Wolf Koenig

Wolf Koenig

Wolf Koenig (October 17, 1927 – June 26, 2014) was a Canadian film director, producer, animator, cinematographer, and a pioneer in Direct Cinema at the National Film Board of Canada. Born in Dresden, Germany, Koenig emigrated to Canada with his family in 1937, when they fled Nazi Germany. They settled in 145-acre (0.59 km2) farm along the Grand River, outside what is now known as Cambridge, Ontario. In 1948, a local representative for the Canadian department of agriculture needed the family's tractor to demonstrate a new tree-planting machine. As the young Koenig pulled the machine across a field, he noticed a small film crew from the NFB's former agricultural film unit, recording the demonstration. After filming was complete, he approached the men, who included director Raymond Garceau, and told them he loved films, especially animation, and hoped to work in filmmaking. They suggested he send in a job application and approximately six weeks later he received a letter offering him the position of a junior splicer for $100 per month. His younger brother Joe Koenig was also a filmmaker.

  • Title: Wolf Koenig
  • Popularity: 0.1291
  • Known For: Production
  • Birthday: 1927-10-17
  • Place of Birth: Dresden, Saxony, Germany
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
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Wolf Koenig Movies

  • 2006
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    Live Before the Letter

    Live Before the Letter

    1 2006 HD

    Thanks to the development of techniques and the adventurous spirit of pioneering filmmakers, among whom Michel Brault occupies a central place, a new way of making cinema was born at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. This film relevantly retraces the history of a collective movement which revolutionized production and filming methods in Quebec and the world.

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  • 1956
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    Fish Spoilage Control

    Fish Spoilage Control

    1 1956 HD

    In UPA-esque animation, the NFB entertainingly explains the causes of fish spoilage and the steps required to keep today's catch fresh until it reaches your dining room table.

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  • 1973
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    Ananse's Farm

    Ananse's Farm

    1 1973 HD

    Ananse is a spider with a heart full of concern over the enmity existing between his friends. Instead of mediating in a straightforward way, he devises a scheme using a little deception to bring his friends to amicable terms. The moral of this folktale from Ghana is that employing the wrong means to an end brings undesired consequences, no matter how right the motive.

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  • 1972
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    Tilt

    Tilt

    1 1972 HD

    Witty cartoon in a popular idiom about the serious issues that face the world: overpopulation, starvation, and people’s selfishness when confronted with these. Is there any possible solution? A good discussion starter, as relevant now as it was when made.

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  • 1975
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    Face of the Earth

    Face of the Earth

    1 1975 HD

    Face of the Earth explores the origin of our planet's outer layer, the why-and-how of its mobility. Through the use of well-designed diagrams, the earth's cyclical activity is clearly explained. Some unusual footage on volcanoes gives added punch to an already absorbing subject.

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  • 1966
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    Steeltown

    Steeltown

    1 1966 HD

    A portrait of Hamilton, the Pittsburgh or Birmingham of Canada. This is a rich and colourful subject that encourages imaginative treatment on the screen. The heart of the city is the immense complex of furnaces and rolling mills, but nearby are the lake, the mountain, and the rich fruit farms. How the work of the steel mills touches the city and its surroundings is shown in many views during both day and night.

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  • 1957
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    City of Gold

    City of Gold

    5.5 1957 HD

    This classic short film depicts the Klondike gold rush at its peak, when would-be prospectors struggled through harsh conditions to reach the fabled gold fields over 3000 km north of civilization. Using a collection of still photographs, the film juxtaposes the Dawson City at the height of the gold rush with its bustling taverns and dance halls with the more tranquil Dawson City of the present.

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  • 1962
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    Lonely Boy

    Lonely Boy

    5.9 1962 HD

    This short film portrays the story of singer Paul Anka, who rose from obscurity to become the idol of millions of adolescent fans around the world. Taking a candid look at both sides of the footlights, this film examines the marketing machine behind a generation of pop singers. Interviews with Anka and his manager reveal their perspective on the industry.

