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Human Growth and Development (66)

  1. Available in English Options
5 years old
18 years old
  • 1, 2, 3, Coco
    1, 2, 3, Coco
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    Pierre M. Trudeau 1991 3 min
    An animated film for five- to eight-year-olds on children's right to receive an education. A teacher gives extra, individualized help to a student who is having difficulty with arithmetic and helps her find fun in numbers.
  • The Animal Movie
    The Animal Movie
    Grant Munro  &  Ron Tunis 1966 9 min
    An animated cartoon to help children explore why and how animals move as they do. A little boy discovers that he cannot compete with a monkey, a snake or a horse by imitating the way they move. He can only outdistance them when he climbs into a vehicle that can travel in any environment, proving that the human capacity for technological invention creates a wholly different relationship to our environment.
  • An Artist
    An Artist
    Michèle Cournoyer 1994 5 min
    In this short animation, a girl is so carried away by her love of music that she forgets about her household chores. Her father tells her to finish the dishes. Instead of washing them, she turns them into musical instruments, and he finally recognizes her talent. Based on Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this film illustrates children's right to develop their talents and abilities to their fullest potential.
  • Assholes - A Theory
    Assholes - A Theory
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    John Walker 2019 1 h 20 min
    Some grapple with the challenge of treating other human beings decently. Others are just… assholes, claims Professor Aaron James in his New York Times bestselling book, Assholes: A Theory. This intellectually provocative film takes a playful approach to uncovering why asshole behaviour is on the rise in the workplace, in government, and at home.
  • Asthma Tech
    Asthma Tech
    Jonathan Ng 2006 7 min
    In this animated short, young Winston, who suffers from chronic asthma, isn’t able to participate in the everyday activities of his peers and classmates. He copes with the predicament through his vivid imagination, with paper and crayons. On one particularly rainy afternoon, Winston discovers that the magic of imagination has the power to transform and empower, and his skills and talents save the day.

    Part of the Talespinners collection, which uses vibrant animation to bring popular children’s stories from a wide range of cultural communities to the screen.
  • Beauty Begins Inside - The Pressure Zone
    Beauty Begins Inside - The Pressure Zone
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    Sheila Murphy 1995 11 min
    The Pressure Zone is a hilarious send-up of the forces that try to shape adolescent minds and bodies. Two mirrors--one promoting the perfect body through a merciless regime of muscle building and dieting, the other through tapping into the "essential essence" via meditation and herbal remedies--vie for loyal customers. As each advertises their vision as the right way, the teens are prodded, taunted and provoked into submission by making them believe that their bodies need improvement, but then the teenagers take control back from the mirrors and accept themselves from the inside out.
  • Beauty Begins Inside - The "P" Syndrome
    Beauty Begins Inside - The "P" Syndrome
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    Sheila Murphy 1995 17 min
    Isabel is determined to go on a diet. Bruce and Melanie can't understand their attraction for each other. Jake spends hours in front of the mirror trying to achieve the right look, while Patrick is so grown up he is already a businessman. Enter Detective Stark, and the hunt for the Painfully Pugnacious Prickley Problem--puberty--is on. With help from his assistant Levert and intrepid biologist Fritz, he tracks down the syndrome. A hilarious send-up of detective movies, science-information shows and almost every other genre you can think of, the film cajoles, informs and inspires. A film for any teen who ever grew an inch.
  • Batmilk
    Batmilk
    Brandon Blommaert 2009 1 min
    In this animated short, an oafish ghoul and his soft exposed brain are met with ruin when the brain is unexpectedly killed. Though paralyzed, the ghoul attains a fresh brain and is fed with new life.

    Produced as part of the 5th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship.
  • The Bicycle: Fighting AIDS with Community Medicine
    The Bicycle: Fighting AIDS with Community Medicine
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    Katerina Cizek 2006 14 min
    Follow Pax Chingawale as he cycles from village to village in Zomba District, Malawi, fighting AIDS at the grassroots. Pax volunteers with Dignitas International, headed up by Dr. James Orbinski, who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for Médecins Sans Frontières.
  • Bob's Birthday
    Bob's Birthday
    Alison Snowden  &  David Fine 1993 12 min
    When Margaret plans a celebration for her husband Bob, she underestimates the sudden impact of middle age on his mood. A witty, offbeat animated portrait of a frustrated dentist wrestling with the fundamental issues of life proves that birthdays (and surprise parties) can be very tricky indeed.
