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Federal/Provincial Government (45)

  1. Available in English Options
5 years old
18 years old
  • 645 Wellington
    645 Wellington
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    Kaveh Nabatian 2002 54 min
    A stone's throw from downtown Montreal, quirky artists, blue-collar workers and unconventional families are being forced to leave their old neighbourhood as high-tech firms move in. Like in so many other cities, the tech companies arrive with the promise of a rosy future--but it's one built on demolitions, evictions and the conversion of low-rent property to high-priced condos.

    This is a portrait of one building and its residents--people like Constanzo 'Fartman' Manna, an eccentric shipper and packer who's headed for Chile to marry the love of his life and bring her back to Montreal; artist Luc Bourbonnais, who is fighting desperately to hold on to the loft that inspires so much of his art; and Cuban émigré Rolando Zambrano, who ran a neighbourhood snack bar for nearly 30 years.

    Shot over a period of six months and set to a pulsing Latin and rock soundtrack, 645 Wellington not only opens a window onto the lives of the building's residents but brings the building itself to life. We come to know the dark hallways, the corners and the doorways. We get to know them well. Just as they are about to change, forever.

    645 Wellington was produced as part of the Reel Diversity Competition for emerging filmmakers of colour. Reel Diversity is a National Film Board of Canada initiative in partnership with CBC Newsworld.
  • Alexander Galt: The Stubborn Idealist
    Alexander Galt: The Stubborn Idealist
    Julian Biggs 1962 27 min
    For Alexander Galt it was the middle of the road, until he saw some hope for his dream of a united Canada. What was he like, this stubborn idealist? How did he measure up to other political strongmen of his time? In this film you sense the personal clashes and the interplay of political ambitions that left their mark on history.
  • Acadia Acadia ?!?
    Acadia Acadia ?!?
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    Michel Brault  &  Pierre Perrault 1971 1 h 57 min
    In the late 1960s, with the triumph of bilingualism and biculturalism, New Brunswick's Université de Moncton became the setting for the awakening of Acadian nationalism after centuries of defeatism and resignation. Although 40% of the province's population spoke French, they had been unable to make their voices heard. The movement started with students-sit-ins, demonstrations against Parliament, run-ins with the police - and soon spread to a majority of Acadians. The film captures the behind-the-scenes action and the students' determination to bring about change. An invaluable document of the rebirth of a people. In French with English subtitles.
  • Arctic Defenders
    Arctic Defenders
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    John Walker 2013 1 h 30 min
    Set in the dramatic and alluring landscape of the north, Arctic Defenders tells the remarkable story that began in1968 with a radical Inuit movement that changed the political landscape forever. It lead to the largest land claim in western civilization, orchestrated by young visionary Inuit with a dream - the governance of their territory - the creation of Nunavut. The story reveals Canada’s misguided attempts at sovereignty in the north and finds hope and inspiration from determined people who changed the rules of the game.
  • After the Ballot
    After the Ballot
    Manuel Foglia 2008 1 h 29 min
