Portrait documentaire d’Antonine Maillet, devenue célèbre en 1971 grâce au succès de La Sagouine. Trente ans après l’attribution du prix Goncourt à l’auteure pour son roman Pélagie-la-Charrette, Ginette Pellerin amène les spectateurs sur les lieux marquants de l’écrivaine. De Bouctouche à Montréal, en passant par Moncton et le Théâtre du Rideau Vert, le film offre un portrait de celle qui fait résonner la voix du peuple acadien dans le monde entier. Lectures d’extraits d’œuvres, confidences et entrevues avec des éditeurs, des professeurs, des journalistes, des comédiens, et Antonine, laissent un témoignage autobiographique exclusif.
This introspective short animation takes place In the village of Carcross, in the Tagish First Nation. Neighbourhood pillar Grandma Kay tell the local children the tale of how Crow brought fire to people. As the story unfolds, we also meet 12-year-old Tish, an introspective, talented girl who feels drawn to the elder. Here, past and present blend, myth and reality meet, and the metaphor of fire infuses all in a location that lies at the heart of this Native community’s spiritual and cultural memory.
This short film pays tribute to Acadian actress Viola Léger. One of the brightest stars in Canada’s artistic firmament, Léger is best known for her role as La Sagouine in the play of the same name by Acadian writer Antonine Maillet. She has performed it more than 2,500 times, winning rave reviews for her authentic and engaging portrayal. In this film, an in-depth interview combined with archival photos and videos captures the passion and vitality of a woman who, at the venerable age of 82, is ever willing to take on the roles still being offered to her.
Produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2013 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
This short follows grand dame of the theatre Diana Leblanc as she prepares for a role in The Dybbuk (Soulpepper Theatre Company) and gets ready to direct an opera (Madame Butterfly). The film weaves together archival footage, photographs, and animation depicting Leblanc as a young ballerina, offering an intimate reflection on her life’s passions, challenges, and lessons.
Produced by the NFB in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2015 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
Actor Françoise Faucher has embodied some of the greatest roles in French literature during her more than 60 years on stage. In this short documentary, she recalls the moments that led her to the theatre – and, as we watch images from her remarkable acting career, she speaks powerfully of how the best of our potential lies in our artistic expression.
This feature-length film tells the story of the passion between Marie de l’Incarnation, a mid-seventeenth-century nun and God, her "divine spouse." Fusing documentary and acting by Marie Tifo, whom we follow as she rehearses for this demanding role, the film paints an astonishing portrait of this mystic who abandoned her son and left France to build a convent in Canada, where she became the first female writer in New France.
This feature documentary by Jacques Godbout retraces the life of Hubert Aquin, one of Quebec's most brilliant writers. The film revolves around 2 episodes in Aquin's life: the dramatic events leading up to the publication of his first novel, and the anguish of the months preceding his suicide. (Aquin ended his life in 1977.) An unusual montage technique intercuts excerpts from a feature film in which he was the lead actor with the recollections of people who knew him well.
"Always remember to play," says Leslee Silverman, the visionary force behind the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, to 10-year-old William. The little boy stands at centre stage, rehearsing an exciting new role - that of Leslee Silverman.
Silverman observes with her customary wisdom and good humour. Drawing from Winnipeg's rich cultural tradition, she engages young people in the adventure of theatre, fired by the conviction that art belongs to everyone.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2011 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
This short animation is set to the words of poet Hélène Dorion. In the film, a man and a woman's love for each other rivals only their affection for the written word. Literature accompanies the murmur of their lives and the harmony of their feelings. Filmmaker Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s imagery parallels Dorion’s words to articulate the familiar cycles of longing, loss, and desire.
Interweaving poetry, painting, photography, music and sculpture, this feature documentary is an innovative look at the lives and work of Canadian men and women artists of Italian origin. Broaching issues of identity and culture, the film explores the relationship between the immigrant experience and the creative process.
While the townspeople in the village square raucously celebrate Christmas, a homeless man rescues a discarded box from the garbage. The box turns out to be magical, and it takes him on a spiritual journey far more fantastic than any of the villagers are likely to experience.
This feature-length Oscar®-nominated documentary focuses on Malcolm Lowry, author of one of the major novels of the 20th century, Under the Volcano. But while Lowry fought a winning battle with words, he lost his battle with alcohol. Shot on location in four countries, the film combines photographs, readings by Richard Burton from the novel and interviews with the people who loved and hated Lowry, to create a vivid portrait of the man.
Ages 14 to 18
Arts Education - Drama
English Language Arts - Quebec Literature
History and Citizenship Education - Society in New France (1608-1760)
Languages - French as a Second Language
What evidence is there in the film that Antonine Maillet blends “stories, history and imagination” (3:00)? Students can research Acadian history and the Acadian/Quebecois relationship and compare it to Louisiana’s French history, for example. How do smaller communities maintain their culture and prevent assimilation (15:00)? How does Antonine Maillet come to terms with the common perspective on “feminine intelligence” (24:00)? Watch the final excerpt again. Why is The Possibilities Are Endless an appropriate subtitle for the film?