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In Her Chosen FieldBarbara Evans 1989 28 minThis striking documentary pays tribute to the importance of women farmers to the agricultural economy, and recognizes the invisible subsidy their labour provides to consumers. Farm women from various parts of Canada, ranging in age from their thirties to seventies, are shown running a variety of farm operations, including mixed farming in Saskatchewan, wheat farming in Manitoba and dairy farming in Ontario. The women also share their views on agriculture today and their attempt to deal with economic and social challenges. -
Adam's WorldDonna Read 1989 19 minIntercut with illustrative stock footage, Adam's World present a short lecture by Elizabeth Dodson Gray, a feminist theologian, environmentalist, and futurist. She speaks to us about the severity of our global environmental crisis, and analyzes the root cause of this crisis as lying in the perceptions, beliefs, and assumptions of the patriarchal system we have inherited.
Elizabeth Dodson Gray also offers a feminist perspective on language, and connects the vocabulary of feminized nature to the denigration of women in our culture. Citing such examples as "the exploitation of virgin resources" and "the rape of the earth," she analyzes the role of such language as well as that of male generic language in perpetuating our global crisis. Finally, she calls upon society to nurture the woman's point of view. For it is woman's care-giving capacities, affinity for the long-term future, and awareness of our interconnectedness with all species, that can help build a radically different ethic, and enable planet Earth to survive. -
ChangesMoira Simpson 1989 18 minThis film explores the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty. Imaginative, animated sequences illustrate the amazing physical changes the body undergoes. Myths are dispelled and youngsters are encouraged to feel pride in themselves and their emerging sexuality.
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Especially YouMoira Simpson 1989 16 minThe last film in the series focuses on the skills pre-adolescents will need to cope with peer pressure. Animated sequences reflecting universal peer-pressure situations, and live-action role-playing sequences, help children gain skill in decision-making. When the action is stopped in the middle of a scene, the children are challenged to come up with their own solutions to the problem.
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Head Full of QuestionsMoira Simpson 1989 19 minThe first film in the Growing Up series tells curious pre-adolescents the facts they want to know, with an appealing mix of humour and imagination. Topics discussed include sexual attraction and sexual intercourse, fertilization, the growth of an embryo and birth of a baby, as well as a brief look at AIDS and at birth control. Detailed information about relationships is presented through the loving connection between two animated characters, Fred and Anna. The two hosts engage the students in discussion, encouraging them to ask questions and share their thoughts and feelings.
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Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 3 - Falling Apart and Getting TogetherArthur Hammond 1989 53 minWorld War II turns Canada into an industrial power, and creates a mass trade-union movement. Mackenzie King responds with unemployment insurance and full legal status for unions. In 1944, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation comes to power in Saskatchewan, under Tommy Douglas, the first socialist government in North America. With the formation of the Canadian Labour Congress in 1956, CCF and CLC energies are directed toward the formation of the New Democratic Party in 1961. Part 3 of the series.
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Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 2 - Born of Hard TimesArthur Hammond 1989 51 minThe world plunges into the Great Depression which, like most leaders, Canada's R.B. Bennett refuses to combat with unbalanced budgets and government spending. Inspired by reports from Russia, many turn to communism for solutions. The 1937 General Motors strike in Oshawa gives the Congress of Industrial Organizations a toehold in Canada, but on the eve of World War II Canada's tiny unions remain blocked by restrictive labour laws and, like the equally tiny Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, locked in struggle with communist rivals. Part 2.
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Shattered DreamsWendy Hill-Tout 1989 27 minShattered Dreams is a powerful and emotional exploration of the experiences of a family forced to deal with the tragedy of schizophrenia in a loved one; not once, but twice. The Martini family of Calgary lived through the turmoil of losing their youngest son Ben to schizophrenia and eventually suicide, only to discover six years later that a second son, Liv, has developed the disease. Clem Martini, a third brother, narrates the film, sharing with us his family's journey through a world of confusion, guilt, loss and ultimately, hope. (Broadcast on CBC's Man Alive series.)
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Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 1 - International Background - Canadian RootsArthur Hammond 1989 54 minA look at the problematic relationship of Canadian unions and the New Democratic Party on the eve of the 1980s, as the Socialist International meets in Vancouver. This triggers a flashback to the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, and the birth of both modern trade unions and democratic socialism. The influence of British, American and European immigration, of American trade unions, World War 1 and other events provide a turbulent and fascinating backdrop to the evolution of the Canadian labour-socialist alliance. Part 1.
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Older Stronger WiserClaire Prieto 1989 27 minIn this short documentary, five black women talk about their lives in rural and urban Canada between the 1920s and 1950s. What emerges is a unique history of Canada’s black people and the legacy of their community elders. Produced by the NFB’s iconic Studio D.
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Pelts: Politics of the Fur TradeNigel Markham 1989 56 minThe fur trade is Canada's oldest industry, but today some people challenge the morality of killing animals for their fur. This film examines the public relations war raging between the industry and its opponents and takes an objective look at the ethical, environmental and economic issues raised by the debate. The struggle to win over public opinion has been joined by Indigenous peoples in Canada who fear that their way of life will be jeopardized if the fur industry is destroyed. The cycle of the industry is followed from the trapper's bush camp and the fur ranch to the final sale of a coat in the furrier's salon. Throughout the film, the conflicting opinions of fur industry representatives, animal rights activists and Indigenous people challenge the viewer to consider all aspects of this complex debate.
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AnniversaryMarc Aubry & Michel Hébert 1989 11 minIn this short animation celebrating the NFB's 50th anniversary, a cast of computer-animated characters discovers that ingenuity often proves essential in the making of a film.
