Le Tableau noir

A general look at the Québec art scene--what painters and sculptors say about their work, about the place of art in society, and what has fired Québec's particular interest in art. The views of well-known artists are heard, as well as those of several museum directors, art critics, and some members of the lay public who confess to be not entirely in accord with the more modern art forms.

In this revealing study of Norval Morrisseau, filmed as he works among the lakes and woodlands of his ancestors, we see a remarkable Indigenous artist who emerged from a life of obscurity in the North American bush to become one of Canada's most renowned painters. Morrisseau the man is much like his paintings: vital and passionate, torn between his Ojibway heritage and the influences of the white man's world. Jack Pollock, the Toronto art gallery owner who discovered Morrisseau's paintings in the early 1960s, comments on what makes them so unique.

A documentary about the self-taught painter William Kurelek, told through his paintings. There are scenes of village life in the Ukraine and the early days of struggle on a prairie homestead and the growing comfort of family life. In Ontario, Kurelek paints the present life of Canada with the same pleasure he painted the old.

This short mockumentary explores the life of chronic doodler David Watts. Taking himself very seriously, the film’s narrator traces the history of Watts’ problem back to a second grade notebook cover and follows it through to its natural end – a man who covers every available surface with doodling… including his wife.

This short film depicts Canada as it was a hundred years ago, as seen through the paintings of artist and adventurer Cornelius Krieghoff. The changing seasons, the Quebec countryside, village life — all were an unending inspiration to Krieghoff.

This documentary is about Canadian artist Deryk Houston, who in 1999, had a life-altering journey to Baghdad. Unable to remain an outside observer of the crisis in Iraq, Deryk travelled to witness first-hand the impact of international sanctions on the Iraqi people. Compelled to speak out, the artist embarked upon a unique nature art project designed to call attention to the situation of the children of Iraq. Using rocks, gravel and hay, Deryk began to create large-scale art installations in the image of a mother and child against diverse landscapes around the world.

This Emmy-nominated feature film is an intimate and evocative journey into the hearts, minds and eyes of Georgia O’Keeffe, Emily Carr and Frida Kahlo - 3 of the 20th century’s most remarkable artists. The film uses the women’s own words, taken from their letters and diaries, to reveal 3 individual creative processes in all their subtle and fascinating variety.

Although when he was alive, Vincent Van Gogh hadn't enough money to pay for his art materials, a hundred years later his painting "The Irises" sold for an unprecedented sum at a New York auction. This animated short, excerpted from Jacques Giraldeau's 1989 film Le Tableau noir, takes a loving look at the masterwork.

This feature documentary follows 2 artists, Thelma Pepper and Jeff Nachtigall, as they work with the residents of Sherbrooke Community Centre, a long-term care facility in Saskatoon. As Thelma documents the residents of Sherbrooke through her own portrait photography, Jeff spends close to a year as artist-in-residence, helping them make art. The film explores how creativity can transform people's lives, from the abled to the differently abled—all the while vividly demonstrating the healing power of art and community.

This feature-length documentary follows naturalist Bill Mason on his journey by canoe into the Ontario wilderness. The filmmaker and artist begins on Lake Superior, then explores winding and sometimes tortuous river waters to the meadowlands of the river's source. Along the way, Mason paints scenes that capture his attention and muses about his love of the canoe, his artwork and his own sense of the land.

Mason also uses the film as a commentary on the link between God and nature and the vast array of beautiful canvases God created for him to paint. Features breathtaking visuals and exciting whitewater footage, with a musical score by Bruce Cockburn.

For more background info on this film, visit the NFB.ca blog.

This short film introduces us to the "automatistes," followers of an abstract art form that developed in Montreal. The movement, initiated by Paul-Émile Borduas, is explained by the artists themselves when narrator Bruce Ruddick drops in at their cooperative studio. The film also captures painter Paterson Ewen at his home and joins the crowd at L'Échouerie, the artists' rendezvous spot. Dr. Robert Hubbard, chief curator of the National Gallery of Canada, comments on non-objective art in general and automatism in particular.