national and international stages in their pursuit of justice. Sensitively directed by Tasha Hubbard, nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up weaves a profound narrative encompassing the filmmaker’s own adoption, the stark history of colonialism on the Prairies, and a vision of a future where Indigenous children can live safely on their homelands.
-
nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up (Cree Version)2019 1 h 38 minohpahowi-pīsimohk kēkā-mitātaht ēhakimiht, nēhiyāsis ēhisiyihkāsot Colten Boushie ēkīnipahiht ēpāskisoht nāway ostikwānihk ēkīsipihtokwēpayicik Gerald Stanley otaskīm wiya asci owīcēwākana. owiyasiwēwak kāwīyasiwātahkik ēwako itwēwak namoya ēmāyinikēt Stanley pikwihtē askiy pēhtācikātēw, kakwēcihikēmonāniwiw iyikohk pakwāsiwēwin ēhitakohk anita kanāta wiyasiwēwinihk ēkwa Colten opēyakohēmāwa ōta askiy ēkwa misiwihtē askiy nīpawistamwak kwayask kapaminikawiyak wiyasiwēwinihk isi. kwayask nansihkāc atoskātam Tasha Hubbard, nīpawistamāsowin: We Will Stand Up ita ēhācimot kākīhotiniht, pēhci-nāway ēwako ōma opaminikēwin ōta kāpaskwāk, ēkwa tān’si ōte nīkān kēsi miyopimātisicik iyiniwawāsisak ōta ēnehiyawāstēk.
māyitōtamowin wāpahcikātēw ōta cikāscēpayis. kwēyāci kiwihtamākawin ēwako pāmayēs kakanawāpahtaman ōma.
-
NamrataShazia Javed 2009 9 minThis short documentary tells the intensely personal story of Namrata Gill – one of the many real-life inspirations for Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth – in her own words. After six years, Gill courageously leaves an abusive relationship and launches a surprising new career.
-
nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand UpTasha Hubbard 2019 1 h 38 minOn August 9, 2016, a young Cree man named Colten Boushie died from a gunshot to the back of his head after entering Gerald Stanley’s rural property with his friends. The jury’s subsequent acquittal of Stanley captured international attention, raising questions about racism embedded within Canada’s legal system and propelling Colten’s family to national and international stages in their pursuit of justice. Sensitively directed by Tasha Hubbard, nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up weaves a profound narrative encompassing the filmmaker’s own adoption, the stark history of colonialism on the Prairies, and a vision of a future where Indigenous children can live safely on their homelands.
-
Open Sky: Portrait of a Pavilion in VeniceKaterine Giguère 2020 25 minAn intimate portrait of the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, an architectural gem designed by Milan’s famous Studio BBPR and recently restored, along with its gardens, by the National Gallery of Canada.
-
The Sweetest Embrace: Return to AfghanistanNajeeb Mirza 2008 1 h 14 minThis full-length documentary tells the story of 2 Afghans who return to Afghanistan in search of their families after a 16-year exile. Like many Afghan children, Soorgul and Amir were sent to Tajikistan during the Soviet occupation of their country. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the civil wars that broke out on both sides of the border left the children stranded, unable to leave the country until Canada accepted them as refugees.
The Sweetest Embrace tells an intimate story set against one of the world's most harsh and yet beautiful landscapes, in a land where life has been shaped by war and hardship but where spirit remains resilient. -
The Van Doos in Afghanistan - Mission AccomplishedClaude Guilmain 2011 4 minThe Van Doos in Afghanistan is a documentary that propels you directly into the heart of the action among the soldiers serving with the Royal 22e Régiment. In this clip, Lieutenant-Colonel Michel-Henri St-Louis and Major François Dufault take stock of the progress that has been made since the beginning of the military intervention in Afghanistan. While being realistic and aware of the fragility of the situation, they are, nevertheless proud of the work that has been accomplished by Canada`s armed forces.
-
The Van Doos in Afghanistan - My BattalionClaude Guilmain 2011 2 minThe Van Doos in Afghanistan is a feature-length documentary that propels you directly into the heart of the action among the soldiers serving with the Royal 22e Régiment. In this clip, we meet Corporal Maxime Émond-Pépin, who suffered a serious leg injury and lost an eye on his first mission in 2009. Despite his injuries, he rejoined his battalion in Afghanistan. He talks about how important it was for him to get back to the infantry.
