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Great Britain (30)

  • Banshees Over Canada
    Banshees Over Canada
    James Beveridge 1943 19 min
    This newsreel documentary made during WWII was used to illustrate Britain's preparations for an air attack. Scenes depict destruction wrought by enemy planes, the efficiency of retaliation by the Royal Air Force and the precautions taken in Canada against possible air attack. Part of the Canada Carries On series.
  • Book Bargain
    Book Bargain
    Norman McLaren 1937 8 min
    A documentary on the production of the London telephone directory. A novel attempt to inject some interest into a basically dull subject. Made by Norman McLaren while he was working for Britain's General Post Office in the 1930s.
  • The Border Confirmed: The Treaty of Washington (1867-1871)
    The Border Confirmed: The Treaty of Washington (1867-1871)
    Ronald Dick  &  Pierre L'Amare 1969 58 min
    This documentary explores the years following Canadian Confederation, a delicate period in regard to American attitudes towards Canada. This was a critical time for the two countries, and the complex diplomacy of the Treaty of Washington is brought to life.
  • Churchill's Island
    Churchill's Island
    Stuart Legg 1941 22 min
    It presents the strategy of the Battle of Britain, showing with penetrating clarity the relationships between the various forces made up the island's defenses. Here is the Royal Air Force in its epic battle with the Luftwaffe, the Navy in its stubborn fight against the raiders of sea and sky, the coastal defenses, the mechanized cavalry, the merchant seamen and behind them all, Britain's tough, unbending civilian army.
  • Canada at War, Part 2: Blitzkrieg
    Canada at War, Part 2: Blitzkrieg
    We're sorry, this content is not available in your location.
    1962 27 min
    April - November 1940. With devastating speed Germany takes Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Italy declares war. The British withdraw from Dunkirk. Mackenzie King feels the Canadian pulse on conscription. England is strafed by the Luftwaffe, and Britons accept Churchill's challenge of 'blood, sweat and tears.'
  • Canada at the Coronation
    Canada at the Coronation
    Allen Stark 1953 51 min
    This documentary depicts the colour and pageantry of the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Canada's participation in this momentous event.
  • Canadians Abroad
    Canadians Abroad
    Don Haldane 1956 30 min
    This 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.
  • Children from Overseas
    Children from Overseas
    Ruby Grierson  &  Stanley Hawes 1940 10 min
    A WWII film about children evacuated from Britain and sent to Canada for their safety. The film begins in England with children seeking shelter as anti-aircraft guns roar outside. On their arrival in Canada, they are thrilled by the brightly lit cities, powerful Canadian trains, hot dogs and ice cream. They find, too, that instead of becoming Mounties or cowboys, they have to go to school. The closing sequence shows them learning to ski and skate and preparing for Christmas in their new homes.
  • Celtic Spirits
    Celtic Spirits
    James Littleton 1978 57 min
    In this feature-length documentary, two Cape Breton musicians visit Ireland and Scotland in search of their musical roots. Diving deep into Cape Breton music – from the past and present – Celtic Spirits also offers an intimate look at life in the region.
  • Canadian Army Newsreel Issue No. 6
    Canadian Army Newsreel Issue No. 6
    1942 9 min
    This newsreel includes the following sequences: 1. Lady Patricia Ramsay Inspects PPCLI 2. Pigeon Post 3. Bringing in the Sheaves 4. Canadians Meet Norwegians in Soccer Play-Downs 5. British Mayors Visit Canadian Troops 6. Little Girls and Big Guns 7. Turn on the Heat 8. Massed Bands Open "Wings for Victory" Week
  • Canadian Army Newsreel Issue No. 7
    Canadian Army Newsreel Issue No. 7
    1943 9 min
    This newsreel includes the following sequences: 1. Black Watch Easter Service 2. Medical Inspection 3. Army Soccer Finals 4. Baseball Season Opens 5. The King's Farm 6. Tunnellers Receive Gibraltar Keys 7. Khaki Close-ups 8. Man of Vimy
  • Democracy at Work
    Democracy at Work
    Stanley Hawes  &  Fred Lasse 1944 18 min
    This short documentary was made near the end of World War II to introduce the subject of the need for labour-management committees. Government and industry in Canada were looking to a post-war era where production would have to be converted to peacetime. The objective was to improve productivity by reducing absenteeism, workplace accidents and keeping morale high.
  • Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command
    Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command
    Brian McKenna 1991 1 h 44 min
    This feature-length documentary focuses on the Canadian pilots who served in the air force bomber command in Britain during World War II. From the outset, it was clear to Britain that air combat would be the key factor in the battle against Hitler's Germany. Told they would be targeting factories and military targets, the airmen were actually ordered to drop their payloads on civilians in an attempt to annihilate the enemy. Using interviews, re-enactments, old footage and photographs, Brian McKenna's film depicts the war from the perspective of the pilots.
  • An Ecology of Hope
    An Ecology of Hope
    Fernand Dansereau 2001 1 h 24 min
    A documentary portrait of ecologist Pierre Dansereau, the film takes us from Baffin Island to New York City, from the Gaspé Peninsula to Brazil. At each stop on this world tour, we hear his story and witness landscapes of breathtaking beauty.
  • Exeter
    Exeter
    Gerald Budner 1972 28 min
    Exeter Cathedral in Devonshire, England, is considered to be the finest example of architecture of the Decorated period, 1250-1350. This film rolls back the centuries, unfolding the cathedral's history, showing the refinement of the sculpture that went into its building, from the airy vista of the nave--the longest unbroken stretch of Gothic vaulting in the world--to the vibrant colours of its windows. But more than architecture survives: Exeter is still a living church for the people of today.
  • Eye Witness No. 41
    Eye Witness No. 41
    Thomas Farley  &  Walford Hewitson 1952 11 min
    Sabres at the Ready: At British training centres Canadian airmen and Sabre jet fighter aircraft join Royal Air Force and American squadrons in NATO defense preparations. Midnight Sculptors: Nightly, in the centre block of Canada's Parliament Buildings, William Oosterhoff and his crew of skilled artisans carve beautiful Canadian motifs on limestone walls and cornices. Crime Detection at the Double: Montréal's motorized crime detection laboratory aids police detective squads in the rapid apprehension of criminals.
  • Firemen Go to War
    Firemen Go to War
    1946 17 min
    This is a record of the part played during World War II by the Canadian Corps of Firefighters in saving Britain's bombed cities from destruction. It shows the preliminary training of the Corps before it went overseas, as well as the more rigorous training later on, with British equipment and techniques suited to the special conditions encountered during raids. Scenes from the worst-hit cities illustrate the size of the job that faced the firefighters, and the importance of the work they did. The leisure time activities of this group of Canadians in Britain are also described.
  • From Baghdad to Peace Country
    From Baghdad to Peace Country
    Sherry LePage 2003 28 min
    This documentary is about Canadian artist Deryk Houston, who in 1999, had a life-altering journey to Baghdad. Unable to remain an outside observer of the crisis in Iraq, Deryk travelled to witness first-hand the impact of international sanctions on the Iraqi people. Compelled to speak out, the artist embarked upon a unique nature art project designed to call attention to the situation of the children of Iraq. Using rocks, gravel and hay, Deryk began to create large-scale art installations in the image of a mother and child against diverse landscapes around the world.
  • Highlights from Royal Journey
    Highlights from Royal Journey
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    David Bairstow Gudrun Parker , … 1953 22 min
    Highlights of the 1951 visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Canada and the United States.
  • How They Saw Us: Women at War
    How They Saw Us: Women at War
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    Ann Pearson 1977 10 min
    This 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.
  • John Bull's Own Island
    John Bull's Own Island
    Stuart Legg 1945 20 min
    Made at the end of WWII, this documentary looks at Britain's post-war period. During a time of economic hardship, Prime Minister Winston Churchill is concerned about the future of his nation. Part of the World in Action series.
