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"E"Bretislav Pojar & Francine Desbiens 1981 6 minUnder the guise of a pretty fairy tale, this animated short makes a strong political statement. Animated paper cut-outs enact a drama in which a dictator imposes his delusions on his unfortunate subjects. The humour is black and, despite the absence of dialogue, the message is crystal clear. -
E. Noël Spinelli: Sharing the Magic of MusicBobbi Jo Hart 2019 5 minThe son of a humble Italian immigrant, E. Noël Spinelli has dedicated most of his life to making music accessible to his blue-collar community of Lachine, Quebec. This short film offers a poignant emotional journey into his deep love of opera and Puccini, quietly revealing what music has given to Mr. Spinelli, and why he is so passionately committed to sharing its magical gifts.
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NFB Pause | Marc St-PierreJoannie Lafrenière 2018 2 minTravel back in time and discover some hidden gems with our French collection curator, Marc St-Pierre, as he discusses the wonders of our archive in the latest episode of #NFBPause!
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NFB Pause with Vincent Morisset and Sean MichaelsSimon Rouillard 2020 2 min"It’s like a gift exchange. People give us a small part of themselves, and in return we give them an experience that's truly different and unique.” With Motto, director Vincent Morisset and author Sean Michaels have developed an innovative new way to tell a story on your phone. Now, it's your turn to add to the narrative."
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NFB Pause: Filmmaking in LabradorSimon Rouillard 2022 3 min"The more Inuit filmmakers we have out there telling stories about Inuit, the more that we can see ourselves reflected back in the media, the more that we can feel that we have the power to tell our stories too." Meet Ossie Michelin and Jennie Williams, two Inuit filmmakers who have decided to share unique stories and traditions from the Labrador Inuit.
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Each Day That ComesGraham Parker 1966 27 minA glimpse into the nature of loneliness. Frances Hyland plays the part of a small-town girl who enjoys position and respect in her community as the owner of a successful dress shop, but who wonders if marriage might not have been a better choice. Disturbed by thoughts of what might have been, she resolves to live each day as it comes.
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Earth KeepersSylvie Van Brabant 2009 1 h 22 minThis feature documentary by Sylvie Van Brabant introduces us to Mikael Rioux, a young Québécois activist who founded Échofête, Quebec’s first environmental festival. Spurred by his passionate concern for the world his son will inherit, Rioux goes on a global quest to meet 7 visionaries with concrete solutions to ecological problems. Together, they offer a survival guide for our planet and a journey back to hope.
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Earth to MouthYung Chang 2002 41 minFilmed at the Wing Fong Farm in Ontario, this documentary follows the tilling, planting and harvesting of Asian vegetables destined for Chinese markets and restaurants. On 80 acres of land, Lau King-Fai, her son and a half-dozen migrant Mexican workers care for the plants. For Yeung Kwan, her son, the farm represents personal and financial independence. For his mother, it is an oasis of peace. For the Mexican workers, it provides jobs that help support their children back home.
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EarthwareRick Raxlen & Donald Winkler 1975 10 minThis short, impressionistic film takes us to Nigeria, Japan, Mexico and India, where craftsmen work clay to produce ritual vessels and everyday objects. Film without words.
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East Side ShowdownRobin Benger 1999 46 minThis feature documentary is a portrait of the downtown Toronto neighbourhood of Dundas and Sherbourne, where the gap between rich and poor is growing wide. There, middle-class homeowners, angry radicals, desperate drug addicts and people simply looking for a place to lay their head are embattled in a bitter struggle for space. Angel, a prostitute and drug addict, dodges the law. Bed-and-breakfast owner Renée rails against the sex and drug trade. Community organizer John Clarke advocates direct action in defence of the poor. And at the eye of this storm is Reverend Jeannie Loughrey, whose drop-in centre provides much-needed help for the poor, yet homeowners accuse the centre of harbouring criminals and are lobbying to shut it down. Contains coarse language and scenes of drug use.
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Eastern GraphicMichael McKennirey & Kent Martin 1975 19 minThis short film takes a look at Prince Edward Island through the eyes of Jim McNeil, editor and publisher of the Eastern Graphic, the Island's only weekly. Filmed during the 1974 provincial election, the film places particular emphasis on grass-roots politicking and the newspaper's role in reporting on it.
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An Easy Pill to SwallowRobert Lang 1978 29 minThis short documentary tackles the topic of tranquilizers, a family of pharmaceutical drugs Canadians are avid consumers of. In the form of an ongoing dialogue for and against these drugs, the film introduces us to doctors and patients who approach the prescription issue from different angles. Is there such a thing as an “easy pill”?
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EaudeThea Pratt 2004 1 minIn this short animation Thea Pratt explores the exhilarating moment of a poetic dive. The movement of the puppet diver is influenced by Norman McLaren, Leni Riefenstahl and Busby Berkeley. Dancing light, frothing oceans, rolling rivers and calm lakes describe in photographic images the diver’s own stream of consciousness.
Produced as part of the second edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
Eclipse at Grand'Mère1964 6 minThis six-minute short documentary captures the eclipse of July 20, 1963, in the small town of Grand-Mère, Quebec. The eclipse was plainly visible and attended by scientists, stargazers, and an influx of visitors who came to see it and join in the accompanying festivities.
