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Out of the Vault

Newly unearthed gems from our archives

A short drama based on real events in early 1800s Peru

Cimarrones

Cimarrones
Carlos Ferrand 1982 23 min
“This powerful, short fiction film recreates events that took place in Peru in the early 1800s, when a group of cimarrones—runaway slaves—attacked a caravan to free friends who’d been sentenced to death. Several of Peru’s vanguard artists of the early 1980s participated in the making of this film. The Afro-Peruvian leader is played by Amador Ballumbrosio, the elder patriarch of the legendary Ballumbrosio family, and the script was co-written by Enrique Verástegui, the iconic Peruvian poet (of African and Chinese descent) who founded the Movimiento Hora Cero. The film’s music was composed by Carlos Hayre, the great Peruvian musicologist who introduced the use of the cajón (box drum) in creole waltzes and Andean harmonies in modern jazz and bossa nova arrangements.
Rendezvous Canada, 1606
Joan Henson 1988 29 min
The dramatic story of two youths--one French and one Indigenous--who share a pivotal time in Canada's history: the first contact between European and First Nations peoples.
Challenge for the Church
William Weintraub 1972 27 min
In Québec, as elsewhere, some venerable old church buildings fell to the wreckers' hammer to make way for urban development. What is said about the role of the Roman Catholic church and the priesthood is recorded in frank, perceptive interviews, including one with a young working priest who laid aside the robes of the past to don the garb of the modern generation.
A Great Little Artist
Martin Defalco 1973 28 min
A fictionalized account of a day in the life of members of an Italian community in Canada.
Beyond the Naked Eye
Claudia Overing 1973 18 min
A film of marvels, an amazing view of the living, pulsing universe contained in a single drop of water from an aquarium. Colour film and a microscope, and the infinite patience of the filmmakers, reveal life that no one would ordinarily see. This is a view of creation, of birth, life and death, of the laws of nature that apply even to the smallest of living things. It is a film that will add knowledge and insight to the pleasure of any audience.
Plenty of Nothing
Dagmar Gueissaz-Teufel 1982 55 min
Half a million wives work with their husbands in family-run businesses, but most have no legal title to any part of the operation. This documentary focuses on several farm wives who are seeking their fair share of the family farm. In frank and friendly discussions with their husbands and with financial advisers, the women learn about co-ownership. The importance of having a legal arrangement becomes clear when a former farm wife tells how she lost everything she thought she owned when she and her husband divorced. Filmed in Québec's fertile Richelieu Valley, Plenty of Nothing encourages women to recognize the economic value of their work and to seek the legal recognition of their status and of their right to an equitable financial share.
Putting It Straight
William Greaves 1957 14 min
A film about "crooked" teeth, dealing with the causes of irregular teeth and stressing the importance of early, regular and systematic care of the primary teeth in preventing such conditions. The case of a young girl whose happiness was being undermined demonstrates that, treated in time, protruding teeth can be straightened. An animation sequence illustrates normal growth and development of the primary teeth and how irregularities can arise.
The Embryonic Development of Fish
J.V. Durden 1961 27 min
A science doc on marine life. Using a microscope and time-lapse speeds, it illustrates the development of a zebra fish from fertilization to hatching. When released in 1961, it was one of the most complete accounts of fish embryology ever recorded.
The Maple Leaf
J.V. Durden 1955 9 min
A look at the physiology of leaves, using the maple leaf as an example.
The Colour of Life
J.V. Durden 1955 23 min
This film probes the perennial miracle of the growth of a seedling, the seasonal upsurge of life in a forest giant, and the mysterious alchemy of a single leaf. Presented in magnified dimension through time-lapse photography and animated diagrams, a maple leaf and segments of a tree serve to illustrate the physiological processes that go on in all plants.
Around Is Around
Norman McLaren 1951 10 min
The second of the two 3-D films--the first is Now Is the Time--commissioned by the British Film Institute to Norman McLaren for the Festival of Britain. It photographs moving oscilloscope patterns given stereoscopic form through the control of different left-eye and right-eye image positions.
Story of a Violin
1947 22 min
This film shows how a violin is made. When Bill's violin gets broken in a tussle, it is the beginning of a fascinating experience for him and his friends. They discover how a violin-maker cuts and fits, sandpapers and polishes, until, three months after he began the work, a new, glossy violin is ready for Bill to apply his bow and draw out a tune.
Roughnecks: The Story of Oil Drillers
Guy L. Coté 1960 21 min
The work of an oil-drilling crew. Audiences will relish this tale of tough roustabouts who bulldoze a wilderness in a push for liquid wealth.
Let's Talk About Films
Julian Biggs 1953 18 min
An approach-to-film discussion showing some of the problems encountered and how they may be overcome. A group of leaders tries to recognize the factors leading to successful film discussion by observing an audience actively discussing a familiar film. In retrospect one of the group recalls being unable to arouse any response whatever with the same film. Why did one effort fail and the other succeed? These questions are closely examined by the group leaders in a workshop meeting; the centring of discussion in the group rather than in the leader is seen to be an effective technique.
Mathematics at Your Fingertips
John Howe 1961 27 min
In today's classrooms various new ways are being tried to put children more at ease with numbers. This film shows one such system developed by a Belgian schoolmaster, Georges Cuisenaire. He carefully designed sets of coloured sticks to help children grasp simple mathematical relationships. (Originally released under the title Numbers in Colour.)
The Pearson Building
Rosemarie Shapley 1977 15 min
Both humorous and informative, the film gives us a brief history of the Department of External Affairs, explains how it is organized and how it functions, and takes us through the prestigious building named after the Canadian who won the Nobel Prize for peace.
Les Habitations Jeanne-Mance
Eugene Boyko 1963 13 min
Overpopulation, slum housing, widespread illness and criminal behaviour were the norm. Now Montréal, collaborating with the federal and provincial governments in its first slum redevelopment project, has replaced this with clean, low-density housing--Les Habitations Jeanne-Mance.
Film and You
Jean Palardy & Donald Peters 1948 21 min
How film councils are organized, and what they can do for the community are shown. Different people like different films--for instance, Grandpa, who goes to sleep during a sequence on kitchen planning, wakes joyfully at the sound of a square dance. But all groups agree that they want films on their programs, if they can get them, and that is where the film council comes in. Animation shows how a council is set up, and how a number of organizations in an area can collaborate in buying a projector. We see projectionist training, and the public library becoming a distribution centre for films as well as books. Finally we see film in action, as a variety of successful community projects are carried out, each directly the result of film showings.
Kwekànamad - The Wind Is Changing
Carlos Ferrand 1999 54 min
Annie Smith-St-Georges is an Algonquin mother and wife who led a largely uneventful life. Then tragedy struck in 1990, when her teenage son Yanik ended his life. Annie wanted to forget and yet to remember, to understand and yet to deny. Then one day she had a vision of a glass teepee ten storeys high, in Ottawa, to house a National Aboriginal Arts and Performance Centre. The building would be designed by the renowned architect Douglas Cardinal, in memory of her son and for all young Natives struggling to find meaning in life. We meet Annie and her husband eight years later, during the final year of their crusade for the glass teepee. A traditional habitat made from non-traditional material would successfully meld past and present. Annie wishes to give back to her people their ancestral pride and dignity. It's a time of hope. Annie now knows that, and she says it for anyone to hear: "Kwekànamad," the wind is changing. Some subtitles.
Domino
Shanti Thakur 1994 44 min
Domino portrays the poignant and outspoken stories of six multiracial adults' struggles to transcend cultural boundaries and forge their own identities. By virtue of their experience, they explore how society categorizes "race". Domino reveals how these women and men have used their experience as a psychological, creative and cultural enrichment.
Back to Work
Vincent Paquette 1945 12 min
This is an account of how ex-servicemen and women are equipped for civilian jobs. The film opens with scenes of an army rehabilitation officer conducting a final interview with a dischargee, and a placement officer assisting the veteran to secure suitable employment. Using two typical cases, the film shows the training of one man in electrical maintenance and the other in typewriter repair work. Training courses in machine work, tool making, brick laying, woodwork, garage work, hairdressing, beauty culture, and secretarial work are illustrated.

