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4. Collective ResponsibilitiesJean-Martin Gagnon 2023 28 minThe 2017 Quebec mosque attack renews the debate over radicalization. In this tension-filled period, the Maisonneuve community finds itself grappling with questions of personal and social responsibility. -
2. Systemic ProblemsJean-Martin Gagnon 2023 26 minThe student association engages in critical self-assessment over diversity and considers the best way forward. Meanwhile, students question the association’s practices.
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Drowning in DreamsTim Southam 1997 1 h 12 minDrowning 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.
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The Man Who Talks with WolvesCarlos Ferrand 2001 52 minIn the wilderness of northern Quebec, Michel and Louise Pageau devote their lives to caring for injured wild animals and returning them to their natural habitat. Some animals simply cannot make it in the wild any more, so the Pageaus opened a shelter - the Pageau Refuge - for animals that cannot be released.
Michel Pageau has been interested in animals since childhood. A former trapper and hunter, he has a gift for making contact with wild creatures. Pageau feels a particular connection with wolves - and for several years he has maintained a friendship with a number of them, based on mutual trust. Their level of communication is astonishing. When Michel calls, the wolves respond. At one point, Michel is distressed because their rapport seems to have broken down. Ché-Cché, the head of the pack, will not let him approach. Can Michel rebuild their relationship?
With stunning images and poetic narration, The Man Who Talks with Wolves takes us into a mysterious world where the line between human and beast becomes blurred. -
Work DifferentJulien Capraro 2023 50 minHow has working remotely reshaped the workplace—and our lives? While the shift to working from home may seem abrupt, the concept is far from new. With humour and intelligence, Work Different takes a close look at the origins, impacts, upsides and uncertainties of remote work.
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Escape to CanadaAlbert Nerenberg 2005 1 h 21 minAround the world, Canada is known for its beavers, Mounties and winter climate. But a new Canada has emerged in the past couple of years, famous for potent marijuana, gay marriage and pushing the limits of freedom.
Director Albert Nerenberg, the man behind the indie-documentary hit Stupidity, explores these events in the high-energy Escape to Canada, a cleverly crafted, tongue-in-cheek feature.
The story begins in 2003, when by apparent coincidence, gay marriage and marijuana are legalized on the same day. Coincidence or trend? Either way, quiet, boring Canada suddenly explodes.
Soon Canadians are not the only ones enjoying their newly forged liberties. Citizens from "The Land of the Free" flock across the border to marry their same-sex partners. Others come to smoke marijuana. AWOL U.S. army soldiers arrive to seek refugee status. To many, Canada has become a red-and-white beacon of freedom around the world.
Canada, used to being called cold, is suddenly "cool."
But within months, Canada re-criminalizes marijuana and there's a new campaign to turn back gay marriage. In his signature no-holds-barred style, Nerenberg reveals a never-before-seen Canada, in an action-packed voyage into freedom Canadian style. -
Duncan Campbell Scott: The Poet and the IndiansJames Cullingham 1995 56 minDuncan Campbell Scott (1862-1947) is best known as one of Canada's prominent early literary figures. That he was also a federal civil servant who rose through the bureaucracy to become one of the most powerful heads of the Indian Department, is not well known. From 1913 to 1932, Scott was responsible for the implementation of the most repressive and brutal assimilation programs Canada ever levied against First Nations, Metis and Inuit Peoples. Duncan Campbell Scott: The Poet and the Indians explores the apparent contradiction between Scott, the sensitive and respected poet, and Scott, the insensitive enforcer of Canada's most tyrannical policies.
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Robert Lepage2009 6 minFor Robert Lepage, every production begins with a sense of exploration and discovery, whether it is an intimate one-man show, or a re-staging of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle. Lepage's work marries technology with ritual, magic with cutting-edge effects to completely reinvent theatrical space. Director J. Peter Allen borrows a page from Lepage's favourite creative mediums (film and stage) to fashion a subtly shifting view of the famed director, playwright, actor and filmmaker at work.
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AfterwardsRomane Garant Chartrand 2023 24 minInside a shelter, participants in a talking circle share their experiences of intimate partner violence as a way to regain their dignity and strength to act. Powerfully empathetic, Afterwards creates a space of sisterhood and solidarity—a chorus of voices breaking down the walls of silence.
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NFB Pause with Laurie Rousseau-NeptonSimon Rouillard 2023 1 min"Girls have to take up space in the sciences. We're here and we matter!" Meet Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, astrophysicist, inspiring role model, and host of our upcoming documentary series North Star.
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O'SiemGillian Darling 1996 53 minThis documentary offers an engrossing portrait of Gene Harry, devoted husband, father, and foster father. He's also a Church Minister, champion dragon boat racer, long-boat canoe paddler, and Eagle Spirit Dancer in the traditional Salish Long House. In short, he's remarkable. And when he speaks, people listen. Discover why with this up-close look a the humble, yet charismatic, First Nations spiritual healer.
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Death of a SkylineBryan Smith 2003 41 minA 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?
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The Geographies of DARMonique LeBlanc 2023 1 h 13 minA visually stunning film on acclaimed author David Adams Richards and his connection to one of Canada’s most overlooked yet breathtaking regions.
