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Shameless Propaganda

This feature documentary examines its own genre, which has often been called Canada's national art form. Released in the year of the NFB's 75th birthday, Shameless Propaganda is filmmaker Robert Lower's take on the boldest and most compelling propaganda effort in our history (1939-1945), in which founding NFB Commissioner John Grierson saw the documentary as a "hammer to shape society". All 500 of the films produced by the NFB until 1945 are distilled here for the essence of their message to Canadians. Using only these films and still photos from that era, Lower recreates the picture of Canada they gave …
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This feature documentary examines its own genre, which has often been called Canada's national art form. Released in the year of the NFB's 75th birthday, Shameless Propaganda is filmmaker Robert Lower's take on the boldest and most compelling propaganda effort in our history (1939-1945), in which founding NFB Commissioner John Grierson saw the documentary as a "hammer to shape society". All 500 of the films produced by the NFB until 1945 are distilled here for the essence of their message to Canadians. Using only these films and still photos from that era, Lower recreates the picture of Canada they gave us and looks in it for the Canada we know today. What he finds is by turns enlightening, entertaining, and unexpectedly disturbing.

History - Canada - 1920-1945 War, Conflict and Peace - World War II Archival Films Film and Video Arts Media and Communication All subjects
History All channels
  • writer
    Robert Lower
  • director
    Robert Lower
  • producer
    David Christensen
  • editor
    Robert Lower
  • narrator
    Robert Lower
  • composer
    Randolph Peters
  • sound effects editor
    John Schritt
  • narration recording
    John Schritt
  • foley recording
    John Schritt
  • sync effects editor
    Russ Dyck
  • narration editor
    Russ Dyck
  • foley artist
    Russ Dyck
  • assistant editor
    Liam Karp
    Diedra Bayne
  • research
    Elizabeth Klinck
    Sylvia Mezei
  • rights clearances
    Elizabeth Klinck
    Sylvia Mezei
  • technical coordinator
    Steve Hallé
  • online editor
    Denis Gathelier
  • re-recording
    Jean Paul Vialard
  • graphics
    Mélanie Bouchard
  • titles
    Mélanie Bouchard
  • photo research
    Claude Lord
    Yvon Larocque
  • photography restoration
    Claude Lord
    Yvon Larocque
  • technician, conservation & laboratory
    Nicola Gisondi
  • technician, digitization, conservation & laboratory
    Marie-France Rousseau
    Martin Forget
  • colourist
    Sylvie Marie Fortier
    Chantal Gagné
    Richard Lanoue
    Aldo La Ricca
  • audio restoration
    Sylvain Cajelais
    Claude Chevalier
    Luc Léger
  • production coordinator
    Ginette D'Silva
    Faye Yoneda
  • production supervisor
    Mark Power
  • marketing manager
    Leslie Stafford
  • program administrator
    Bree Beach
  • centre operations manager
    Darin Clausen
  • executive producer
    David Christensen

Education

Ages 10 to 18

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Shameless Propaganda
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