Please note that this is an archival film whose original narration by Terence O’Dell and original score by Maurice Blackburn have unfortunately been lost. It’s being presented here without sound for its historical value.
Mail Early for Christmas
Pierre Hébert 1965 23 s
In this experimental short film, Pierre Hébert explores perception using scratch animation, a technique employed by Norman McLaren. The title also refers to the acclaimed animator’s 1959 work, Mail Early for Christmas.
Out of the Ruins
Nicholas Read 1946 32 min
Greece was ravaged first by World War II, and then by civil war. This film looks at the economic and social problems which resulted, and at the need for peace in this war-torn land. The efforts of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration to provide effective aid are highlighted.
Background to Federation
Ian MacNeill 1958 30 min
Part one of New Nation in the West Indies is an introduction to the Federation of the West Indies. Ten palm-shaded island units, popularly regarded as tourist paradises, have pooled their resources for a common future. What are their problems, hopes and aspirations as they embark on this new chapter in their history? The film presents the views of several spokesmen, notably Hugh Springer, Registrar of the University College of the West Indies, and the Honourable Norman Manley, Chief Minister of Jamaica, who describes the historical, political and economic motivations that led to the union.
Mountain Magic
1938 10 min
Visitors to Jasper Park can enjoy the spectacular beauty of the Rockies. Holiday thrills include trail riding as well as tennis and swimming.
Weakness into Strength
Ian MacNeill 1958 30 min
Part two of New Nation in the West Indies focusses on the people of the British West Indies--the multi-racial groups whose origins are African, East African, Chinese, European, and Amerindian--and shows their common effort to nurture their fledgling nation. Hugh Springer and other spokesmen draw many examples from the economic and political life of the Caribbean islands that have joined the Federation to illustrate ways in which union is expected to benefit them, and to show how the people are accepting the responsibilities of their new state.
The Riches of the Indies
Ian MacNeill 1958 30 min
Part three of New Nation in the West Indies takes stock of the economic situation as it exists in the British West Indies in the year of federation. It visits various islands in the Caribbean and shows the development programs being carried out to stimulate industry and all forms of production. The interest of Canada in helping this new nation achieve a sound economy is made evident in the film.
The Responsibilities of Freedom
Ian MacNeill 1958 30 min
Part four of New Nation in the West Indies appraises problems that face the people of the West Indies Federation as they take up the challenge of their new nationhood. With such problems as over-population and a disparity in the resources of the ten member island units, underdevelopment and poverty loom large on the horizon. The will to win is there, and the film strikes a note of optimism as it shows how the challenge is being met. An important development is the educational program, at all levels and in all regions, which promises to be the cornerstone on which the Federation will build.
Coaches
Paul Cowan 1976 57 min
Coaches is about four people preparing their teams for the Pre-Olympics. Their distinctive approaches emerge during the fights, the good times, and those critical post-game sessions when feelings are raw or jubilant. It is a film about human growth.
Rock-A-Bye
Jacques Bensimon 1973 49 min
The rock music scene of the early 1970s--the Rolling Stones, the Stampeders, Whiskey Howl, Alice Cooper--they're all here! Along with classic footage from concerts and recording sessions, Rock-A-Bye looks behind the scenes at record companies and radio studios. The stars also have their say. Ronnie Hawkins chats from the back seat of a Rolls, and Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin' Spoonful tells hilarious anecdotes of his rise to fame, which lasted only 18 months. The camera also goes into a small New York club where Muddy Waters sings and plays guitar, the bluesman who inspired so many great rock musicians. The film ends with Alice Cooper, the first shock rocker, singing "Dead Babies" with a doll and a hatchet. This classic, entertaining rockumentary captures an era!
Where Do We Go from Here?
James Carney 1973 22 min
Toronto is the example used in this film, which deals not only with the mechanics of urban transportation, but also with many of the underlying political and economic tensions. Perhaps more important than any answers it offers, are the questions it raises.
Salt Cod
Allan Wargon 1954 15 min
For four centuries cod has been fished off the coast of Newfoundland. This film shows the exacting work of splitting, salting, drying and grading the fish, as well as the more recent methods of quick-freezing.
Canada on Stage
John Howe 1960 10 min
The biggest affair of its kind in the world, the annual Dominion Drama Festival brings together in Vancouver the best of Canadian amateur theatrical talent. Canada on Stage shows you scenes from prize-winning performances. Caught by the camera is the taut atmosphere after the final curtain as awards are announced by festival adjudicator Phillip Hope Wallace, a British drama critic.
Eye Witness No. 96
Tim Wilson , Hector Lemieux , … 1957 10 min
School Timetable Suits Rural Students: The composite high school at Red Deer, Alberta, offers farm students a semester system that allows time both for farm chores and for education. Where Old Dolls Never Die: At Lew Chernick's doll hospital in Winnipeg broken dolls come by the thousands to be restored to their former charm. Nothing Stops the Scoot: A cross between launch, snow sled and airplane, the "Scoot" provides a versatile means of winter travel and recreation for residents of the Georgian Bay area.
Taking Charge
Claudette Jaiko 1996 25 min
Taking Charge shows teens taking the initiative to overcome the fears and vulnerabilities of growing up in an increasingly violent and rapidly changing society. Through role-playing, theatre groups, peer discussion groups and anti-violence collectives these young activists have "taken charge," educating themselves and their peers towards a deeper understanding of the effects of violence rooted in sexism, racism and homophobia.

We see through their various initiatives, as well as personal testimonies, that teens speaking and organizing against violence sends a positive message to everyone. Taking Charge encourages the viewer to re-examine definitions of violence, and shows how to effect change.

The defiant lyrics of the theme song match the bold and creative energy alive in these teens. Witty animation sequences add a layer of visual playfulness, but the message remains: Do something before it is too late!
Eye Witness No. 13
1949 10 min
Lumber Tugs Buck Flood-Swollen Fraser: Every spring small, maneuverable tugboats haul heavy log booms down the swift Fraser River to the lumber mills of Vancouver and New Westminster. Spring Round-up in B.C.: On the rolling hills of central British Columbia gawky new lambs take their first look at the world; skilled sheep dogs drive flocks down to the shearing pens; cowhands ride the range in the annual cattle round-up for branding and inoculating.
Eye Witness No. 3
1948 11 min
The film takes us to a dispersal centre in Halifax for a close-up view of some new neighbours--homeless Europeans, eager to contribute their skills to a new homeland in Canada. The second part of the film tours the mushrooming community of Yellowknife, six hundred and seventy-five miles north of Edmonton. In five years, its population jumped from five hundred to five thousand, turning a mining camp into a permanent mining town.
Harder Than It Looks
Tina Viljoen 1986 28 min
A penetrating look at how difficult it is for the northern countries--Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark--to remain neutral, caught as they are between the two superpowers. All but Canada were neutral before World War II. Today, only Sweden has not joined a military alliance, but with American and Soviet military forces in the northern seas, even its lone neutrality is at risk. Archival footage from the two world wars, animated maps, and interviews illuminate the historical shaping of each country's stance on neutrality and approach to its own defense, and how these positions work for and against the countries. The film's thesis is that a non-aligned north is the key to separating the superpowers and attaining world peace.
If at First
Gilles Gascon 1969 22 min
In learning a language such as French or English it is certainly a matter of trying again and then again. This film, made with the cooperation of teachers and students, takes a sympathetic look at the application and perseverance required in mastering all the idiosyncracies of a foreign language. It shows the methods of a language laboratory and, most important, the value of venturing into situations where expression in the language being learned must be attempted.
Great Guns
1942 23 min
An outline of the principles underlying gun production during World War II. The various types of guns used on world battlefronts are discussed. All the stages of production are shown, from the forging of steel to the packing of the completed weapon for shipment to the fighting fronts.
Safe Escort
Don Virgo 1973 20 min
Winter navigation through the ice-clogged Gulf of St. Lawrence is accomplished with comparative ease when an icebreaker of the Canadian Coast Guard Service leads the way. This is a film for ships' masters who must bring their vessels safely to port under all sailing conditions. It details the various ice conditions and the maneuvers to follow when a ship is under the escort of an icebreaker.
Career Soldier
Clarke Daprato 1960 28 min
A recruitment film for the Canadian Armed Forces.
Condition Improved
Stanley Jackson 1946 34 min
An account of the contribution of occupational therapy to the successful treatment of victims of accidents, disease and mental illness. Modern medical theory gives an important place to the patient's mental and emotional state as a factor in facilitating or delaying recovery. How occupational therapy assists in this aspect of medical treatment is illustrated.
North Pacific
Rex Tasker 1967 26 min
It is an ocean of plenty, a vast aquatic pasture teeming with many species of fish and other marine life. Most sought is the salmon, but sometimes they do not "run." This film shows extensive studies of the ocean to determine how temperatures, winds, currents, and plankton affect the sea harvest.
Vitamin Wise
1943 18 min
An explanation of the vitamin content of the staple vegetables and fruit, followed by recommendations for the best cooking and storage methods.
Whale Hunting (Qilaluganiatut)
Mosha Michael 1977 9 min
An interesting and informative journey with six Inuit hunting for beluga whale near Iqaluit (formerly known as Frobisher / Frobisher Bay). We learn about the methods used in pursuing the whale and dividing the carcass. An original score features music and songs in Inuktitut by the filmmaker Mosha Michaell himself.