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  • 1984
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    John Cat

    John Cat

    1 1984 HD

    Three native Canadians find a boy on the side of a highway who had been struck by a speeding driver.

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  • 1984
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    John Cat

    John Cat

    1 1984 HD

    Three native Canadians find a boy on the side of a highway who had been struck by a speeding driver.

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  • 1984
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    John Cat

    John Cat

    1 1984 HD

    Three native Canadians find a boy on the side of a highway who had been struck by a speeding driver.

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  • 1976
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    The Lion and the Mouse

    The Lion and the Mouse

    4.5 1976 HD

    This animated short by Evelyn Lambart is a visual adaptation of the famous Aesop fable "The Lion and the Mouse," in which a mouse proves to a lion that the weak and small may be of help to those much mightier than themselves.

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  • 1970
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    Ashes of Doom

    Ashes of Doom

    4.857 1970 HD

    A chain-smoking woman has an encounter with a vampire.

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  • 1993
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    Kanehsatake, 270 Years of Resistance

    Kanehsatake, 270 Years of Resistance

    7.4 1993 HD

    In July 1990, a dispute over a proposed golf course to be built on Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) lands in Oka, Quebec, sets the stage for a historic confrontation that would grab international headlines and sear itself into the Canadian consciousness.

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  • 1977
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    Deep Threat

    Deep Threat

    1 1977 HD

    Zlatko Grgic's short animated film depicts how humans evolved from the sea and the problems that ensued. Using humour, he shows how industry leads to waste and pollution, which in turn wreak havoc on the delicate balance of our ecosystems.

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  • 1984
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    Incident at Restigouche

    Incident at Restigouche

    7.5 1984 HD

    Incident at Restigouche is a 1984 documentary film by Alanis Obomsawin, chronicling a series of two raids on the Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation (Restigouche) by the Sûreté du Québec in 1981, as part of the efforts of the Quebec government to impose new restrictions on Native salmon fishermen. Incident at Restigouche delves into the history behind the Quebec Provincial Police (QPP) raids on the Restigouche Reserve on June 11 and 20, 1981. The Quebec government had decided to restrict fishing, resulting in anger among the Micmac Indians as salmon was traditionally an important source of food and income. Using a combination of documents, news clips, photographs and interviews, this powerful film provides an in-depth investigation into the history-making raids that put justice on trial.

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  • 1958
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    The Days Before Christmas

    The Days Before Christmas

    1 1958 HD

    This short documentary depicts Christmastime in Montreal. The milling crowds, department store Santas, Brink's messengers, kindergarten angels and boisterous nightclubs all combine to make a vivid portrait of the holidays.

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  • 1977
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    The Street

    The Street

    5.6 1977 HD

    This film deals with a Jewish family in Montreal, Canada as they care for a dying grandmother and the young boy who is impatient to get the room he was promised as soon as she kicks the bucket.

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  • 1975
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    The Energy Carol

    The Energy Carol

    1 1975 HD

    An unconventional version of The Christmas Carol.

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  • 1973
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    Pictures Out Of My Life

    Pictures Out Of My Life

    1 1973 HD

    The drawings and recollections of Inuit artist Pitseolak, from the book of the same title written by Dorothy Eber. Now in her seventies, Pitseolak is one of the most famous of the graphic artists of the Cape Dorset (Baffin Island) artists' colony and co-operative. Her coloured pencil and felt-pen drawings vividly illustrate her memories of past life in the Arctic, and of the birds, animals and spirits that figured so large in the daily life of the Inuit.

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  • 1980
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    Nose and Tina

    Nose and Tina

    1 1980 HD

    Nose and Tina are a couple in love. The film captures the domestic details of their life together and documents their hassles with work, money and the law. The unusual bit: He is employed as a brakeman, and she as a sex worker.

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  • 1975
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    The Housewife

    The Housewife

    1 1975 HD

    A study, in film animation, of a day in the life of a housewife, described without words, with a minimum of detail but with a perception all the more pertinent because of the simplicity of presentation. The film makes no judgments. It simply states the case, but serves as an apt starting point for any discussion of the role of women and the value of their work.

