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Labour Studies (29)

  1. Available in English Options
5 years old
18 years old
  • 24 Days in Brooks
    24 Days in Brooks
    Dana Inkster 2007 42 min
    Over the course of a decade Brooks, Alberta, transformed from a socially conservative, primarily white town to one of the most diverse places in Canada as immigrants and refugees flocked to find jobs at the Lakeside Packers slaughterhouse. This film is a portrait of those people working together and adapting to change through the first-ever strike at Lakeside.
  • After the Axe
    After the Axe
    Sturla Gunnarsson 1981 56 min
    This full-length drama depicts the reality of managers getting fired and the emergence of a new industry specialized in handling executive terminations. The film was made with the cooperation of the business community, which helped script some of the scenes and provided authentic locations. The central figure, D.R. "Biff" Wilson, 44, is a composite figure based on extensive conversations with fired executives.
  • Camera on Labour No. 4
    Camera on Labour No. 4
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    Alvin Goldman 1956 13 min
    New Health Service for Garment Workers: Jointly operated by management and union, the Fashion Industries' Health Center in Montréal plays watchdog to the health of International Ladies' Garment Workers Union members through its free diagnostic service. Steelworkers Go to Press: An employee of the Stelco Steel plant in Hamilton, Cecil Lewis doubles as editor of a monthly union newspaper that keeps local members informed of union aims and activities.
  • Drux Flux
    Drux Flux
    Theodore Ushev 2008 4 min
    Part figurative, part abstract, Drux Flux is an animated short comprised of fast-flowing images showing modern people crushed by industry. Inspired by One-Dimensional Man, by philosopher Herbert Marcuse, the filmmaker deconstructs industrial scenes and their terrifying geometry to show the inhumanity of progress.
  • A Day in the Night of Jonathan Mole
    A Day in the Night of Jonathan Mole
    Donald Brittain 1959 33 min
    This short film from director Donald Brittain tackles the subject of racial prejudice in employment, in a particularly witty fashion. It takes the form of a fantasy in the mythical country of Adanac, featuring arch bigot Jonathan Mole, Mrs. Platitude, Professor Short Sight and other characters.
  • Democracy at Work
    Democracy at Work
    Stanley Hawes  &  Fred Lasse 1944 18 min
    This short documentary was made near the end of World War II to introduce the subject of the need for labour-management committees. Government and industry in Canada were looking to a post-war era where production would have to be converted to peacetime. The objective was to improve productivity by reducing absenteeism, workplace accidents and keeping morale high.
  • Final Offer
    Final Offer
    Sturla Gunnarsson  &  Robert Collison 1985 1 h 18 min
    The filmmakers were given remarkable freedom to record the historic 1984 contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and General Motors Corporation. Bob White, labour leader of the Canadian branch of the UAW, must also confront his American counterpart from Detroit and succeeds in arriving at a contract that is significantly Canadian. His members had already given him a mandate to fight for independence from the American union. This is an invaluable document for anyone interested in the complexities of United States-Canada relations. It's an extraordinary film about revolutionary events.
  • Hanging On
    Hanging On
    Chedly Belkhodja 2006 14 min
    This short documentary shows the struggle that young immigrants have in a small community unaccustomed to cultural diversity, and their frustration at not having their skills recognized by the job market and their peers. Hanging On is part of the Work For All project 2006, an NFB and HRSDC-Labour initiative to combat racism in the workplace.
  • Henry Ford's America
    Henry Ford's America
    Donald Brittain 1977 56 min
    This feature documentary studies the automobile and its pervasive effect on the history of North America. Focusing on the Ford dynasty, from the original Henry car through to Henry II, the film demonstrates how society has adapted to fit the needs of the automobile.
  • "I Just Didn't Want to Die": The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster
    "I Just Didn't Want to Die": The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster
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    Joe MacDonald 1991 19 min
    In March 1914, the Newfoundland set sail from Wesleyville, taking 132 men out sealing. Miles from shore, the ship got stuck in the ice so the men went over the side to walk to the sealing ground. When a terrible storm struck, they were stranded. It took rescuers 3 days to arrive; by then, 78 men were dead and another 9 missing. This tragic story is told through the words of men who were there and the haunting prints of David Blackwood.
  • Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 1 - International Background - Canadian Roots
    Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 1 - International Background - Canadian Roots
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    Arthur Hammond 1989 54 min
    A look at the problematic relationship of Canadian unions and the New Democratic Party on the eve of the 1980s, as the Socialist International meets in Vancouver. This triggers a flashback to the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, and the birth of both modern trade unions and democratic socialism. The influence of British, American and European immigration, of American trade unions, World War 1 and other events provide a turbulent and fascinating backdrop to the evolution of the Canadian labour-socialist alliance. Part 1.
  • Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 3 - Falling Apart and Getting Together
    Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 3 - Falling Apart and Getting Together
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    Arthur Hammond 1989 53 min
    World War II turns Canada into an industrial power, and creates a mass trade-union movement. Mackenzie King responds with unemployment insurance and full legal status for unions. In 1944, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation comes to power in Saskatchewan, under Tommy Douglas, the first socialist government in North America. With the formation of the Canadian Labour Congress in 1956, CCF and CLC energies are directed toward the formation of the New Democratic Party in 1961. Part 3 of the series.
  • Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 2 - Born of Hard Times
    Imperfect Union: Canadian Labour and the Left - Part 2 - Born of Hard Times
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    Arthur Hammond 1989 51 min
    The world plunges into the Great Depression which, like most leaders, Canada's R.B. Bennett refuses to combat with unbalanced budgets and government spending. Inspired by reports from Russia, many turn to communism for solutions. The 1937 General Motors strike in Oshawa gives the Congress of Industrial Organizations a toehold in Canada, but on the eve of World War II Canada's tiny unions remain blocked by restrictive labour laws and, like the equally tiny Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, locked in struggle with communist rivals. Part 2.
  • Jaded
    Jaded
    Cal Garingan 2010 14 min
    This sharp and funny mockumentary uses role reversal to illustrate the realities of overt and systemic racism in the workplace.
  • Men of the Deeps
    Men of the Deeps
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    John Walker 2003 51 min
    Men of the Deeps is a moving portrait of a group of former Cape Breton miners gathered together by their love of song. They are all members of the Men of the Deeps chorus, whose performances of traditional and contemporary songs evoke their working lives as miners.
  • Normetal
    Normetal
    Gilles Groulx 1960 17 min
    Filmed in the town of Normétal in northern Québec, this short documentary provides a first-hand introduction to life in a frontier mining community where all roads lead to the pithead. Dweller of two worlds, the copper miner's life is one of contrasts. A mile underground are the rock face, the clattering drills, the dust of explosions; above ground, all the familiar activities of a small town.
  • Okanagan Dreams
    Okanagan Dreams
    Annie O'Donoghue 2001 46 min
    This documentary follows the migration of thousands of young Quebecers as they travel to British Columbia to harvest fruit in the lush Okanagan Valley. The camera follows several spirited youth into the orchards for seven weeks. As the rain sets in, reality unfolds: it's cold, the cherry crop is late, and money is short. But as they make friends and enjoy their independence, the promise of adventure is realized. Although their work is integral to the local economy, the youth find that the experience is not just about making money. It's about awareness, self-discovery and exploring the world.
  • On Strike: The Winnipeg General Strike, 1919
    On Strike: The Winnipeg General Strike, 1919
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    Joe MacDonald  &  Clare Johnstone Gilsig 1991 19 min
    The dramatic story of the Winnipeg General Strike in 1919 told through the recollections of the men and women who were there. This presentation traces the events leading up to the strike; the issues, the personalities and the divisions among the people of Winnipeg. It culminates with the riot of June 21, 1919 in which death and serious injury resulted.
  • Spinnolio
    Spinnolio
    John Weldon 1977 9 min
    In this animated short, the traditional folklore tale of Pinocchio takes a wry turn. This time around, the hero, a carved wooden puppet named Spinnolio, is totally devoid of mobility and human consciousness. Noted for his "cool head" and unruffled personality, he makes a totally passive, though quite successful go at life, until his employer decides to replace him with a computer. A reflection on consciousness, the work ethic, interpersonal relationships and the citizen in society.