    After the Ballot is a full-length documentary portraying the gruelling everyday life of two Members of Quebec's National Assembly who, although at opposite ends of the political spectrum, share the fact that their sole power lies in their convictions. One is Daniel Turp, the PQ Member for Mercier. The other is Charlotte L'Écuyer, Liberal MNA for Pontiac. The film aptly illustrates that ordinary MNAs have very little authority since the real power is held by ministers who are subject to the ups and downs of a globalized economy. Meanwhile, their fellow citizens keep asking for the impossible…
  • Blackberry Subway Jam
    Blackberry Subway Jam
    Robert Doucet 1984 8 min
    This short animation based on a popular children's story by Robert Munsch tells the story of a young boy with a major problem: his apartment has become a subway station but his mother doesn't believe him and blames him for the commuters' mess. Jonathan takes his problem to City Hall and gets his first look at what bureaucratic bungling is all about.
  • Canada at War, Part 2: Blitzkrieg
    Canada at War, Part 2: Blitzkrieg
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    1962 27 min
    April - November 1940. With devastating speed Germany takes Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Italy declares war. The British withdraw from Dunkirk. Mackenzie King feels the Canadian pulse on conscription. England is strafed by the Luftwaffe, and Britons accept Churchill's challenge of 'blood, sweat and tears.'
  • Charles Tupper: The Big Man
    Charles Tupper: The Big Man
    Morten Parker 1961 28 min
    This short historical reenactment is a portrait of Canadian Father of Confederation Charles Tupper. The film harks back to a time when the idea of a federal union was still hotly debated, when it was unclear whether Nova Scotia would come in or remain out. It studies a bigger-than-life politician who won over both his bitterest opponent, Joseph Howe, and the people of this Maritime province, to finally lead Nova Scotia into the Canadian Confederation in 1867.
  • Canada's Capital: Behind the Scenes
    Canada's Capital: Behind the Scenes
    Ian Ferguson 1989 24 min
    This short film presented in a TV news-magazine format, is hosted by 2 young Canadians and a zany reporter on location in Ottawa. Their mission: to explore the capital "behind the scenes." The result is an intriguing look at Canada's capital and how it serves people across the country.
  • Conviction
    Conviction
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    Nance Ackerman Ariella Pahlke , … 2019 1 h 17 min
    Conviction envisions alternatives to prison through the eyes of women behind bars and those fighting on the front lines of the decarceration movement. Not another ‘broken prison’ film, this collaboration is a ‘broken society’ film—an ambitious and inspired re-build of our community, from the inside out. The film compels viewers to examine why we imprison the most vulnerable among us, and at what cost.
  • Democracy at Work - It's Your Choice
    Democracy at Work - It's Your Choice
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    Jane Churchill 1990 23 min
    This film is an excellent introduction to the workings of government in Canada. It outlines many of our crucial freedoms (like the right to vote and freedom of speech) and stresses the vital role that citizens play. Democracy at Work - It's Your Choice explains how the political system works--from how MPs represent us, to how Elections Canada organizes voting--and traces the history of democracy in Canada and the extension of the vote to all citizens. (Grades 6-12 civics and social studies.)
  • Danny
    Danny
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    Justin Simms  &  William D. MacGillivray 2014 1 h 23 min
    Danny Williams was the charismatic and unflinching Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador from 2003 to 2010. By the time he left office, he had become the most popular—and controversial—Canadian politician of his era.