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Stolen TimeHelene Klodawsky 2023 1 h 25 minA compelling call for justice, Stolen Time follows charismatic elder rights lawyer Melissa Miller as she takes on the corporate for-profit nursing-home industry—an industry notorious for its lack of transparency and accountability. As the legal battle unfolds, families, frontline caregivers and change-makers chronicle an urgent crisis with ramifications—and inspiration—for us all.
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Modern GooseKarsten Wall 2022 22 minAble to navigate by reading the Earth’s magnetic field, at home on land, air and water, geese straddle the territory between ancient instincts and the contemporary world. Combining beauty, humour and profound empathy, director Karsten Wall’s exquisitely observed film essay embeds in the daily life of these iconic animals to reveal a deeper message of continuity and connection.
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Losing BlueLeanne Allison 2023 16 minWhat does it mean to lose a colour? Losing Blue is a cinematic poem about losing the otherworldly blues of ancient mountain lakes, now fading due to climate change. With stunning cinematography, this short doc immerses the viewer in the magnificence of these rare lakes, pulling us in to stand on their rocky shores, witness their power and understand what their loss would mean—both for ourselves and for the Earth.
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Miss Campbell: Inuk TeacherHeather Campbell 2023 15 minPart oral history and part visual poem, Miss Campbell: Inuk Teacher is the story of Evelyn Campbell, a trailblazer for an Inuit-led educational system in the small community of Rigolet, Labrador.
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Fire-Jo-BallAudrey Nantel-Gagnon 2023 16 minJo-Ann, a 57-year-old bartender, dreams of becoming a singer and actress. Oscillating between spectacular and intimate, between extra and ordinary, Jo-Ann infuses her daily life (and the film) with true main-character energy. At the crossroads of genres, Fire-Jo-Ball paints the portrait of a woman who loves all things rosy even, if her life isn’t always so.
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Arab Women Say What?!Nisreen Baker 2023 1 h 22 minWith unadulterated truth and complexity, Arab Women Say What?! paints an unparalleled portrait of Arab women living in Canada. The film offers a counter-mainstream narrative that embraces the unique experiences and perspectives of eight Arab women sharing their insights, cuisine and laughter. Amid the rhythm of poetry and music, they tackle issues of feminism, politics, exile and the yearning for a sense of belonging.
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WaaPaKe (Tomorrow)Jules Arita Koostachin 2023 1 h 20 minFor generations, the suffering of residential school Survivors has radiated outward, impacting Indigenous families and communities. Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin’s deeply personal documentary WaaPaKe (Tomorrow) moves beyond intergenerational trauma, with an invitation to unravel the tangled threads of silence and unite in collective freedom and power.
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Miserable MiracleRyo Orikasa 2023 8 minDirected by Japanese filmmaker Ryo Orikasa, the animated short Miserable Miracle was inspired by Henri Michaux’s book of poetry and drawings of the same name, about his experiences with mescaline. The film explores the limits of language and perception, creating connections between sound, meaning, shapes and movement.
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NFB Pause: RegenerationSimon Rouillard 2023 3 min
Regeneration is a journey into the heart of nature's power. Showing at Montreal's Jardin Botanique, the film tells the story of plants regenerating a piece of land.
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The Pacifist Who Went to WarDavid Neufeld 2002 51 minThis 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.
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SanctuaryJamie Escallon-Buraglia 2005 12 minA 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.
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Black, Bold and BeautifulNadine Valcin 1999 42 minAfros, 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. -
Alone, TogetherPaul Émile d'Entremont 2001 24 minIs culture accepting of difference? This is the vital question that Nova Scotia filmmaker Paul Émile d'Entremont asks in his film about difference and identity. Alone, Together charts the quest of two Acadians: Simon, who is trying to come to terms with his sexuality, and Cynthia, who is searching for her biological mother. The filmmaker sees himself in Simon and Cynthia who, each in their own way, is seeking an answer to the existential questions: who am I? where do I belong? In daring to come out with his homosexuality, Simon is also able to assume his Acadian identity. After finding her birth mother, Cynthia finally untangles the various strands of her identity. Alone, Together shows Acadia as a multifaceted society embracing the more open attitudes of the 21st century. Today's Acadians are able to assume their difference and create their own identity. In French with English subtitles.
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ObservationPatrick Bossé 2023 16 minLaurie returns to the Ashuapmushuan Wildlife Reserve to meet with her father. Here, as a child, she honed her sense of observation, which today serves her well in her astronomy career.
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CollaborationPatrick Bossé 2023 14 min
Laurie and her intern Justine talk about the role women play in the field of astrophysics, and the creation of SIGNALS, the massive project headed by Laurie.
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LightPatrick Bossé 2023 14 min
Laurie and her intern Justine Giroux take a dive into Hawaiian culture and tour the impressive CFHT observatory, more than 4,200 metres above sea level.
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OriginsPatrick Bossé 2023 17 min
Laurie’s worldview is unique, drawing from elements of both Innu culture and her scientific knowledge. Her insight makes her an inspiring guest speaker for four high-school girls.