Viewer Advisory: This film contains scenes of animal slaughter.
The Visit
John Kemeny 1964 27 min
It takes a sentimental return to Italy to convince Francesco Iamundo that he belongs in Canada, his adopted land. In telling the story of his pilgrimage to his homeland, the film presents a vivid contrast of two worlds--the sunny Italy that must live forever in the heart of the expatriate, and the North America that draws and holds the immigrant.
Nutrition
Bretislav Pojar , Don Arioli , … 1973 1 min
A one minute clip to encourage proper eating habits while 'kicking' the smoking habit.
Eye Witness No. 22
1950 10 min
Alberta's Blood Indians: On their reserve near Cardston, Alberta, the Kainai take action against waste and want, to improve living standards. Music Master: All the world of music reaches blind Paul Doyon, piano virtuoso, through his "seeing fingers." Sky Sentries: Jet planes of the Royal Canadian Air Force's famed 401 Squadron scream through the skies over Montréal in an air defense exercise.
Louisbourg
Albert Kish 1972 20 min
The Fortress of Louisbourg, a historic landmark on the Atlantic shore of Cape Breton Island, was originally built by King Louis XV to protect French possessions in the New World during the French colonial era. Its restoration is considered to be the biggest archaeological dig in North America. This film gives a detailed account of what was involved in the reconstruction and refurbishing.
John Hirsch: A Portrait of a Man and a Theatre
Mort Ransen 1965 28 min
John Hirsch's infectious enthusiasm led to the creation of the Manitoba Theatre Centre. This film is about his passion for theatre and its contribution to the city of Winnipeg.
Dreams of Education
Noura Kevorkian 2003 10 min
Dreams of Education sees a group of young high school students as they express their anxieties about life after high school and their ability to afford a post-secondary education.
The Man Who Digs for Fish
Jack Long 1979 13 min
Frank Jenkinson, eighty-two, has been digging for fish for twenty-five years. His unorthodox conservationist practices have increased the numbers of the salmon population in the Jarvis Inlet from a modest 500 to 25 000. Using a spade and accompanied by his dog, Frank wades up and down the stream, digging for the newly hatched salmon that lie buried in the gravel. Without his intervention they risk dying before reaching maturity.
Bill Reid
Jack Long 1979 2 min
A profile of Haida artist Bill Reid and his work.
The General Foreman
Morten Parker 1958 29 min
Here is a classic example of "the man in the middle," subject to pressures from above and below, and divided in loyalty to the enterprise and to the men he supervises.
Perceptual Learning
Arthur Lipsett 1965 11 min
This film contains three demonstrations by Dr. D.C. Donderi, showing the importance of experience in determining what we see. Each illustrates a recent development in visual perception.
Experimental Film
Arthur Lipsett 1962 27 min
This panel discussion about experimental films features American film historian Herman Weinberg, film critics Clyde Gilmour and Fernand Cadieux, and NFB producer Guy Glover. They comment on films by George Dunning, Robert Breer, Jan Lenica, Wladimir Borowczyk, and Arthur Lipsett. Norman McLaren talks about how he creates his films.
Fear and Horror
Arthur Lipsett 1965 12 min
The capacity for irrational fears increases with intelligence, being characteristic of the higher animals and people rather than of lower animals, and of older rather than of younger subjects. In this film Dr. D.O. Hebb proposes that emotion is a direct function of intelligence.
Animals and Psychology
Arthur Lipsett 1965 11 min
Comparative psychology developed as a result of Darwin's theory and the behavioural scientists' search for objective data. Dr. Muriel Stern indicates some of the ways the laboratory rat contributes to our understanding of complex behaviour.
Animal Altruism
Arthur Lipsett 1965 17 min
Concern and generosity for others are common in man but it has been assumed that this is due to social pressures. Dr. D.O. Hebb indicates, however, that comparative evidence shows it is more fundamental, having developed with evolution; it can be found in the dog, and is clearly marked in the porpoise and chimpanzee.
The Puzzle of Pain
Arthur Lipsett 1965 12 min
The perception of pain is modified by our past experiences, our expectations and our emotional attitudes. In this film Dr. Ronald Melzack of McGill University discusses the psychological phenomena of pain and their underlying neurophysical mechanisms.
In a Box
Eliot Noyes, Jr 1968 4 min
A short animated film of line drawings suggesting the predicament of people who find themselves boxed in by life. It takes only a few deft strokes of the animator's pen to show how people's lives are limited by their own view of things. The box they are in may not fit; it may be uncomfortable in many ways, but they rush back to its familiarity, if not security, even though brief sorties outside may show them a bigger world.
Alphabet
Eliot Noyes, Jr 1966 6 min
This short animation is an energetic romp through the letters of the alphabet, A for Apple, Z for Zebra. None, however, retains the expected form for long, fading, changing at the artist's whim. Appropriate for anyone at the reading-readiness stage, young or old.
The Banff-Jasper Highway
1940 11 min
A travel film showing the magnificent scenery of the Rocky Mountains as seen from the highway linking Banff and Jasper National Parks.
Winter in Canada
Guy L. Coté 1953 18 min
This film shows the influence of winter on the lives of Canadian people generally and, in particular, on the varied activities and experiences of two boys residing in widely separated localities, one in a Québec Laurentian town and the other on a ranch in the Alberta foothills.
Library on Wheels
Bill MacDonald 1945 14 min
How a travelling library provides regular book service to 20 widely scattered rural communities in B.C.’s Fraser Valley is the subject of Library on Wheels. It’s one solution to a very real educational need for more adequate library facilities.
Target - Berlin
Ernest Borneman 1944 15 min
The story of the Lancaster airplane, the first large bomber built in Canada. Shown are the workers involved in its construction, and the crew who ferried it overseas, as well as the combat crew who took it on its first flight over Berlin.
Air!
Paul Driessen 1972 2 min
Although only 2 minutes long, this animated short makes the point that oxygen is the stuff of life whether on land, in the air or water, but that it is becoming scarcer as man-made pollutants crowd it out. This is a film without words in which plants, birds, fish and, finally, humans come to the same "breathless" end.
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.
Le Bleu perdu
Paul Driessen 1972 7 min
An animated cartoon envisaging the kind of world that children of the future may well inherit when the last vestige of blue is blotted from the sky by the spreading mantle of smog. In this story a little boy sets out, equipped with celestial wings, to discover whether what an old man has told him is actually true, that there is blue above the grey. When he finds it he concludes that blue is where paradise is; the grimy earth is the netherworld. A film without words; titles in French.
The Streets of Saigon
Michael Rubbo 1973 28 min
This is a "social study" in the true sense, filmed in the streets of Saigon while the Vietnamese war was still going strong. Life went on fairly normally except for the noticeable presence of the military, and the number of children, orphaned, homeless, thrown on their own resources to make a living in the streets. It is these children who are in the forefront of the film, along with some American volunteers who tried to help them.
Pretend You're Wearing a Barrel
Jan-Marie Martell 1978 9 min
At thirty-five, Lynn Ryan took stock of her life. She had five children, no husband, no job, and the outlook for getting off welfare seemed bleak. That was when she decided to change her life. After help from employment counsellors and a course in welding, she now has a good job as an apprentice engineer in a Vancouver shipyard. This is a vivid picture of a tough-minded woman and her courageous encounter with life.
"I Don't Think It's Meant for Us ..."
Kathleen Shannon 1971 32 min
Tenants of public housing express some of their concerns and perceptions of the public housing positions of federal, provincial and municipal levels of government who make and administer policies that affect their lives. Controversial viewpoints, which will be useful in constructive discussion, are expressed.
Goldwood
Kathleen Shannon 1975 20 min
Goldwood is a search for the early self. A woman describes the look and feel of her childhood to an artist friend. The story of her days at Goldwood unfolds through his paintings and live footage of their visit to the site. Nature has reclaimed the land. The adult attempts to reclaim the child. The woman discovers pieces of her doll's plate, lost thirty years before. "I haven't been a figment of my own imagination," she says. The film evokes the universal feelings of a child in an adult's world and the awareness of self.
Taking Charge
Claudette Jaiko 1996 25 min
Taking Charge shows teens taking the initiative to overcome the fears and vulnerabilities of growing up in an increasingly violent and rapidly changing society. Through role-playing, theatre groups, peer discussion groups and anti-violence collectives these young activists have "taken charge," educating themselves and their peers towards a deeper understanding of the effects of violence rooted in sexism, racism and homophobia.