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  • 1977
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    Canada Vignettes: Fashion Designer

    Canada Vignettes: Fashion Designer

    6 1977 HD

    A young designer, Selma Bryant-Fournier, starts her career in a large clothing manufacturing firm in Montreal. She hopes to design clothes for mass production that are beautiful, functional and affordable by everyone.

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  • 1958
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    Country Threshing

    Country Threshing

    1 1958 HD

    This short documentary records the rural sights and sounds of the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The day of the big stationary threshing machine is almost over, as the machine is pushed into obscurity by the combine harvester. But there are still parts of Canada where crops are gathered in the old-fashioned way as the men work out in the fields and the women manage the kitchen. This film offers a rare and charming glimpse into mid-20th-century rural and family life in Canada.

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  • 1958
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    Country Threshing

    Country Threshing

    1 1958 HD

    This short documentary records the rural sights and sounds of the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The day of the big stationary threshing machine is almost over, as the machine is pushed into obscurity by the combine harvester. But there are still parts of Canada where crops are gathered in the old-fashioned way as the men work out in the fields and the women manage the kitchen. This film offers a rare and charming glimpse into mid-20th-century rural and family life in Canada.

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  • 1959
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    The End of the Line

    The End of the Line

    1 1959 HD

    This documentary short offers a nostalgic look at the steam locomotive as it passes from reality to history. In its heyday, the big smoke-belching steam engine seemed immortal. Now, powerful and efficient diesels are pushing the old coal-burning locomotives to the sidelines, and the lonely echo of their whistles may soon be a thing of the past.

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  • 1975
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    A Token Gesture

    A Token Gesture

    1 1975 HD

    Men struggle with day-to-day tasks in a world where all of the women have disappeared.

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  • 1952
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    Neighbours

    Neighbours

    7.6 1952 HD

    In this Oscar-winning short film, Norman McLaren employs the principles normally used to put drawings or puppets into motion to animate live actors. The story is a parable about two people who come to blows over the possession of a flower.

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  • 1959
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    The Back-breaking Leaf

    The Back-breaking Leaf

    10 1959 HD

    Here is a graphic picture of the tobacco harvest in southwestern Ontario. At the end of July, transient field workers move in for a brief bonanza when the plant is ripe. The tobacco harvesters call it "the back-breaking leaf."

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  • 1973
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    Tickets s.v.p

    Tickets s.v.p

    1 1973 HD

    An incident from the early days of Québec's quiet revolution, tailor-made for the cartoonist. It is the story of a Montréal commuter train, a unilingual ticket collector and a bilingual passenger. The passenger appears on screen himself to describe his bid to have tickets requested in French as well as in English. What ensued, and how even the railway president became involved, is illustrated with wit and humor.

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  • 1958
    imgMovies

    The Days Before Christmas

    The Days Before Christmas

    1 1958 HD

    This short documentary depicts Christmastime in Montreal. The milling crowds, department store Santas, Brink's messengers, kindergarten angels and boisterous nightclubs all combine to make a vivid portrait of the holidays.

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  • 1958
    imgMovies

    The Days Before Christmas

    The Days Before Christmas

    1 1958 HD

    This short documentary depicts Christmastime in Montreal. The milling crowds, department store Santas, Brink's messengers, kindergarten angels and boisterous nightclubs all combine to make a vivid portrait of the holidays.

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  • 1960
    imgMovies

    The Cars in Your Life

    The Cars in Your Life

    1 1960 HD

    A light, humorous look at the motor car and the great North American itch for a place on the road. From the comparative peace of Honest Joe's used-car lot, this film hustles you onto our public speedways, where hot rubber erases any distance between all points. Slow-motion and pop-on-pop-off photography make this a provocative, revealing study of motormania unlimited. A 1960 black and white production. (Also released under the title 1/3 Down and 24 Months to Pay.)

