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  • The Boy Next Door
    The Boy Next Door
    Ernest Reid 1962 18 min
    When French-speaking Jacques moves next door to English-speaking Jimmy, each is amazed to find that the other doesn't speak his language. But when it comes to exploring and playing together, language just doesn't seem to matter. Each soon finds himself venturing into the other's language.
  • Baroque'n Roll
    Baroque'n Roll
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    Pierre M. Trudeau 1994 4 min
    A young immigrant is rejected because of his different ways and unusual clothing but is eventually accepted by the other kids when he impresses them with his bravery and resourcefulness. Based on article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this film illustrates the right of children belonging to minority groups to enjoy their own culture, religion and language. Film without words.
  • Balakrishna
    Balakrishna
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    Colin MacKenzie  &  Aparna Kapur 2019 15 min
    When an extraordinary new resident – Balakrishna, an Indian elephant – arrived in the town of East River, Nova Scotia, in 1967, no one was more in awe of the creature than young Winton Cook, who became inseparable from his mammoth new friend. Using painterly animation, photographs and home-movie treasures, Balakrishna transmits the wistfulness of childhood memories, while evoking themes of friendship and loss, and issues of immigration and elephant conservation.
  • Christopher, Please Clean Up Your Room!
    Christopher, Please Clean Up Your Room!
    Vincent Gauthier 2001 6 min
    This short animated film stars Christopher, a terrific kid with one major problem… he's messy! His shoes smell funky, his fish bowl stinks, and even the cockroaches can't stand it. In the chaos of Christopher's room, his fish rise up from their scummy bowl in protest. They enlist the help of a fastidious cockroach. Together, the fish and the roaches hatch a plan that will change Christopher's life and his cleaning habits forever.

    Part of the Talespinners collection, which uses vibrant animation to bring popular children’s stories from a wide range of cultural communities to the screen.
  • Christopher Changes His Name
    Christopher Changes His Name
    Cilia Sawadogo 2000 6 min
    This animated short for children tells the story of Christopher, a little boy who didn't want to be called Christopher anymore. Such a common name! When Aunty Gail from Trinidad tells him a story about a Tiger, Christopher changes his name to Tiger. But then he finds a better name. When he has trouble cashing a birthday cheque, he realizes maybe he should stick with his original name... or maybe not?

    Part of the Talespinners collection, which uses vibrant animation to bring popular children’s stories from a wide range of cultural communities to the screen.
  • From Far Away
    From Far Away
    Shira Avni  &  Serene El-haj Daoud 2000 6 min
    This short animation tells the story of Saoussan, a young girl struggling to adjust to life in Canada after being uprooted from her wartorn homeland. She has come to seek a quieter and safer life, although memories of war and death linger, memories that are awakened when the children at her new school prepare for a scary Halloween. From Far Away speaks to the power within us all to adapt like Saoussan and to welcome a newcomer.