We see through their various initiatives, as well as personal testimonies, that teens speaking and organizing against violence sends a positive message to everyone. Taking Charge encourages the viewer to re-examine definitions of violence, and shows how to effect change.

The defiant lyrics of the theme song match the bold and creative energy alive in these teens. Witty animation sequences add a layer of visual playfulness, but the message remains: Do something before it is too late!
This Borrowed Land
Bonnie Kreps 1984 28 min
The Peace River Valley in British Columbia is an area of rich farmland threatened by the construction of a hydro-electric dam. This Borrowed Land gives the women who farm the Peace the chance to voice their growing concern over the conversion of farmland to uses not related to the production of food. They ask: "Will we leave our children enough land to grow food on?" They are firmly committed to their lifestyle despite the difficulties, both concrete and imponderable. A film about agriculture, ecology, land misuse, and stout-willed farmers who happen to be women.
How They Saw Us: Women at Work
Ann Pearson 1977 12 min
This is an abridged version of a film made in 1958. The greater part of the film accepts as normal the waste of women's talents in repetitive or service jobs, while elevating this work to the status of a career.
How They Saw Us: Wings on Her Shoulder
Ann Pearson 1977 11 min
This is a 1943 recruitment film. Although it specifically promises women jobs in post-war aviation, its primary message is that women fulfill support positions "so that men might fly."
How They Saw Us: Service in the Sky
Ann Pearson 1977 9 min
Made in 1957, this film glamorizes a service job in which minor emergencies appear as serious and absorbing challenges. Marriage is assumed to be the natural end of the middle-class woman's working life.
How They Saw Us: Proudly She Marches
Ann Pearson 1977 18 min
A recruitment film made in 1943. Its words offer women the excitement and challenge of new kinds of work in the armed services. The visual message, however, suggests that this work is merely temporary and possibly even unnatural for women.
How They Saw Us: Is It a Woman's World?
Ann Pearson 1977 29 min
This film, made especially for television in 1956, embodies the conventional myth that women indirectly exercise power through their ability to manipulate men through sex and marriage.
How They Saw Us: Careers and Cradles
Ann Pearson 1977 11 min
Made in 1947, this transitional film uses the celebration of token women of achievement as a way of justifying marriage as a career. It points to the emphasis on femininity and consumerism in the 1950s.
Drowning in Dreams
Tim Southam 1997 1 h 12 min
Drowning in Dreams enters the dark and illusory world of one man's obsession. A story of greed and redemption, guilt and death, the film charts the course of a fatal dream as Fred Broennle plumbs the chilly depths of Lake Superior in a quest to raise the luxury steam yacht Gunilda. Run aground and sunk in 1911, with no loss of life and barely an afterthought by her wealthy American owners, Gunilda sat virtually intact in three hundred feet of water until one weekend in 1970, when Broennle and his diving instructor and partner Charles King Hague set out to find her. The fabulous wreck would soon cost Broennle a fortune, cause the death of King Hague, and change his own life forever. Torn between the duelling forces of greed and guilt over his partner's drowning, Broennle plunges into an hallucinatory lifetime project to raise Gunilda from the freezing waters. As his struggle becomes more and more desperate, we meet his son Tug, who, though deeply jealous of Fred's fixation on Gunilda, is himself drawn further and further into the web of his father's obsession.
The Royal Mint
1938 10 min
A sequel to the gold mining subject, this film shows the shipment of gold arriving at the Mint and then follows the series of steps whereby the rough bullion is refined into gold bars, stamped with the Royal Seal, and finally placed in the vault.
Centaur
Susan Huycke 1972 10 min
Horses and horsemanship, filmed with members of the Canadian Equestrian Team and designed to capture the essence of the sport where horse and rider seem to move as one. Here the camera-work, the accompanying music, the vibrant colours of the fall scene, all combine to express the joys of dancing, skimming, leaping across the earth with the freedom of creatures that seem as much carried by the wind as by their own four feet. It is a tribute to the riders who perfect and keep alive the equestrian art of dressage.
A Little Summermusik
Bill Davies 1972 8 min
A film pastorale set in the early summer near Elora, Ontario, where music students practice out-of-doors. Lush green fields, towering elms and a rippling stream near an old farmhouse provide a rich setting for young musicians playing solo or in groups on flutes, strings, and piano. Music has charm indeed when the mood is of lilac and the sweet pipings of spring.
The Huntsman
Douglas Jackson 1972 16 min
A film adaptation of a short story by Toronto writer David Lewis Stein about a ten-year-old boy who ferrets out golf balls from the rough, then sells his findings to passing golfers. There is an unexpected development when two unscrupulous older boys try to muscle in on his business. A children's film, but one that many adults will enjoy.
Soil Test
1955 6 min
A soil expert from the Summerland Experimental Farm in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, demonstrates the way that a soil moisture meter can tell when it is time to irrigate.
Miner
Robin Spry 1966 19 min
Impressions of a hardrock miner's life, suitable for the classroom, filmed at the Falconbridge Nickel Mine at Sudbury, Ontario, and showing also the increasing use of nickel in today's space age. Much of what is shown was filmed in the dim world far underground where, "in a bubble of air in a solid mass of rock," the miner drills the ore face.
The Way It Is
Beverly Shaffer 1982 24 min
This sensitive drama examines the effects of divorce on a family, particularly on a twelve-year-old girl. Although Helen Murray's parents were divorced two years ago, Helen still hopes for a reconciliation. When a visit from her father is cancelled, an emotionally charged confrontation with her mother takes place. Helen admits her anguish over the divorce and realizes that she must learn to accept the situation. An excellent film for both children and adults on the themes of family communications and coping positively with family break-up, The Way It Is can be used for discussion in family-life courses and single-parent groups, and for individual and couples counselling.
The Dowry
Peter Pearson 1969 20 min
A little drama, almost a love triangle, filmed on the Canadian Atlantic coast, about a fisherman, his girl, and his boat. The boat needs a new engine but the owner lacks the cash. His girl's undertaker brother has money enough if he can be persuaded to lend it. What develops in the film is an object lesson showing that neither a boat nor a girl can be taken too much for granted.
Circuit marine
Isabelle Favez 2003 7 min
"All you need is food," the Beatles could have sung if they had been inspired by Circuit marine, a whimsical fantasy about our cruel, carnivorous world. To be eaten or not to be eaten: that is the question for a ginger cat, a goldfish and a colourful parrot which a tender-hearted pirate tries to get to live happily together along with his hungry crew. We can only wonder who will be the next meal on this ship of food. As the ship pitches and rolls to a sprightly gypsy tune, the cat relentlessly pursues the goldfish, and even the parrot gets into the act. But who is predator and who is prey? Everyone ends up down someone's gullet. Isabelle Favez's colourful and humorous film is a tasteful reminder that we're all links in the food chain.
Fighting Norway
Sydney Newman 1943 10 min
During World War II Norwegian patriots struck at Germany from the rear, linking Canada, the United States and Britain with Soviet Russia. Norwegian resources around the world were mobilized, and at Canadian training stations Norwegian airmen forged a lasting friendship between the two countries. Includes footage from the British film All for Norway.
Helen Law
Jennifer Hodge 1979 3 min
A portrait of Mrs. Helen Law, a Chinese immigrant to Canada, as witnessed through the eyes of her son, a first-generation Canadian.
[Spraying]
1955 3 min
At an experimental farm in Summerland, British Columbia, scientists demonstrate the use of an experimental concentrate sprayer in orchards. It requires less chemical and gives more efficient spray coverage on the trees than the conventional sprayer.
Okanagan - Canada's Apple Valley
1955 5 min
On the 320 acre Keloka Orchards, near Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley of southern British Columbia, apples are picked and forwarded to the Kelowna Growers Exchange for packing, cold storage and shipping throughout the world. Immigrants from countries in Europe and Asia work together to ensure a successful harvest on Canada's largest apple orchard, owned by George Porter.
Eye Witness No. 65
Hector Lemieux & Ronald Weyman 1954 11 min
Old Glory Weather Station: Life on top of the world is a year-round experience for meteorologists who work at the highest observatory in the Canadian Rockieson on Old Glory Mountain in British Columbia. Easter in Jerusalem: Roman Catholic priests from many Canadian communities join in a pilgrimage to the Holy City during Easter week.
Rehearsal
Roger Blais 1953 12 min
Much of the work of an orchestra and its conductor is done in shirt sleeves, in an empty hall. In this film we go behind the scenes with conductor Paul Scherman as he prepares a Montréal orchestra for a performance of a new composition by Canadian composer Harry Somers. Mr. Somers himself is on hand to hear this rehearsal of his Suite for Harp and Chamber Orchestra.
Dance Squared
René Jodoin 1961 3 min
This film is an encounter with geometrical shapes, which children can readily understand and enjoy. As the title suggests, Dance Squared employs movement, colour and music to explore the symmetries of the square. Every movement of the square and its components presents an opportunity to observe its geometrical properties in a way that is intriguing to young minds.
The Coldspring Project
Pierre Letarte & Kenneth McCready 1974 27 min
The human side of town planning, as exemplified in Baltimore, Maryland. The Coldspring Project concerned a proposed housing development for lower and upper income levels on a three hundred-acre site adjoining a wildlife sanctuary. The film records the differences aired in meetings of various interest groups that tried to modify the plan according to their views, and the compromise reached, based on plans drawn up by Montréal architect Moishe Safdie.