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An Ecology of HopeFernand Dansereau 2001 1 h 24 minA documentary portrait of ecologist Pierre Dansereau, the film takes us from Baffin Island to New York City, from the Gaspé Peninsula to Brazil. At each stop on this world tour, we hear his story and witness landscapes of breathtaking beauty.
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Edge of IceWilliam Hansen 1986 55 minThis feature documentary highlights the nature of Arctic sea ice, and its crucial importance to life in the Far North. Underwater photography presents rare views of some of the most spectacular wildlife, with micro- and macro-photography enhancing the world within the individual ice crystals. Footage from Inuit hunting camps at the floe’s edge illuminate the relationship between the Arctic people and their intricate ecosystem.
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EdgeCode: (Post) Modern TimesBrian Johnson 2006 5 minThis short experimental film riffs on the conventions of silent cinema by examining Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times within the context of postmodern culture. It explores an integrated relationship between music and cinematic structure in response to the perceived shortcomings of postmodernism.
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EdgeCode: I Thought of You OftenYun Lam Li 2006 5 minTranslated from a self-reflexive Chinese saying, Yun Lam Li's I thought of you often, this film is a visual poem about the meaning of aging within a culture that is not one's own.
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EdgeCode: Mechanical Animal MemoryAmanda Dawn Christie 2006 5 minThis experimental short explores the dual use of film as both mnemonic device and documentary archive. To achieve this, filmmaker Amanda Dawn Christie uses images from home movies that have been damaged, leaving edge code, sprockets, and optical tracks exposed.
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EdgeCode: Sayonara Super 8Pia Yona Massie 2006 5 minPia Yona Massie's Sayonara Super 8 uses personal archival footage to ask questions about the fragile nature of memory, human relationships and the foibles of the medium itself.
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EdgeCode: UnderfootAlex Mackenzie 2006 5 minThis experimental animated short dissects the Earth's surface and soil. Filmmaker Alex Mackenzie uses a specially built film exposure device to study the insect world, with remarkable results. Living insects are rendered as photograms on the surface of film stock, pulsating and teeming with life.
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Edith Butler - Daughter of the Wind and AcadieMonique LeBlanc 2009 5 minCombining interviews with teachers, admirers and musical peers, as well as footage from 40 years of performing, director Monique Leblanc's film captures singer/songwriter Édith Butler's moving artistry. A master show woman, Édith is always in flight – singing, playing, her long hair flying, with an epic grin on her face, covering everything from the softest lament to the most rollicking infectious footstomper. This film was produced for the 2009 Governor General's Performing Arts Award.
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Edmond Was a DonkeyFranck Dion 2012 15 minThis animated short about social conformity tells the story of Edmond - a very "different" sort of guy. When his co-workers jokingly crown him with a pair of donkey ears, Edmond suddenly discovers his true identity. And while he enjoys his newfound self, the ears create an ever-widening gap between himself and others.
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El ContratoMin Sook Lee 2003 51 minThis documentary from Min Sook Lee follows a poverty-stricken father from Central Mexico, along with several of his countrymen, as they make their annual migration to southern Ontario to pick tomatoes. For 8 months a year, the town's population absorbs 4,000 migrant workers who toil under conditions, and for wages, that no local would accept. Yet despite a fear of repercussions, the workers voice their desire for dignity and respect.
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Elbow RoomDiane Obomsawin 2002 8 minThis animated short tackles the subjects of personal space, conflict, and conflict resolution in the workplace. At the office, tempers flare as two coworkers who are sitting dangerously close find themselves bumping elbows and spilling ink. The film demonstrates four common approaches to interpersonal tensions: retreat, aggression, denial and - finally – negotiation. This film is part of the ShowPeace series of lively animated films about conflict resolution. This series has received support from UNICEF and Justice Canada.
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The Elder ProjectEva Colmers 2010 2 h 11 minThe Elder Project follows seven diverse seniors over two years and records their experiences through a series of short and candid episodic stories. As they face the possibility of increasing frailty and transitioning into more dependent-living scenarios, the elders talk of their concerns and eloquently express their desire to grow older with dignity and some control over their future.
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Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot... He ScoresLouis Hone 1995 26 minThis short documentary traces the life and career of composer Eldon Rathburn. A music lover since childhood, Rathburn used to go to the movies in Saint John, New Brunswick, in the 1920s just to hear the soundtrack. In 1947, he joined the National Film Board as a staff composer and went on to score over 300 documentaries and feature films. He is responsible for the music heard in classic NFB films like City of Gold and the IMAX feature Momentum, as well as the scores for lesser-known “classics” like Hog Family Supreme and Fish Spoilage Control.
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Electromagnetic RadiationSylvain Charbonneau 2001 1 minWhat do X-rays, microwaves and light have in common? Part of the Science Please! collection for children.
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Eleven Moving Moments with Evelyn LambartDonald McWilliams 2017 1 h 3 minThis feature-length documentary shines a much-deserved spotlight on Evelyn Lambart, who stood side-by-side with Norman McLaren for 21 years. Dubbed The First Lady of Canadian Animation, Lambart was an accomplished animator in her own right. This compilation, playfully contextualized by filmmaker Donald McWilliams, aims to prove just that.