    Part of the Talespinners collection, which uses vibrant animation to bring popular children’s stories from a wide range of cultural communities to the screen.
  • A Foreign Language
    A Foreign Language
    Stanley Jackson 1958 29 min
    This short documentary focuses on a Montreal public school where thousands of immigrant children learn English for the first time. Part of the Candid Eye series.
  • Gurdeep Singh Bains
    Gurdeep Singh Bains
    Beverly Shaffer 1977 11 min
    Gurdeep is a thirteen-year-old Canadian Sikh whose family runs a dairy farm near Chilliwack, British Columbia. They have retained their language and religion. Attendance at the Sikh temple, playing soccer with his schoolmates, and working on the farm are all part of Gurdeep's well-integrated life, but sometimes he feels a little different from the other children because he wears a turban. This film is part of the Children of Canada series.
  • Jump-up - Caribbean Carnival in Canada
    Jump-up - Caribbean Carnival in Canada
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    Claire Helman 1995 10 min
    A multicultural story that centers on the growing friendship of a newly-arrived West Indian child and a Canadian girl as they both discover how the black community organizes a yearly festival featuring costumes, music and a little history. This filmstrip introduces a festive occasion celebrated by the black community in several cities, sensitizes children to the feelings of those who have recently arrived in Canada, and fosters appreciation of the culture of others.
  • Mr. Mergler's Gift
    Mr. Mergler's Gift
    Beverly Shaffer 2004 30 min
    In this short film from Oscar® winner Beverly Shaffer, 9-year-old prodigy Xin Ben takes lessons from Daniel Mergler, a piano teacher at the end of his career. In this remarkable story about a student and her mentor, Xin Ben and Mergler meet 26 times over the course of one year. During this time, Xin Ben illuminates Mergler's final months as an instructor with her youthful talent, and he, in return, lovingly guides her towards a life in music.
  • My Name Is Susan Yee
    My Name Is Susan Yee
    Beverly Shaffer 1975 12 min
    Academy Award®-winning director Beverly Shaffer offers a unique perspective of downtown Montreal, as seen through the eyes of Susan Yee, a young Chinese-Canadian girl. A perceptive and outspoken young woman, Susan has a sharp eye for adult foibles, and she doesn’t hesitate to use it at home, at play, or at school. Part of the Children of Canada series.
  • Mela's Lunch
    Mela's Lunch
    Sugith Varughese 1991 14 min
    This short drama from the Playing Fair series recounts the shaky beginnings of a friendship between Allison and Mela, a girl who recently immigrated to Canada from India. Mela is trying hard to make friends and get used to her new surroundings, but Peter and other classmates make her feel unwelcome and out of place. Though Allison initially goes along with the group, the film shows that differences in skin color and country of origin need not be an obstacle to friendship or self-esteem.
  • The Magic Quilt
    The Magic Quilt
    Bettina Maylone 1985 12 min
    In this short film, which mixes live action with cutout and embroidery animation, a group of children finds a magic quilt that is their passport to a voyage of discovery. They step inside the quilt and as they travel through its velvet farmlands and satin cities, they experience the multiculturalism of Canada. The quilt is torn and the magic broken when a quarrel breaks out. Once the quilt is repaired and harmony restored, the children have learned that patience and goodwill are needed to mend and maintain quilts, friendships, and nations.
  • Teach Me to Dance
    Teach Me to Dance
    Anne Wheeler 1978 28 min
    In this drama, Lesia convinces her English-Canadian friend Sarah to perform a Ukrainian dance with her as part of their school's Christmas pageant. Sarah's father, angry at the growing number of Ukrainian settlers, won't allow his daughter to participate. Despite the prejudices of their parents, the girls' friendship remains strong, and they meet in Sarah's barn to celebrate Christmas Day together. Part of the Adventures in History series.
  • Unspoken Tears (Trauma Through Words)
    Unspoken Tears (Trauma Through Words)
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    Hélène Magny 2022 1 h 15 min
    How can refugee children integrate into Quebec’s school system, given the unspeakable violence they’ve experienced? Following a psychologist specializing in conflict-related trauma, Unspoken Tears pays tribute to the admirable resilience and survival strategies of these “small adults,” whose spirit the bombs and camps have not completely crushed, at a time when it is vital to raise awareness in Western societies of migration-related issues and children’s rights.
  • Veronica
    Veronica
    Beverly Shaffer 1977 14 min
    Nine-year-old Veronica Makarewicz leads a double life. Born of Polish parents, she dances Polish dances, goes twice weekly to a Polish school, and talks to Polish customers in her parents' bakery. But this film shows that she is also very Canadian. This film is part of the Children of Canada series.
  • Your Country, My Country
    Your Country, My Country
    Marquise Lepage 1993 6 min
    English version of a film about a friendship between two ten-year-old Montréal schoolkids. She is black and serious, he is white and rather nonchalant, and they look at life in different ways!