A Fight for Breath: Emphysema
Joseph Licastro 1974 11 min
A film aimed at youngsters tempted by cigarettes but also for all those already addicted. Why a man suffering from emphysema has difficulty breathing is graphically illustrated. The entire respiratory system is shown in animated cross-sectional models, down to the smallest air cells, the alveoli. That is where the breakdown begins that eventually leads to impaired pulmonary function. This internal view of the damage done to the lungs is one that no viewer can ignore.
Death of a Skyline
Bryan Smith 2003 41 min
A bulldozer tears into the side of a wooden grain elevator. The magnificent prairie landmark crumples to the ground. Once, more than 5,000 Alberta grain elevators graced the skyline. Today they're being razed to make way for modern concrete structures. Are these "prairie cathedrals" being destroyed due to obsolescence or corporate profit? In this film, a lively cast of characters reveals the story of these disappearing landmarks. The citizens of Mayerthorpe, Alberta fight to save their elevator as demolition day approaches. A Montana couple, Bruce and Barbara Selyem, race to photograph elevators across the continent before they are ripped down. Pete Kirk salvages grain-worn wood from demolition sites to build furniture and recycle a piece of prairie history. With archival film clips, interviews and dramatic footage of tumbling grain elevators, Death of a Skyline explores the history and significance of these familiar prairie structures. Wooden grain elevators have been at the heart of North America's economic, cultural and physical landscape for more than a century. As they continue to fall, will all that remains be memories of a vanishing way of life?
Mothers Are People
Kathleen Shannon 1974 7 min
Joy is a research biologist, a consultant to a large company. She is also a widow with two school-age children. In discussing her own dilemmas she speaks for many other women. "The powers that be know that women do work, but they turn a deaf ear." Apart from "discrimination against women," Joy sees the absence of universal day care as a loss for children too.
Boys Will Be Men
Donald Rennick 1980 29 min
This film takes a candid, inside look at the world of juvenile delinquency. We are shown the tough existence on the streets of Montréal, but it could be any city in North America. Some boys as young as ten years of age talk about their lives of crime, the things that are important to them, and the hopes they hold for the future.
The Longer Trail
Fergus McDonell 1956 30 min
A story about a young Indigenous man from a reserve near Calgary and the problems he faces when he finds himself thrust into the world of the white man. Joe Lonecloud contracts tuberculosis and is taken to the Charles Camsell Indian Hospital in Edmonton. There he learns that he will never be able to return to the vigorous activity of the outdoors. In learning a trade and getting a job he encounters prejudice, which makes his adjustment all the more difficult.
On Power Refuelling
Douglas Cameron 1971 13 min
An outstanding factor in the efficiency of the CANDU reactor employed in Canadian nuclear power stations is that its construction allows for refuelling while the plant remains in operation, with no necessity for periodic shut-downs. Filmed at the Pickering, Ontario, station, this film clearly illustrates the processes and the advantages of this Canadian feature. Cutaway models and animated drawings are used in the demonstration.
The Man Who Digs for Fish
Jack Long 1979 13 min
Frank Jenkinson, eighty-two, has been digging for fish for twenty-five years. His unorthodox conservationist practices have increased the numbers of the salmon population in the Jarvis Inlet from a modest 500 to 25 000. Using a spade and accompanied by his dog, Frank wades up and down the stream, digging for the newly hatched salmon that lie buried in the gravel. Without his intervention they risk dying before reaching maturity.
Want a Lift?
1945 15 min
A rural postman gives a lift to a returning World War II soldier. As they drive from the station to his home, the young man notices all the changes that have taken place during his absence. The film presents farmers' concerns while encouraging the purchase of Victory Bonds as a mean of saving for post-war needs.
What in the World Is Water?
Martin Defalco 1967 11 min
Water functions as a willing worker, shaping the land, shifting earth or rock, carrying the food by which plants survive, and so supporting other forms of life. This film is designed primarily to show the astonishing utility of this common substance, but it also shows the beauty of water in movement, from raindrops pelting the earth to the mighty cataract of Niagara.
The War Is Over
1945 4 min
This commemoration of V-J Day--the World War II victory of the Allied forces in Japan--shows various scenes of celebration, and suggests that the energies which Canada deployed in the war effort in mining, agriculture and industrial development will now be the keys to a brighter, peaceful future.
Sports and Seasons
1946 9 min
Scenes of Canadian children at play throughout the year show how they suit their sports to this country's changing seasons.
Super Bus
1969 6 min
A Canadian animated film made specifically for viewing at Osaka 70.
Maroon - On the Trail of Creoles in North America
André Gladu 2005 1 h 25 min
Louisiana's Creole culture helped shape the New World and contributed to the emergence of jazz. But what remains of this unique, mixed-race society, with roots in France, Africa, the Caribbean, Spain and America? Maroon searches for the origins of this little-understood and endangered culture and show how it is doing today. In this second part of his La piste Amérique series, documentary filmmaker André Gladu continues his exploration of the Francophone presence in North America. Maroon is a vibrant travelogue that goes back into history in order to shed light on the present. In French with English subtitles.
Sequence and Story
Don White 1983 5 min
In this film a group of children manipulates reality using a series of photographs of their own activities. As they lay out the photos in different sequences, the story of their day changes. Simple, realistic dialogue and a combination of live action and still photographs capture the viewer's imagination.
The Persistent Seed
Christopher Chapman 1964 14 min
A film by Christopher Chapman, known for his lyrical films of countryside and wilderness. He turns his colour camera on the growing city and there finds cheering proof that despite concrete and bulldozer, the persistent seed prevails. The film is without commentary and the camera work is a constant delight, for Chapman has the gift of catching life smiling wherever he may look. Film without words.
Bannerfilm
Donald Winkler 1972 9 min
The work of Norman Laliberté, one of the most creative designers of banners in North America. He is shown in his workroom, piecing and stitching together bits of varicoloured fabric to create figures and symbols reminiscent of ancient pomp and pageantry. Music and movement in the film heighten this effect. His arrangement of shapes and colours grows, before your eyes, into a bold, glowing canvas in cloth.
The Hottest Show on Earth
Terence Macartney-Filgate , Derek Lamb , … 1977 27 min
A side-splitting combo of animation and live action that catapults the potentially mundane subject of home insulation to heights of hilarity. Even the host, Dr. David Suzuki, gets into the improbable act. He proves that "The Energy Crisis" is not a rock group, and that there are simple ways to stay warm in winter and save fuel dollars. Topics include: the origins of fossil fuels, how to optimize furnace efficiency, common areas of home heat loss, weather-stripping and insulation. A film to keep you warm and laughing.
Co-op Housing: Getting It Together
Laura Sky 1975 23 min
People, housing, funds and expertise: getting them together isn't easy, but it can be done. The film deals with the planning and procedures involved in setting up a co-op, whether that means building one, or buying and rehabilitating existing housing. People living in different kinds of co-ops talk about them, and how they function.
The Best Time of My Life: Portraits of Women in Mid-life
Patricia Watson 1985 58 min
An upbeat, positive film about a group of women dealing with mid-life and menopause. The women come from a wide range of backgrounds, careers and lifestyles. Some are married; some are divorced. Interviews alternate with sequences showing the women both at home and in the workplace. Based on the women's experiences, the film effectively dispels popular myths and fears about life during and after menopause.
The Impossible Takes a Little Longer
Anne Henderson 1986 45 min
The Impossible Takes a Little Longer documents the work and personal lives of five physically disabled women. It shows how they are coping with the problems they share with all women, the problems they share with other disabled women and those unique to their particular circumstances. The film affirms that disabled women can lead full and productive lives as workers, as mothers and as valued community members. It informs both disabled women and the able-bodied about the possibilities of adaptations in the workplace, the use of technological aids and the need for support systems if disabled women are to have satisfying and productive lives. The Impossible Takes a Little Longer undermines the stereotypes and prejudices that further hinder a large segment of our population.
Sanctuary
Jamie Escallon-Buraglia 2005 12 min
A program for emerging filmmakers to make high impact, low budget docs. Sanctuary tells the story of Sergio Loreto, who has lived in Canada for 18 years, but is now seeking sanctuary in a Toronto church so not be deported to Guatemala.
The Lost Children
Dalhya Newashish 2007 10 min
Uprooted at age 5 or 6 to study in White schools, the children of the Wemotaci community are now scarred adults trying to recover their Atikamekw identity.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving young Aboriginals the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short documentary was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD.
Black, Bold and Beautiful
Nadine Valcin 1999 42 min
Afros, braids or corn-rows--hairstyles have always carried a social message, and few issues cause as many battles between Black parents and their daughters. To "relax" one's hair into straight tresses or to leave it "natural" inevitably raises questions of conformity and rebellion, pride and identity.