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The BoxCo Hoedeman 1989 10 minOscar-winning animator Co Hoedeman and his newest creature come together in this enchanting and colourful fable about the joys and pains of growing up. No sooner has the paint dried, than the puppet begins to take its first few steps and, urged on by the artist, begins to discover a wider world. He experiences the joys of playtime and sharing and eventually begins to spread his social wings. The film charts the shaping of a personality, and the evolution of a sense of self-awareness until the creature is ready to leave its protective environment. Live-action, puppets and pixilation create this amazing world of fantasy. Film without words.
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The First Emperor of ChinaTony Ianzelo & Liu Hao Xue 1989 42 minThis historical drama tells the story of Qin Shihuang, who unified China’s vast territory and declared himself emperor in 221 B.C. During his reign, he introduced sweeping reforms, built a vast network of roads and connected the Great Wall of China. From the grandiose inner sanctum of Emperor Qin's royal palace, to fierce battles with feudal kings, this film re-creates the glory and the terror of the Qin Dynasty, including footage of Qin's life-sized terra cotta army, constructed 2,200 years ago for his tomb. The First Emperor of China was shot entirely in IMAX.
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Illuminated Lives: A Brief History of Women's Work in the Middle AgesEllen Besen 1989 5 minThis animated short challenges enduring myths, spawned by fairy tales and romances, about women in medieval society. It explores the differences and similarities between that distant period and our own, and shows what medieval women’s lives were really like.
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Age Is No BarrierFrancis Damberger 1989 24 minThis short documentary features a group of seniors called the "U of Agers" who meet twice a week at the University of Alberta to do gymnastics. The U of Agers are just "ordinary" people trying to do "extraordinary" things and confirm that if they can do gymnastics, then others in Canada have the potential to excel at whatever inspires them.
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The Cirque: An American OdysseyNathalie Petrowski 1989 50 minThis short documentary chronicles the Cirque du Soleil’s 1988 United States tour. As the fledgling Quebec circus sets up its big top in New York City, where it garners rave reviews, circus artists discuss what it means to be a part of this success and the price they pay for taking part in the American Dream.
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Welcome to CanadaJohn N. Smith 1989 1 h 26 minThis feature drama tells the story of the illegal landing of a boatload of Southeast Asians on Canada's east coast in 1986. Based on an actual incident, the film follows 8 Sri Lankan Tamils who find temporary sanctuary in an isolated outport in Newfoundland after being rescued from certain death at sea by a group of fishermen. A warm portrayal of an unusual encounter between 2 cultures worlds apart.
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Canada's Capital: Behind the ScenesIan Ferguson 1989 24 minThis short film presented in a TV news-magazine format, is hosted by 2 young Canadians and a zany reporter on location in Ottawa. Their mission: to explore the capital "behind the scenes." The result is an intriguing look at Canada's capital and how it serves people across the country.
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Notman's WorldAlbert Kish 1989 29 minThis documentary short is a portrait of Canadian photographer William Notman. Photography was still in its infancy when he opened his first studio in Montreal in the late 1850s. He rapidly turned his art, and a budding technology, into a highly successful business. Within 5 years he was appointed Photographer to the Queen. Not content with doing mere portraiture, he saw photography as a means of documenting history. With the use of props in his studio, composite photographs, and calling on his background as a trained artist, Notman immortalized the people and places of Canada.
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KamikElise Swerhone 1989 14 minThis short documentary is a portrait of Ulayok Kaviok, one of the last of a generation of Inuit, born and bred on the land. Ulayok and her family, like many Inuit today, strive to balance 2 very different worlds. Her skills in making the sealskin boots called kamik may soon be lost in the cultural transformation overtaking her community. Kamik offers a glimpse of those universes and the thread one woman weaves between them.
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Jack Kerouac's Road - A Franco-American OdysseyHerménégilde Chiasson 1989 54 minPart documentary, part drama, this film presents the life and work of Jack Kerouac, an American writer with Québec roots who became one of the most important spokesmen for his generation. Intercut with archival footage, photographs and interviews, this film takes apart the heroic myth and even returns to the childhood of the author whose life and work contributed greatly to the cultural, sexual and social revolution of the 1960s.
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Black Mother Black DaughterSylvia Hamilton & Claire Prieto 1989 28 minBlack Mother Black Daughter explores the lives and experiences of black women in Nova Scotia, their contributions to the home, the church and the community and the strengths they pass on to their daughters.
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Who Gets In?Barry Greenwald 1989 52 minWho Gets In? explores the many questions raised by Canada's immigration policy in the face of one of the world's largest immigration movements. Shot in 1988 in Africa, Canada and Hong Kong, the film reveals first-hand what Canadian immigration officials are looking for in potential new Canadians, and the economic, social and political priorities orienting their choices.
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Movie ShowmanHarvey Spak 1989 29 minThis short film portrays the NFB's itinerant projectionists during the ’40s and early ’50s who travelled throughout Canada, bringing films and discussions to rural communities. The film uses a mix of dramatic re-enactments with archival footage and interviews with veterans of the movie circuit to shed light on an important period in Canadian film history.
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Goddess RememberedDonna Read 1989 54 minThis documentary is a salute to 35,000 years of the goddess-worshipping religions of the ancient past. The film features Merlin Stone, Carol Christ, Luisah Teish and Jean Bolen, all of whom link the loss of goddess-centric societies with today's environmental crisis.
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Juke-BarMartin Barry 1989 10 minThis animated short introduces a juke box into a greasy spoon diner overrun with cockroaches. The cockroaches get caught up in the music as their lives are transformed by the arrival of this new machine. But the restaurant's owner has a plan: will he be able to outsmart his uninvited guests?