  • Come Again in Spring
    Come Again in Spring
    Belinda Oldford 2007 11 min
    This gentle tale about mortality works in subliminal ways. When an old man is visited by Death at his home in the meadows, he has to delve deep to secure more time for himself. Does he have the strength to find the answers he needs? Can we negotiate our time on earth? How do we reconcile our mortal fate? A lyrical look at a reality as old as humanity, yet as young as today. Based on a story by Richard Kennedy.
  • Neveen
    Neveen
    Beverly Shaffer 1992 29 min
    This short documentary presents a portrait of Neveen, a 12-year-old Palestinian girl who lives in the Shufat refugee camp on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Neveen gives us a tour of her typical day: helping her mother with chores, attending school, learning English with her aunt. Throughout, Neveen discusses her family history and her faith; her classmates engage in a lively discussion about the history of Israeli-Palestinian relations and what they think the future holds for all people in the region.
  • A Child Unlike Any Other
    A Child Unlike Any Other
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    Anna Barczewska 2005 11 min
    In this short documentary about autism, director Anna Barczewska examines the complex challenge of raising autistic children. Through the voice of Jan's devoted mother and the comments of specialists, the film offers an introduction to this neurological disorder that reduces one’s ability to communicate with the outside world.
  • Asya
    Asya
    Beverly Shaffer 1992 29 min
    This short documentary, part of the Children of Jerusalem series, profiles 11-year-old Russian immigrant Asya as she and her family get accustomed to life in Jerusalem. From issues of cultural, political and religious diversity to the simple act of making new friends, this portrait of Asya is indicative of life for many ethnic Jewish immigrants to Jerusalem.
  • Gesho
    Gesho
    Beverly Shaffer 1996 24 min
    This short documentary tells the story of 13-year-old Gesho, one of the 14,000 Ethiopian Jews who left Northeast Africa for a new life in Israel during a massive refugee effort initiated by the Israeli government in 1991. In Ethiopia, he and his family lived without running water or electricity, and Gesho had to drop out of school in grade 6 to help his father. Now his family lives in a trailer equipped with basic conveniences in a temporary community for new immigrants on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
  • Ibrahim
    Ibrahim
    Beverly Shaffer 1996 23 min
    Ibrahim is an 11-year-old Palestinian Arab boy living in East Jerusalem. We follow him on his way home from school as he passes through several distinct neighbourhoods—Orthodox Jewish, secular Jewish and an Arab neighbourhood where Palestinians wear traditional dress. Ibrahim’s life blends the modern with the traditional. He plays soccer and Nintendo and is at home with the older ways of his grandfather in Galilee and his nanny in the Old City of Jerusalem.
  • Tamar
    Tamar
    Beverly Shaffer 1991 29 min
    This short documentary follows 10-year-old Tamar, a resident of Jerusalem, as she recounts the experiences of her daily life in Israel. She practices her baritone tuba and attends school, the local market, and a religious youth camp. She welcomes cousins who have emigrated from Russia, and expresses her desire for peace between Jews and Arabs.
  • The Company of Strangers
    The Company of Strangers
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    Cynthia Scott 1990 1 h 40 min
    In this feature film, 7 elderly women find themselves stranded when their bus breaks down in the wilderness. With only their wits, memories and some roasted frogs' legs to sustain them, this remarkable group of strangers share their life stories and turn a potential crisis into a magical time of humour, spirit and camaraderie. Featuring non-professional actors and unscripted dialogue, this film dissolves the barrier between fiction and reality, weaving a heart-warming tale of friendship and courage.
  • Yehuda
    Yehuda
    Beverly Shaffer 1994 26 min
    This short documentary introduces us to 10-year-old Yehuda, a radiant example of the Hasidic belief in the joy of prayer. Living with his parents and 10 brothers and sisters in West Jerusalem, Yehuda brings old customs and traditions to life as he prepares to celebrate the Sukkot festival.

  • Charles and François
    Charles and François
    Co Hoedeman 1988 15 min
    A touching story of the friendship between a grandfather and his grandson, this is a film about aging and death. Award-winning animator Co Hoedeman combines 3-D and cut-out animation techniques to create a very dramatic and moving film. The story follows Charles and François through the different stages of their lives. With time, they become closer, common experiences having diminished the difference in age. By the end of the film, time appears to stand still; both are over one hundred years old and they are almost indistinguishable.