Today trend-setting teens proudly reinvent themselves on a daily basis, while career women strive for the right "professional" image, and other women go "natural" as a symbol of comfort in their Blackness. Filmmaker Nadine Valcin meets a range of women as they reveal how their hairstyles relate to their lives and life choices.

Black, Bold and Beautiful celebrates the bonds formed as women attend to each other's hair, while exploring how everyday grooming matters tap into lively debates on the position of Black people within Canada.
About Conception and Contraception
Ishu Patel 1972 11 min
Animated drawings illustrate how conception occurs and the way that various birth control devices, surgical methods, and the pill function in effecting contraception. The film is without spoken commentary and is designed to be used by professional personnel. Film without words.
The Pacifist Who Went to War
David Neufeld 2002 51 min
This documentary is the story of two Mennonite brothers from Manitoba who were forced to make a decision in 1939, as Canada joined World War II. In the face of 400 years of pacifist tradition, should they now go to war? Ted became a conscientious objector while his brother went into military service. Fifty years later, the town of Winkler dedicates its first war memorial and John begins to share his war experiences with Ted.
Salvador Allende Gossens: A Testimony
Maurice Bulbulian & Michel Gauthier 1974 18 min
A brief acquaintance with the president of Chile before his assassination in September, 1973. In 1972, several miners from Québec went to Chile to observe mining operations there. They also met with the President of the Republic. Salvador Allende explains, publicly at a meeting of icampanneros r, as well as in a conference with the visitors, the revolutionary socio-economic reforms he envisages for his country, which include nationalization of the copper industry. René Lévesque, Théo Gagné and Joseph Gosselin appear in the film. (A film for all students of political change. With English subtitles).
Don Messer: His Land and His Music
Martin Defalco 1971 1 h 9 min
Don Messer: His Land and His Music celebrates the king of Maritime fiddling. It's 1969, and Messer's band is on a poignant, cross-Canada farewell tour. Poignant, because CBC-TV has just announced the cancellation of the long-running Don Messer's Jubilee. But if Messer's upset, he isn't showing it. Instead, he's in top form, packing them in from Halifax to Whitehorse: one curling rink, hockey arena and small-town theatre after another. More than a musician, Don Messer was a genuine folk icon, idolized by millions of fans who felt as though they knew him personally. Although he died in 1973, Messer has remained a vital presence in Canadian music. Fiddlers continue to be inspired by his old-time style. Don Messer: His Land and His Music marries cinematic innovation with irresistible, toe-tapping music - taking us on the road, into the studio and backstage with a one-of-a-kind, fun-loving band.
We Are What We Eat
Aube Giroux 2004 24 min
Set to beautiful, pastoral images, We Are What We Eat introduces us to people bringing together their love of good food and passion for environmental protection. We meet wheat and strawberry producers, along with a wine grower and a chef — each doing things at their own pace, while resisting the demands of agribusiness.
Prosecutor
Barry Stevens 2010 1 h 34 min
This feature documentary follows the Chief Prosecutor through the first trials of the newly formed International Criminal Court. Luis Moreno-Ocampo investigates and prosecutes some of the world's worst criminals for some of the world's worst crimes. He's a hero to genocide survivors, but has bitter enemies on both the Right and the Left. Is the ICC a groundbreaking new weapon for global justice or just an idealistic dream?
Algonquin Waters
1933 11 min
A film trip to Algonquin Park in the highlands of Ontario, famed for its magnificent forests, waterways, and its exceptional trout fishing.
The Great Chess Movie
Gilles Carle & Camille Coudari 1982 1 h 19 min
In this Gilles Carle feature documentary on the game of chess, the international chess match is cast as a classic Western shoot-out. Three chess greats dominate the film: Russia's Anatoly Karpov; Viktor Korchnoi, a Russian defector; and American Bobby Fischer. Chess aficionados Camille Coudari and Fernando Arrabal analyze the personalities and strategies of the players and comment on the interplay of politics and chess.
Here Is Canada
Tony Ianzelo 1972 28 min
Viewers outside Canada, and Canadians themselves, here have the pleasure of looking at, understanding, and discovering the many facets of this vast land, presented in choice film footage that is at once informative, visually appealing, and absorbing.
Arctic Saga
Douglas Wilkinson 1952 11 min