  • Letter from Aldershot
    Letter from Aldershot
    John Taylor 1940 9 min
    Part of the Canada Carries On series, this short film portrays the First Division of the Canadian Active Service Force in Aldershot, England. Using an intimate letter home as a narrative device, this film reveals how the troops were received, what their living conditions were like, how they would get along with their English allies and how they spent their leisure time.
  • Of Sport and Men
    Of Sport and Men
    1961 58 min
    This feature documentary is all about sports. Here, sport is seen as a lesson in courage and discipline, and a peculiar form of beauty. The film covers 5 great sporting events. Part 1 covers the Tour de France bicycle race, the sports car race at Sebring, Florida, and the Spanish bullring. Part 2 covers British soccer and Canadian hockey.
  • Partners in Production
    Partners in Production
    1944 36 min
    The opening scenes of this film recall the grim days of Dunkirk. We see Britain in that time of crisis girding herself for the siege with the organization of Civil Defence and ARP, and the formation of the Home Guard. On the industrial side, the film shows readjustments made to increase production, such as the absorption of women into war factories and the setting up of labour-management committees. In describing how these committees functioned in the coal industry, the film demonstrates the importance of total democracy in waging total war.
  • Royal Journey
    Royal Journey
    David Bairstow Gudrun Parker , … 1951 54 min
    A documentary account of the five-week visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Canada and the United States in the fall of 1951. Stops on the royal tour include Québec City, the National War Memorial in Ottawa, the Trenton Air Force Base in Toronto, a performance of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Regina and visits to Calgary and Edmonton. The royal train crosses the Rockies and makes stops in several small towns. The royal couple boards HMCS Crusader in Vancouver and watches Native dances in Thunderbird Park, Victoria. They are then welcomed to the United States by President Truman. The remainder of the journey includes visits to Montreal, the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, a steel mill in Sydney, Nova Scotia and Portugal Cove, Newfoundland.
  • Seven Till Five
    Seven Till Five
    Norman McLaren 1933 12 min
    An impressionistic live-action study by Norman McLaren of art school activities from morning to night. This silent film was the first film of the Glasgow School of Art Film Group. It won first prize in the Second Amateur Film Festival in Glasgow, 1934. Film without words.
  • Summerhill
    Summerhill
    Dennis Miller 1966 27 min
    A visit to a school without fixed rules, where students study as they wish, and are their own masters. A co-educational English boarding school, Summerhill was founded by Alexander Neill a half-century ago. In the film he explains his objectives, and from the activities of the children at work and play can be seen how his methods work. School, he says, should put preparation for life ahead of learning.
  • School for the Stage
    School for the Stage
    Julian Biggs 1958 30 min
    The Perspective camera follows some Canadian students as they pursue acting careers by studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.
  • The True Story of Sawney Beane
    The True Story of Sawney Beane
    Elizabeth Hobbs 2005 10 min
    In 16th-century Scotland, young Sawney Beane yearns to itch and scratch and buccaneer. So he bids farewell to his parents and their life of honest toil.

    Forty years on, Mr. Beane croaks his dying wish to Betty, his wife. "Go and find our lost son." And so Betty strikes off on her quest across the land, with the family savings in a hankie and a secret suspicion in her heart.

    The True Story of Sawney Beane reveals what really happened to the infamous Scottish cannibal. Not only was he the vilest felon in the kingdom of King James VI, he was also a son, beloved of Betty. The story, brought to life with charcoal and soft washes of colour, is written and animated by filmmaker Elizabeth Hobbs. It is narrated in actress Sheila Donald's rich brogue and scored by Normand Roger.

    Technique: charcoal and watercolour on paper.
  • Women on the March
    Women on the March
    Douglas Tunstell 1958 58 min
    This feature film in two parts is an exploration of the women’s suffrage movement. Spearheaded by women like Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of the Women's Social and Political Union, the Suffragettes realized they would have to become radical and militant if the movement was going to be effective. There followed many demonstrations, and imprisonments until the women’s vote was finally granted, in 1918 (Britain) and 1919 (Canada, except Quebec.)