On le surnomme «Iceman» et il est champion du monde du kick-boxing, catégorie mi-lourd, depuis 1980. Jean-Yves Thériault est un gentilhomme dans toute la force du mot. Par quelle métamorphose cet être réservé et sans prétention, devient-il un être froid, dominateur et «enragé» lorsqu'il doit affronter un adversaire? André R. Lavoie a voulu savoir. Il l'a suivi pendant son entraînement, en banlieue d'Ottawa, jusqu'a Genève, où il devait livrer, encore une fois, un «ultime» combat, à l'image d'un héros solitaire confronté à son destin.
This bilingual film features the Commissioner of Official Languages and two intermediate school students. The Commissioner explains, in English and in French, the Official Languages Act, his duties and the activities of his Office under the Act. A number of light-hearted situations simulated in the film demonstrate how individual efforts can put Canada's two official languages on an equal basis.
A film portrait of Angus Mowat, with commentary by his son, author Farley Mowat. At seventy-six, Angus still shows an enviable capacity for life, turning his hand to things that the leisure of retirement now makes possible. One of these is the rebuilding of an old fishing boat, converting it to sail. This is a picture of a man who has reached his later years with no slackening of interest in life, who finds a good and constant companion in nature, and contentment in the quiet isolation of his cabin by the shore.
Moon Man is an animated short inspired by the song “Moon Man Newfie,” composed and sung by Canadian music legend Stompin' Tom Connors. It tells the story of folk hero Codfish Dan, who made Newfoundland history after a lucky fishing trip on the Milky Way.
Moon Man is the NFB’s second animated film using the revolutionary IMAX SANDDE digital system, which enables animators to draw and animate 3D images in space with a moving wand. It is presented here in its 2D version.
This short film celebrates Canada from coast to coast with the national anthem. This version of the anthem was arranged on the occasion of the 1976 Olympics.
This short film follows stuntman Ken Carter on the stock-car racing track, where he engages in crazy activities, such as driving his car off a ramp over a parked line of cars. Take a wild ride with Ken as he prepares for his act.
This feature-length documentary offers an inside look into the workings of a travelling circus. In 1976, directors Tony Ianzelo and Torben Schioler followed the various people involved with the Royal Brothers' Circus as they set up their tents and put on their show. Fascinating to watch, the film captures the 24-hour-a-day brand of magic that the circus evokes while revealing the nature of the people who run it.
For more background information on this film, please visit the NFB.ca blog.
In this feature-length documentary, director Paul Jay was given unprecedented access to the world of Bret Hart and pro wrestling as his camera followed Bret "the Hitman" Hart for one year. Going behind the tightly guarded walls of wrestling's spectacle and theatre, the film explores the meaning of today's wrestling morality plays. As fantasy crosses into real life, the true story of Bret Hart's struggle with Vince McMahon, the legendary owner of the WWE, is revealed. Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows climaxes with the tale of the biggest double-cross in pro wrestling.
This documentary short shines a light on British Columbia’s soccer culture. With a special focus on the successful Vancouver Italia team, the film celebrates the province’s most popular sport.
In this short documentary, award-winning filmmaker Annie Frazier Henry follows an elite handful of Indigenous athletes from British Columbia for two years as they make their way to the 2002 North American Indigenous Games in Winnipeg. Over 6,000 young sportsmen and women from across Canada and the US compete in the games, and this film serves as a tribute to their hard work, dedication, and achievements.
This feature-length documentary introduces viewers to Ken Carter, a Montreal-born stunt driver who made a living by risking his life. The film shines a light on the intense preparation that led to Carter’s first attempt to jump a car across a mile-wide stretch of the St. Lawrence River – a 5-year period during which the dare-devil raised a million dollars, erected a 10-storey take-off ramp and built a rocket-powered car.
For more background information on this film, please visit the NFB.ca blog.
In this Gilles Carle feature documentary on the game of chess, the international chess match is cast as a classic Western shoot-out. Three chess greats dominate the film: Russia's Anatoly Karpov; Viktor Korchnoi, a Russian defector; and American Bobby Fischer. Chess aficionados Camille Coudari and Fernando Arrabal analyze the personalities and strategies of the players and comment on the interplay of politics and chess.