This film presents highlights in the life of Idlouk, Inuk hunter, and his family during the long day of the midnight sun on Baffin Island. Depicted are: a seal hunt, a narwhale chase, and scenes of busy camp life. Surrounding all is the Arctic scenery--strange ice formations, the eerie blue whiteness of Arctic winter and, during the time of continuous daylight, the green and brown of Arctic tundra.
The Question of Television Violence
Graeme Ferguson 1972 56 min
A film report of the hearings of the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications investigating the effects of television violence. An NFB crew recorded the four days of intensive debate in Washington, where representations were made by the three major networks, the Surgeon General of the United States, independent scientists, and representatives of concerned parent groups. The hearings established that there is a correlation between violence on the screen and violence in real life.
Anger After Death
Rick Raxlen 1971 28 min
A film mingling documentary and dramatic elements to portray the effects of the threat of chemical and biological warfare on the contemporary mentality. The chemist who manufactures the secret weapons, the scientist who comments on them with complete detachment, the soldier of the First World War, killed by poison gas, who returns to life to discover the manner of his dying--all make their claims on the audience in an arresting, provocative way.
Ozias Leduc... Painter of the Soul's Seasons
Michel Brault 1996 58 min
Ozias Leduc (1864-1955) was one of Quebec's most important visual artists. Largely self-taught, Leduc's wide-ranging painting, writing and photography have both a symbolic and spiritual dimension. This biography illuminates Leduc's life by drawing on the writings of two of his friends, writer Robert de Roquebrune (1889-1978) and painter Paul-Émile Borduas (1905-1960). Their recollections paint the portrait of an enigmatic and reserved man who summed up his vocation with the words, "The artist's sole mission is to give expression to the Beautiful. The Beautiful as free as space and time."
Alex Colville - Realist Painter
1983 18 min
Alex Colville is recognized as one of Canada's most important artists. His realist works hang in major collections across the country and abroad. This production looks at his early years in Amherst, at university and his experiences as a war artist during the Second World War. Many of his paintings are shown and Colville talks about his work and the role of the artist in society. This filmstrip shows, as well, the influences on Colville's paintings.
Riopelle
Marianne Feaver 1984 27 min
The paintings of Jean-Paul Riopelle are known around the world. But the painter himself remains private, inaccessible. This documentary attempts to learn more about the man behind the artist, the creative genius behind the work. As we follow him in his day-to-day activities, we see him working in his studio, relaxing with his friends, attending an exhibition of his paintings, and hunting and fishing in the heart of the Quebec wilderness--a source of deep and continuing inspiration for him.
Holidays
Blake James 1978 1 min
This very short film from the Canada Vignettes series presents a montage of watercolor images depicting the work and occasional play of a farm family.
The Lake Man
Raymond Garceau 1963 27 min

Alexis Ladouceur's life has the tranquility of his surroundings and he belongs to the lake as much as the fish he lifts from the net or the flight of ducks arrowing over the reeds. By contrast, his brother, who farms nearby, seems of a different world. The film reflects the past story of the Métis, people of mixed French and First Nations' heritage, and the life of their communities.
The Amendment
Kevin Papatie 2007 4 min
In the Kitcisakik community, the Algonquin language is dying out, just four generations after the federal government's assimilation policy came into effect.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving Indigenous youth the opportunity to speak out using video and music.
The Little Prince
Vince Papatie 2007 6 min

Separated from his Kitcisakik community, a little Algonquin prince discovers the good and the bad in the White people's world, until one day his own child brings him back down to earth.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving Indigenous youth the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short animation film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD.
No Time to Stop
Helene Klodawsky 1990 29 min
Kwai Fong Lai is from Hong Kong, Alberta Onyejekwe from Ghana, and Angela Williams from Jamaica. They are immigrants to Canada, visible minorities, and women, a combination designed to make their lives difficult. While Canadian society has yet to accustom itself to its immigrant reality, these strong and resilient women manage to adapt and survive. At home and at work, they speak candidly about the conditions that shape their lives.
Fighter
Erica Lepage 2007 9 min
After being attacked, a young Mohawk woman decides to overcome her fear and do what she loves, namely box. Story of a Kanesatake fighter out to prove she?s the strongest.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving young Aboriginals the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD.
Dynamite
Kaj Pindal 1967 1 min
A clip to discourage smoking.
Fringe Benefits
Kaj Pindal 1967 20 s
A clip to discourage smoking.
Volcano
Kaj Pindal 1967 20 s
A clip to discourage smoking.
A Mother's Dream
Cherilyn Papatie 2007 6 min
Accompanied by her kokom (grandmother), an Algonquin mother of the Kitcisakik community fulfils her dream of three weeks: holds her children and takes them to the fair.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving young Aboriginals the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short documentary was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD.
The Indian Speaks
Marcel Carrière 1967 40 min
A film about Indigenous Peoples in many parts of Canada who are concerned about preserving what is left of their own culture and restoring what has been lost. It is the consciousness of tradition slipping away, with nothing equally satisfying or significant to take its place, that this film discovers wherever it goes. One of the speakers is Norval Morrisseau, an artist who, for a time, lived in Toronto but who returned to his reserve to devote his efforts to his own people; another is a business woman in Vancouver.
Renaissance
Wapikoni mobile team 2008 8 min
Returning to the Pikogan reserve to give birth to her first child, Sybèle wonders how to give her son a better life than hers while ensuring he stays connected to the Algonquin community.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving young Aboriginals the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD.
Something Right
Tracy McLaren 2009 4 min
Daniel has lost the rights to his children. He paints, passionately, so that his daughter can say, “My dad’s an artist.”

Since 2004, the travelling studios of Wapikoni Mobile have enabled Quebec First Nations youth to express themselves through videos and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2008 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile
The City
Abraham Côté 2007 7 min
In the picturesque setting of the Kitigan Zibi community, an Algonquin and his family try to flee before the White people?s sprawling city takes over their territory.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving young Aboriginals the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD.
A City Is
James Carney 1972 17 min
More than buildings, more than people, a city is a total expression of purpose and aspiration, past and present. This is a multi-image look at the conglomerate city, composed of a whole stream of visual and auditory impressions presented without commentary. Often the screen subdivides--two, three, a dozen images appear at the same time, creating a counterpoint of the turbulence and discord, the harmony and sophistication of the big city.
Forest Wardens
Allen Stark 1955 30 min
A story of British Columbia's vast forest industry and the measures being taken to preserve it. Fred Davis interviews men whose main concern is forest conservation. Education of the public in the need for protecting their valuable heritage against fire is well demonstrated in the activities of the Province's junior forest wardens and the South Vancouver Island Rangers.
The Hands That Heal
Gordon Sparling 1958 21 min
This film presents a broad picture of nursing activities in various parts of the country, and shows the work of the many nurses from other parts of the world who have brought their skills to Canada and have made a place for themselves.
Between Two Worlds
Kevin Papatie 2009 3 min
Kevin Papatie turns his identity quest into an experimental film in which nature and the city engage in a visual call and response.
Since 2004, the travelling studios of Wapikoni Mobile have enabled Quebec First Nations youth to express themselves through videos and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2008 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile
Generation Mobilisation
Mélanie Kistabish , Eza Paventi , … 2008 10 min
One hundred years after signing Treaty 9 with the federal government, the Abitibiwinni of the Algonquin Nation are calling for respect for their lands, history, culture and rights.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving young Aboriginals the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short documentary was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile.
The Great Departure
Kevin Papatie 2008 5 min

For the sake of his children, in 2001 an Algonquin father went back to school. Now, encouraged by his friends in the Kitcisakik community, he is going on to CEGEP.

Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving Indigenous youth the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD.
Child of the Andes
Marilú Mallet 1988 27 min
This documentary presents the people of Andahuaylillas, Peru, a small village located high in the Andes. Ten-year-old Sébastiana recounts their history and legends and explains the local customs, which have persisted for over three centuries. Child of the Andes is a look at a simpler way of life still undisturbed by modern society's technology and materialism.
Kir Otci Ntcotco... (For You Mom)
Mariana Niquay-Ottawa 2009 5 min
A personal film in which Mariana Niquay-Ottawa tries to reconnect with her mother.

Since 2004, the travelling studios of Wapikoni Mobile have enabled Quebec First Nations youth to express themselves through videos and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2008 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile
Kamitshikaut
Shaushiss Fontaine 2009 4 min
Shaushiss Fontaine sings a joyful song about the devastating effects of drugs.

Since 2004, the travelling studios of Wapikoni Mobile have enabled Quebec First Nations youth to express themselves through videos and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2008 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile
La Cueca Sola
Marilú Mallet 2003 52 min
Santiago, Chile. September 11, 1973. A military dictatorship seizes power and wields it for 17 years. Thousands of men disappear. "Donde estan? (Where are they?)," ask the women, their partners in la cueca, the traditional Chilean courtship dance. Surmounting their grief, the women speak out and struggle to restore democracy. Their lives suspended, they continue to dance la cueca sola, alone.