    Laced with humour and revealing back-room anecdotes, Danny is the story of how Williams turned a “have not” into a “have” province. Known as a fighter, Williams famously took on prime ministers and Big Oil to ensure that benefits from the province’s abundant natural resources flowed back to its people. His mantra “no more giveaways” was key to his unprecedented popularity, but pride in his province made Williams a hero to its people.
  • Epidemic Foot and Mouth Disease: Saskatchewan, 1952
    Epidemic Foot and Mouth Disease: Saskatchewan, 1952
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    Larry Gosnell 1952 16 min
    A documentary report on the 1952 outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Saskatchewan. It details the effects of the disease on livestock and explains how the epidemic was brought under control. Made for the federal Department of Agriculture.
  • Examined Life
    Examined Life
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    Astra Taylor 2008 1 h 28 min

    “The unexamined life is not worth living.” —Socrates

    Examined Life pulls philosophy out of academia and classrooms and puts it back on the streets.

    In Examined Life, filmmaker Astra Taylor accompanies some of today’s most influential thinkers on a series of unique excursions through places and spaces that hold particular resonance for them and their ideas.

  • Elders / Gitchi-aya'aag
    Elders / Gitchi-aya'aag
    Angelina McLeod 2019 12 min
    The Elders of Shoal Lake 40 prepare a feast as part of their annual Fall Harvest, where they share traditional knowledge and teachings with the people of the community. As they prepare bannock, fish and meat, they plaintively recount traumatic experiences from their childhoods, including being hidden from residential school and remembering those who lost or risked their lives trying to cross the ice. When the Elders talk about their responsibility in caring for community members and passing their knowledge on to the next generation, they illuminate the powerful source of the community’s continued endurance and strength.
  • Women / Ikwewag
    Women / Ikwewag
    Angelina McLeod 2019 12 min
    Shoal Lake 40 women talk about their struggles, and those of their parents and grandparents, in trying to raise their families in a hazardous state of enforced isolation. Everyone in the community has a harrowing story of a loved one falling through the ice while trying to get across the lake, with pregnant women and new mothers fearing for their babies and having no choice but to make the trek in dangerous conditions. The film shows the key role of the community’s women in demanding funding for the road from three levels of government, and how their reconnection to culture and ceremony give them the strength to keep going.
  • Context
    Context
    Angelina McLeod  &  Paula Kelly 2019 15 min
    This story begins over a century ago, when the City of Winnipeg decides that the water surrounding the traditional Anishinaabe territory of what is now Shoal Lake 40 First Nation will be diverted and used as Winnipeg’s primary water source. The community, their ancient burial grounds, environment, and ways of life are forever disrupted, and access to opportunities and essential services are severed. Enforced residential schooling and a tainted water supply compound the devastating impact. Community leader and former combat engineer Daryl Redsky sheds light on how generations of complex planning, cultural preservation and mobilization have led us to the current moment—and to the construction of Freedom Road.
  • Youth / Oshkaadiziig
    Youth / Oshkaadiziig
    Angelina McLeod 2019 14 min
    Shoal Lake 40 youth share what it’s like to be forced to live away from their close-knit families and community to attend high school in Kenora, Ontario. The community’s school provides courses up to the Grade 8 level only, so there are no other options for young people who want to continue their education. Some of the young men are able to work on the construction of the road, a rare opportunity to have a good job in the community. The pride of the youth in doing this work is palpable, and they express the gratification that comes with providing safety for their Elders and opportunities for future generations. Despite the systemic and personal racism they’ve already experienced, Freedom Road gives the youth a sense of optimism and instills hope in them for the future of their community and their own ability to contribute.
  • Men / Ininiwag
    Men / Ininiwag
    Angelina McLeod 2019 15 min
    The men of Shoal Lake 40 tell the story of life in the community from their perspective, in the lead-up to their annual powwow. Lorne Redsky works the outdated pump house; there is no money to fix basic systems and bottled water is required for everyday use. As Lorne focuses his energy on the monumental task of getting clean water to the powwow, community member Kavin Redsky prepares his regalia for dancing, a deeply personal process connected to his healing journey. The two men embody the powerful gifts of community, traditional culture, and medicines, which have given the people of Shoal Lake 40 the resilience to continue the fight for Freedom Road
  • Georges P. Vanier: Soldier, Diplomat, Governor General
    Georges P. Vanier: Soldier, Diplomat, Governor General
    Clément Perron 1960 29 min
    This short documentary looks at Governor General Georges Vanier: his military service in two world wars, his diplomatic service between the wars and his investiture as Canada's 19th Governor General.
  • History on the Run: The Media and the '79 Election
    History on the Run: The Media and the '79 Election
    Peter Raymont 1979 56 min
    This documentary examines the media's coverage of the federal election of May 1979. Filmed over a 3-week period, it takes a fascinating look at journalists in action and the politicians who attempt to manipulate the media.
  • Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger
    Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger
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    Alanis Obomsawin 2019 1 h 5 min
    Alanis Obomsawin's 52nd film tells the story of how the life of Jordan River Anderson initiated a battle for the right of First Nations and Inuit children to receive the same standard of social, health and educational services as the rest of the Canadian population.
  • The Lumberfros
    The Lumberfros
    Stéphanie Lanthier 2010 1 h 11 min
    In Abitibi, hundreds of kilometres from the city, thousands of workers go North, as did Jos Montferrand and François Paradis. Working as brush cutters, these 21st-century lumberjacks discover Quebec's boreal forest. Far from their families, they spend 5 or 6 months a year in logging camps that mirror a new Quebec, those of French-Canadian descent and neo-Quebecers from Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. All have come to earn a living in the forest. Filmmaker Stéphanie Lanthier invites us to spend an entire season inside this northern micro society. Using a direct cinema technique in the style of Pierre Perrault, she documents the lives of the brush cutters.
  • Local and Provincial Governments - Working Together
    Local and Provincial Governments - Working Together
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    Jane Churchill 1990 37 min
    Streets, libraries, garbage collection, recycling, health care and education. All touch our lives--and all are under the control of local and provincial or territorial governments. Local and Provincial Governments - Working Together explores the relationships between various levels of government and how they handle funding and issues crossing jurisdictional boundaries. The film features a case study, showing how individuals can influence local government. When two young people discover that a local green space is slated for a condo development, they organize their neighbours, bring their concerns to their councillor and attend a council meeting. Intended for Grades 6-12, civics and social studies.
  • NFB 70 Years
    NFB 70 Years
    Jean-François Pouliot 2009 7 min
    As clever and sly as any good commercial, NFB 70 Years is the work of a filmmaker in full control of his medium and his message. With humour and self-deprecation – and not a whiff of complacency – Jean-François Pouliot smartly deconstructs the backward-looking perception often attributed to films from the National Film Board. Even the way the film is made pays homage to the filmmaking techniques that have earned Canada's public film producer and distributor its enviable reputation. This artful and skilfully produced mix of genres effectively borrows from direct cinema and flirts with virtuoso animation techniques. With its funny and clever direction, tight yet ingeniously wild and furious editing, brilliantly juxtaposed sequences with powerful relevance to the present, this film confirms the essential role of the NFB within the social fabric of Canada and the world.
  • Our National Parliament - The Inside Story
    Our National Parliament - The Inside Story
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    Jane Churchill 1990 31 min
    Almost all Canadians recognize the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. But how many understand just what goes on there and how Parliament touches our lives? In Our National Parliament - The Inside Story a young parliamentary page takes us behind the scenes, acting as our guide to the inner workings of the legislative branch of government. This video shows us day-to-day life on Parliament Hill: the roles of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and opposition parties; the nuts and bolts of how a bill moves from conception, through committee and the Houses of Parliament on the way to becoming law; and the daily life of a back-bench MP.
  • Our Street Was Paved with Gold
    Our Street Was Paved with Gold
    Albert Kish 1973 28 min
    Filmmaker Albert Kish revisits Montreal's St Lawrence Boulevard in the '70s. The street, also known as "The Main," is a little Europe with many languages, foods and small courtesies that make a stranger feel at home.
  • Our Constitution - The Law of the Land
    Our Constitution - The Law of the Land
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    Jane Churchill 1990 28 min
    Most Canadians have heard a lot about the Constitution, but don't understand what it is or how it works. Using clear language, this film explains that the Constitution is made up of laws, court decisions and conventions. Together, they guide our legislatures and Parliament, delineating federal and provincial jurisdictions, and protecting citizens from abusive legislation.

    Our Constitution - The Law of the Land touches on key moments in the Constitution's history, from the 1867 British North America Act (Constitution Act), to the 1982 repatriation of the Constitution and the Charter of Rights, to continued efforts at constitutional change. (Grades 6-12 civics and social studies.)
  • Peep and the Big Wide World
    Peep and the Big Wide World
    Kaj Pindal 1988 34 min
    This series of three 10-minute films features Peep the chicken, Chirp the robin and Quack the duck. On their travels, they meet a cat, a ladybug, a turtle and a frog who speaks from both sides of his mouth. Narrated by Peter Ustinov, these films are great for young children aged 3–5.
  • Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed
    Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed
    Donald Brittain 1979 57 min
    Bureaucracy shapes our lives and guides us from the cradle to the grave. This documentary, directed by Donald Brittain, lays bare the idiosyncrasies of bureaucracy, whether in Canada, Austria, Hungary, the Vatican or the Virgin Islands. It also attempts to make the functioning of the public service more comprehensible. The absurdities of bureaucratic behaviour are exposed with humour and irreverence.