Audacieux

Michael Bublé reveals the source of his creative courage in this captivating short film. By the age of five, Bublé knew that music was his destiny. While other performers sang pop tunes, Bublé was swinging the standards on the club scene, becoming an indie artist long before it was cool. Supported by a devoted family who always believed in his dreams, Bublé remains a rebel. With 50 million albums sold, this inimitable Canadian artist is beloved by audiences around the globe, and continues to defy all expectations.

A legend in his own mind, as well as a few other places, actor Eugene Levy's (American Pie, Best in Show) eyebrows alone deserve a place in the hallowed halls of national treasures. Join director Robin Neinstein as he engages Levy in an infotainment interview that goes horribly wrong. This film was produced for the 2008 Governor General's Performing Arts Award.

Fils d’un humble immigrant italien, E. Noël Spinelli a consacré la majeure partie de sa vie à rendre la musique accessible à la communauté ouvrière de Lachine, au Québec. Témoignage émouvant de l’amour profond que M. Spinelli voue à l’opéra et à Puccini, ce court métrage nous fait découvrir ce que la musique lui a apporté et ce qui le motive à nous faire partager sa magie.

Revealing Marie Saint Pierre is an art documentary about Quebec fashion designer Marie Saint Pierre. The film gives razor sharp insights into her creative process, and being a woman and an entrepreneur in the exclusive world of luxury fashion. Influenced by childhood friend Riopelle, the internationally renowned Canadian painter and sculptor, Marie Saint Pierre chose fashion to express herself, but as a world-class artist she could have easily become a filmmaker, a painter or a sculptor.

A gentle blend of music, people and nature; a summer camp where melodies ripple off the waves and rhythms bounce out of the shadows. Every summer since 1953, CAMMAC (Canadian Amateur Musicians/Musiciens Amateurs du Canada) has held a bilingual music camp in Québec's Laurentian Mountains. Here, people of all ages and levels of musical ability come together to learn and make music with a professional staff of Canadian and international musicians.

This short documentary is a profile of Healey Willan, composer, conductor, choirmaster, organist and teacher. We follow Dr. Willan from his seat at his favourite organ in the church where he is choirmaster to his study where he works, and to a visit with his students at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Throughout, the sound of beautiful music accompanies Dr. Willan’s journeys.

In this short animation a single room is the setting for a lyrical dance through time about family roots. The objects in the room swirl, rearrange and change themselves to reflect the passing seasons, years and generations. As Victorian Christmas fantasies give way to computer-age realities, the procession of objects reaffirms the values that endure the vagaries of fashion and the ravages of time.

Three songs: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, Rock-A-Bye Baby, One More River to Cross, and the piano exercise Chopsticks, illustrated by animated figures.

This animated short describes an incident in the War of 1812. Here, colourful drawings give a satirical twist to the engagement between a British ship, the H.M.S. Shannon, and an American ship, the U.S.S. Chesapeake. Sung to guitar accompaniment by Canadian folksinger Tom Kines.

This short documentary is about a young Cuban band that has recently moved to Canada. The members spend their days learning English and their nights playing and rehearsing their own blend of Cuban salsa music in clubs. The film follows the musicians, capturing their constant discussions about the political situation at home and the problems of citizen engagement in both communist Cuba and democratic Canada.

This animated short by Pjotr Sapegin is inspired by Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly. The puppet Butterfly lives alone on an island, until a white ship brings the handsome sailor Pinkerton. They become passionate lovers. Eventually his ship leaves, and Butterfly waits longingly for her lover to return. She feels an ocean of life growing in her belly. The ocean swells, and a small, unprotected mussel washes up on the shores of her body. He soon grows into a beautiful child. But when Pinkerton finally returns, he tears away Butterfly's child, dashing all her hopes. Butterfly can only find comfort in death... but how is a puppet to die?