  • Shipbreakers
    Shipbreakers
    Michael Kot 2004 1 h 12 min
    This feature documentary profiles a bustling Indian shantytown where 40,000 people live and work in the most primitive conditions. Dismantling the rusting hulks of the world’s largest ships, the workers have no protection from injury or death. On average, one worker dies every day, some from explosions or falls, but many from cancers caused by asbestos, PCBs and other toxic substances. This visually stunning film vividly captures the haunting shells of decaying industrial machinery as well as the deplorable conditions of workers in 21st century global economics.
  • That Higher Level
    That Higher Level
    John Bolton 2018 1 h 14 min
    That Higher Levelfollows the 100 musicians who make up the National Youth Orchestra of Canada over the course of two months of training and touring across the country. Embedded with the orchestra throughout, filmmaker John Bolton weaves together footage that captures the essence of the training institute and, eventually, the journey and performances on tour.
  • A Time to Rise
    A Time to Rise
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    Anand Patwardhan  &  Jim Monro 1982 39 min
    On April 6, 1980, the Canadian Farmworkers Union came into existence. This film documents the conditions among Chinese and East Indian immigrant workers in British Columbia that provoked the formation of the union, and the response of growers and labour contractors to the threat of unionization. Made over a period of two years, the film is eloquent testimony to the progress of the workers' movement from the first stirrings of militancy to the energetic canvassing of union members.
  • They Called Us "Les Filles du Roy"
    They Called Us "Les Filles du Roy"
    Anne Claire Poirier 1974 56 min
    Structured as a love letter, this feature film is an impressionistic history of the women of Québec down through the ages: the Indigenous woman, the fille du Roy, the nun, the settler's wife, the soldier's wife, and, finally, today's woman.
  • "They Didn't Starve Us Out": Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s
    "They Didn't Starve Us Out": Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s
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    Patricia Kipping 1991 21 min
    For 200 years, coal mining had been a way of life in Cape Breton. By 1920 things were looking up: miners were unionized and paid decent wages. Then the British Empire Steel Corporation arrived and bought every single steel and coal company in Nova Scotia. BESCO cut wages by a third, setting off a bitter labour dispute. The miners settled in for a long strike. Finally, in 1925, the military ended the unrest with brute force. But the miners, in one sense, had won. They broke up the monopoly and provided an example to workers across the country.
  • Une femme de tête
    Une femme de tête
    Mohammed Belhaj 2006 14 min
    This film tells the moving story of one woman fighting for her rights and preserving her dignity. Made as part of the Work for All project in 2006, an NFB and HRSDC-Labour initiative to combat racism in the workplace. In French with English subtitles.
  • Working Like Crazy
    Working Like Crazy
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    Gwynne Basen  &  Laura Sky 1999 53 min
    Working Like Crazy is a fresh look at the struggles and victories of some former mental health patients who work in businesses owned and run by other psychiatric survivors.
  • Westray
    Westray
    Paul Cowan 2001 1 h 19 min
    In this feature documentary, filmmaker Paul Cowan offers an innovative, moving account of the Westray coal mine disaster that killed 26 men in Nova Scotia on May 9, 1992. The film focuses on the lives of three widows and three miners lucky enough not to be underground that day when the methane and coal dust ignited. But their lives were torn apart by the events.

    Meet some of the working men, who felt they had no option but to stay on at Westray. And wives, who heard the rumours, saw their men sometimes bloodied from accidents and stood by them, hoping it would all turn out all right. This is a film about working people everywhere whose lives are often entrusted to companies that violate the most fundamental rules of safety and decency in the name of profit.
  • Women Are Warriors
    Women Are Warriors
    Jane Marsh 1942 14 min
    This short film from WWII focuses on the increasingly important roles women occupy on the various war fronts. In England, their more active jobs include ferrying planes from factory to airfield and operating anti-aircraft guns. In Russia, they are fighting on the front lines as well as acting as parachute nurses, army doctors and technicians. In Canada women have joined active service auxiliaries, and thousands labour day and night in factories turning out the tools of war. From the Canada Carries On series.
  • Wings on Her Shoulder
    Wings on Her Shoulder
    Jane Marsh 1943 9 min
    This short archival film documents the Woman's Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force of 1943, 9,000 strong, an able corps trained for service at home and overseas. Their aim is to prepare themselves for an important role in the flying field after the war, when Canada's civil air power will prove an essential factor in the air communications of peacetime civilization. Part of the World in Action series.