-
The Van Doos in Afghanistan - The PatrolClaude Guilmain 2011 4 minThe Van Doos in Afghanistan is a documentary that propels you directly into the heart of the action among the soldiers serving with the Royal 22e Régiment.
In this clip, we follow Captain Stéphane Guillemette on the ground as he conducts daily searches for improvised explosive devices or hidden insurgent weapons caches. Conducting daily patrols of the Panjwaye district demands constant vigilance. -
View from the SummitMagnus Isacsson 2002 1 h 15 minThis feature documentary takes us back to April 20, 2001, as Quebec City prepares to host the 3-day Summit of the Americas. A 4-kilometre fence has been erected, cutting off the Upper Town from the rest of the city. Thirty-four heads of state from the Americas will meet behind closed doors to discuss agreements for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Those opposed to the FTAA are mobilizing and gathering in Quebec City, too. Several thousand delegates have come to participate in the People's Summit, and tens of thousands will march in protest. Six thousand police officers fill the streets and it looks as if the historic Quebec capital is under siege. The local population fears the worst. Will the Quebec capital become a battleground?
Shot in cinéma vérité style by 7 of Quebec's best documentary filmmakers, View from the Summit vividly portrays what happens when passionate and creative protesters clash with the ideologies of those in power. -
The Van Doos in AfghanistanClaude Guilmain 2011 44 minIn this documentary, we hear directly from francophone soldiers serving in the Royal 22e Régiment (known in English as “Van Doos”) who were filmed in the field in March 2011, during their deployment to Afghanistan. They speak simply and directly about their work, whether on patrol or performing their duties at the base. The film's images and interviews bring home the complexity of the issues on the ground and shed light on the little-understood experiences of the men and women who served in Afghanistan.
-
The Van Doos in Afghanistan - A Minute of SilenceClaude Guilmain 2011 2 minThe Van Doos in Afghanistan is a documentary that propels you directly into the heart of the action among the soldiers serving with the Royal 22e Régiment. In this clip, the soldiers gather for a minute of silence in memory of Corporal Yannick Scherrer, their comrade-in-arms. His coffin is carried onto the plane that will fly him home to his final resting place.
-
The Van Doos in Afghanistan - Proud InfantrymenClaude Guilmain 2011 3 minThe Van Doos in Afghanistan is a documentary that propels you directly into the heart of the action among the soldiers serving with the Royal 22e Régiment. Private Stéphane Perreault is passionate about his profession in the infantry. He talks about what made him decide to enlist and how proud he is to serve in the military as part of the French-speaking Royal 22e Régiment. He plans to carry on his work for a long time to come.
-
The Van Doos in Afghanistan - The Road to MushanClaude Guilmain 2011 4 minThe Van Doos in Afghanistan is a documentary that propels you directly into the heart of the action among the soldiers serving with the Royal 22e Régiment. In this clip, Captain Pascal Croteau, Armour Officer assisting the 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment Battle Group, and Sergeant Patrick Auger, Platoon Second-in-Command, talk about their work to secure the road to Mushan. Confidence is growing and increasing numbers of Afghans are now using the road.
-
The Van Doos, 100 Years with the Royal 22e RégimentClaude Guilmain 2014 52 minThis documentary marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal 22e Régiment, the only French-speaking Canadian battalion to fight in the First World War. Widely known by its colloquial name, “The Van Doos”, the battalion served with distinction on several fronts, including both world wars, the Korean War, and in numerous U.N. peacekeeping operations. This film offers a moving tribute to both the living veterans and the lost soldiers of the Van Doos. Their personal stories and narratives bring a little-known page of our history books to life. This vibrant elegy features a moving score by Claude Naubert performed live by the regimental formation La Musique du Royal 22e Régiment.
-
With the Canadians in KoreaJulian Biggs 1952 16 minThis short documentary offers a record of the living conditions and military operations of the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade during the Korean War. The film briefly reviews the unfolding of the war and presents a soldier’s account of front-line conditions.