This documentary by Marilu Mallet tells the stories of five women who suffered under dictatorship and emerged as heroes under democracy. The threads of the five stories are closely intertwined with the history of Chile, encouraging reflection on the burden of heritage, the relativity of happiness and the power of memory. Navigating through the past but firmly moored in the present, the film expresses an entire nation's faith in a future in which such a thing will never happen again.
Funeral
Kaj Pindal 1966 20 s
A clip to discourage smoking.
The Unplanned
Andy Thomson 1971 19 min
An industrial accident-prevention film illustrating that an accident usually has several causes. A situation is portrayed in a large machine shop, where a series of unsafe acts, combined with unsafe conditions, led to an accident in which a man's arm was caught in an unguarded machine. A film to stimulate discussion among managers, supervisors and safety professionals, as well as for all industrial employees.
Samsara: The Wheel of Life and Death
Bill Davies 1972 10 min
An exotic view of Pondicherry, former French colony on India's southeastern coast. This is a film of observation, made without commentary, but replete with impressions of this colourful old French-Indian port where life begins and ends in the streets. Life here is like a river, and only the camera can catch and hold the thousand-and-one sights that pour by the awed spectator. Film without words.
Future Block
Kevin McCracken 1987 10 min
An animated film about the appropriateness of new technology and its effects on people. The case in point revolves around a bank whose human tellers find themselves unemployed when they are replaced by electronic tellers. A mild-mannered client of the bank is overwhelmed and humiliated by his first encounter with the dispassionate computer. Conventional cel animation is contrasted with computer-generated images to heighten the satire in this look at the problems that can arise when technology ignores human needs.
Dwarf Apple
1955 6 min
Julian Biggs interviews Dr. Don Fisher, head of pomology at the Summerland Experimental Farm in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Dr. Fisher describes the cultivation and maintenance of several strains of the dwarf apple tree.
From the Forests of Kitcisakik to the Forests of Xingu
Evelyne Papatie 2009 6 min
Evelyne Papatie talks about her trip to the Mato Grosso forests of Brazil. In the rites and customs of the Ikepengs, she rediscovers the pride of being Anishnabe.

Since 2004, the travelling studios of Wapikoni Mobile have enabled Quebec First Nations youth to express themselves through videos and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2008 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile
A Bird City
1919 5 min
A bird sanctuary near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan is shown. Here in their native haunts are the gull, the heron, the tern, and many other birds as they are in their everyday life. Nesting, mating, swimming and flying, all are shown here in a rare picture.
Anniversary
1963 19 min
Here you will see Marie Dressler, Mary Pickford, Norma Shearer, Walter Huston and a host of other Canadians who achieved world renown on the silver screen. Slapstick, romance, tragedy, comedy--it's all here in an entertaining sampling of what audiences have applauded down the years. You see the audiences too, and the theatres where early movies first drew in the fans. As guide you could hardly find a more knowledgeable or familiar figure than Walter Pidgeon, a Canadian with eighty or more films to his credit. He recalls the personalities of the great stars he has known and explains how the technology developed that shows the stars on the screen.
Script to Screen
Claude Delorme 1972 21 min
For those curious to know the behind-the-scenes stages through which a film passes before it reaches the screen, this film explains the basic steps of motion picture film production. Script to Screen takes a mock-serious happening and follows it all the way through direction, photography, editing, sound effects, synchronization of sound and visuals, and various laboratory processes. Filmmaking is seen to be a craft of many hands and minds.
Beware, Beware, My Beauty Fair
Jean Lafleur & Peter Svatek 1972 28 min
An engaging drama for children by the Children's Theatre, Montréal. On a school auditorium stage, an audience watches the portrayal of the beauty and the beast adventure. But the film audience sees more. Behind the scenes, in the shadows and up dark stairways, another drama develops with suspense to equal the fairy tale's. It is a play within a play, convincingly acted out by a talented group of young thespians.
Twenty Years of Feminist Filmmaking
Cheryl Sim & Janice Brown 1994 5 min
A clip montage for presentation at the National Action Committee on the Status of Women to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Studio D and the National Action Committee.
"When I Go ... That's It!"
Colin Low , George C. Stoney , … 1972 11 min
Ex-fisherman Billy Crane in Brampton, Ontario, at an industrial job with regular hours. Here he tells why he left Fogo Island and says he has no regrets. (See also Billy Crane Moves Away.)
Why Won't Tommy Eat?
Judith Crawley 1948 16 min
This film examines the problem of children who won't eat, and what can be done about it. Tommy should be hungry, but he just picks at his food. Going back to early babyhood, the film traces in detail, how eating habits are formed, how individual likes and dislikes must be taken into consideration, and that the worst habit of all is the permanent battle over food. After this analysis, Tommy still sits by his well-filled plate. In despair his mother takes him to the doctor, who explains that she is really the problem. She realizes that she has been tense, impatient with Tommy from the start. Now it will take painstaking care to build a new atmosphere of cooperation and friendliness, to learn understanding of Tommy's personal requirements at mealtimes, and all the time.
Keepers of Wildlife
Michael McKennirey 1972 20 min
Canada's wilderness areas harbour some of the last remaining species of North American wildlife. This film shows what is being done by specialists of the Canadian Wildlife Service to prevent further depletion of their numbers. It is an enormous program of tabulating, banding, tagging, and, in the case of larger animals such as the bear and the buffalo, giving health check-ups. An engrossing film for any audience, replete with close-ups of animals, waterfowl, and fish.
He Acts His Age
Judith Crawley 1949 14 min
How a child's emotional development normally keeps pace with his physical growth; the behaviour he exhibits at certain ages. This introductory film ten from one to fifteen years of age and shows the characteristics of each group.
Arrest, Search and Seizure
T.R. Wagstaff & E.J. Tooke 1972 10 min
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police training film on deploying personnel to make a successful arrest after receiving information on drug trafficking.
Who Sheds His Blood
Judith Crawley 1941 10 min
This film estimates the tremendous value of the Blood Donor Clinic, organized in September, 1939, at the University of Toronto by Dr. C.H. Best. The serum is processed by the Connaught Laboratories in Toronto, under the authority of the Minister of Pensions and National Health, while the Red Cross maintains blood donor clinics across the country.
Out Beyond Town
Evelyn Cherry 1948 11 min
After a farm child becomes sick, a visit from the sanitary inspector points out various precautions for maintaining a clean water supply and preventing the spread of disease. The local school is also given pointers on better sanitation.
Land in Trust
Evelyn Cherry & Lawrence Cherry 1949 27 min
A film on soil conservation, showing problems facing farmers in different areas of Canada. Many scenes of soil eroded, gouged and leached out by water, and of soil blowing away, prove the ominous necessity of understanding and preserving the land if we are to continue to reap vital crops. The development of soil through the centuries, the particular conservation problems in eastern and western Canada, and how soil fertility may be restored and maintained are dealt with in detail.
Four New Apple Dishes
Judith Crawley 1940 11 min
A film showing how apples may be made an attractive part of the menu for many different occasions. Four recipes--apple salad, apple upside-down cake, glazed apples and apple ice cream--are given in detail, and a section is devoted to the choice of apples for different purposes.
NFB Pioneers II: Her Voice, the Studio D Story
Lucia Piccinni 2007 55 min
Part of the NFB Pioneers series with the Doc Channel, this episode deals with the Studio D, the first permanent, state-funded women's film unit in the world created in 1974. Studio D gave a number of women the unprecedented opportunity to work consistently on women-centred film projects. Features interviews with Gerry Rogers, Bonnie Sherr-Klein, Zoe Dirse, Susan Trow, Gail Singer, Dorothy Henault and Beverly Shaffer.
Yukon Old, Yukon New
John Howe 1961 19 min
The old spirit of the Yukon returns as Dawson City prepares for its Discovery Day celebrations. Witness a round of nostalgic scenes: a main street parade, refurbished saloons, the can-can. Time recedes as the film explores the hazardous mountain passes and the golden creek of Eldorado.
Light to Starboard
Jerry Krepakevich 1972 47 min
This film presents the historical development of lighthouses in Canada, and shows the conversion from keeper-maintained lights to automated equipment.
Has Anybody Seen My Umbrella?
Eva Szasz 1990 10 min
The story of a prince who leaves school after his grade one graduation thinking he knows all there is to be happy. When he has grown up he meets Cinderella at his birthday party ball, but when she loses her glass slipper he cannot read her name on it. Thinking her name is "Umbrella" he searches far and wide shouting "Has anybody seen my Umbrella". After timely intervention of the prince's fairy godmother they are united. They get married and spend their honeymoon in grade two. Based on the popular children's book Has Anybody Seen My Umbrella by Max Ferguson.