  • A Delicate Balance
    A Delicate Balance
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    Christine Chevarie-Lessard 2018 1 h 15 min
    Filmed from the point of view of its young subjects, A Delicate Balance takes an introspective look at the lives of four dancers on the cusp of adolescence—that critical time in one’s life when childhood fantasies begin to collide with the realities of being an adult. A tender and captivating documentary in which students of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec candidly tell their stories and share their hopes and dreams.
  • Doodle Film
    Doodle Film
    Donald Winkler 1970 10 min
    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.
  • Everest from Within
    Everest from Within
    Sylvie Van Brabant  &  Claude-André Nadon 2001 52 min
    This feature-length documentary retraces the journey of 4 Canadians who set off to climb the perilous north side of Mount Everest without the use of oxygen or sherpas. The group's ordeal gives us a rare insight into the human condition under stress, and, while immobilized on the edge of the mountain by extreme weather, we share the tensions that afflict the group's solidarity - threatening the dream of attaining the summit itself.
  • Every Child
    Every Child
    Eugene Fedorenko 1979 6 min
    This animated short follows an unwanted baby who is passed from house to house until he is taken in and cared for by two homeless men. The film is the Canadian contribution to an hour-long feature film celebrating UNESCO's Year of the Child (1979). It illustrates one of the ten principles of the Declaration of Children's Rights: every child is entitled to a name and a nationality. The film took home an Oscar® for Best Animated Short Film.
  • Exiles in Lotusland
    Exiles in Lotusland
    Ilan Saragosti 2005 1 h 10 min
    This feature documentary tells the story of 2 teens who head out west in search of self. Like a quarter of Vancouver’s itinerant youth population, Mélo and Ti-criss made the trip from Quebec, hopeful for a better life. Still minors, the pair seeks escape and adventure, perhaps the meaning of life. From east to west, from the streets to a hotel, with a welcome interlude in the country, they seek their place in society.
  • For a Song
    For a Song
    Tahani Rached 2001 1 h 17 min
    This documentary opens the door to the magnificent world of choral music, a world inhabited by exceptional beings with the capacity to experience joy from a single musical note. They sing anywhere and everywhere: at the wheel, in the shower, even in the kitchen. But above all, they sing together, men and women of all ages and various backgrounds, transformed by the radiant glory of song and united under the banner of L'Ensemble vocal d'Outremont.
  • The Formation of Clouds
    The Formation of Clouds
    Marie-Hélène Turcotte 2010 10 min
    Childhood is a private, fragile terrain in which the marks of our explorations are inscribed. A delicate, sensitive evocation of burgeoning desire, The Formation of Clouds follows the steps of a young girl in the midst of transformation, clearly delineating that odd moment when one is no longer a child, exactly, but not yet an adult either. Using the simplicity of pen and ink drawings with graceful superimposition effects on glossy paper, Marie-Hélène Turcotte succeeds in capturing all the nuances of this transitional stage, in which the ingenuous wish to remain a child accompanies the yearning for self-discovery. With grace and sensitivity, this first short film becomes a visual poem that plays out at the frontier between reality and imagination. Film without words.
  • The Followers
    The Followers
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    Gilles Blais 1981 1 h 18 min
    Filmed mainly at the Montréal community of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, this feature documentary follows 3 young from their first days in the temple to their initiation 6 months later. The film examines the family life of Krishna members, the active proselytizing in the streets, the temple rituals, and the role of women and their reliance on men for spiritual guidance. A close look at one of the controversial new religious organizations to have emerged from the 1960s in the United States.
  • Getting Started
    Getting Started
    Richard Condie 1979 12 min
    This hilarious short animated film stars a man who procrastinates. Our hero attempts to practice a piece of music on the piano, but distractions get in the way. When he finally sits down to play, pandemonium breaks loose.
  • The Great Malaise
    The Great Malaise
    Catherine Lepage 2019 5 min
    In the voiceover for this animated short, a young woman attempts to describe herself, casting her life in the ideal light that society expects. The film’s imagery, however, tells a different story, poignantly illustrating the intense anxiety that comes with the quest for perfection and the pursuit of happiness. A film that’s both funny and moving, and above all, profoundly human.