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  • 1958
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    Blood and Fire

    Blood and Fire

    1 1958 HD

    The Salvation Army in action. Band rehearsals, personal reminiscences of an Army officer, and an unrehearsed "coming to Christ" in the Army Citadel make for a revealing film study of men and women dedicated to a life of service to humanity.

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  • 1961
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    Festival in Puerto Rico

    Festival in Puerto Rico

    1 1961 HD

    This short documentary features Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester as she sings at the Festival Casals, a musical event founded by the great Spanish cellist and conductor Pablo Casals and sponsored annually by the Puerto Rican government. Part concert film, part tourism film, Festival in Puerto Rico offers viewers candid glimpses of mid-20th century Puerto Rico intercut with performance footage of Forrester and her husband, violinist-conductor Eugene Kash.

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  • 1961
    imgMovies

    Festival in Puerto Rico

    Festival in Puerto Rico

    1 1961 HD

    This short documentary features Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester as she sings at the Festival Casals, a musical event founded by the great Spanish cellist and conductor Pablo Casals and sponsored annually by the Puerto Rican government. Part concert film, part tourism film, Festival in Puerto Rico offers viewers candid glimpses of mid-20th century Puerto Rico intercut with performance footage of Forrester and her husband, violinist-conductor Eugene Kash.

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  • 1958
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    A Foreign Language

    A Foreign Language

    1 1958 HD

    This film observes, in a Montréal public school, the teaching of English to immigrant children. To thousands of children arriving in Canada from Greece, Italy, France, Germany or Japan, English is "a foreign language." Under able coaching they begin to understand and even enjoy the vagaries of the English language.

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  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Emergency Ward

    Emergency Ward

    1 1959 HD

    This 1959 documentary short is a frank portrait of the daily operations inside the Montreal General Hospital’s emergency ward.

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  • 1958
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    Police

    Police

    1 1958 HD

    The misbehaving public performs for the camera in a half-hour miscellany of misdeeds. In a behind-the-scenes look at the hour-by-hour operation of a large metropolitan police force, this film presents a fair sampling of what keeps Toronto's police officers busy twenty-four hours a day.

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  • 1958
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    Pilgrimage

    Pilgrimage

    1 1958 HD

    St. Joseph's Oratory, a picturesque shrine silhouetted against Mount Royal, draws pilgrims by the thousands every year. They come from California by Greyhound bus, from Vancouver by plane, and on foot from many parishes surrounding Montréal. What is the fame of this shrine, that it attracts the devout and the curious alike? The story is told by Brother Placide Vermandère of the Order of the Holy Cross, who was personally acquainted with Brother André, after whom the shrine's famous temple is named. Cameras follow a procession of the League of the Sacred Heart through the streets of the city to the famous sanctuary and show many of the religious observances conducted in the church, including Mass attended by invalids who come in the hope of being healed of various afflictions.

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  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Glenn Gould: Off the Record

    Glenn Gould: Off the Record

    1 1959 HD

    Canadian concert pianist Glenn Gould enjoys a respite at his lakeside cottage. It is an aspect of Gould previously known only to the collie pacing beside him through the woods, the fishermen resting their oars to hear his piano, and fellow musicians like Franz Kraemer, with whom Gould talks of composition. (First of two parts.)

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  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Glenn Gould: Off the Record

    Glenn Gould: Off the Record

    1 1959 HD

    Canadian concert pianist Glenn Gould enjoys a respite at his lakeside cottage. It is an aspect of Gould previously known only to the collie pacing beside him through the woods, the fishermen resting their oars to hear his piano, and fellow musicians like Franz Kraemer, with whom Gould talks of composition. (First of two parts.)

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  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Glenn Gould: On the Record

    Glenn Gould: On the Record

    7.8 1959 HD

    This short documentary (the second of two parts) follows Glenn Gould to New York City. There, we see the renowned Canadian concert pianist kidding the cab driver, bantering with sound engineers at Columbia Records, and then, alone with the piano, fastidiously recording Bach's Italian Concerto.

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  • 1966
    imgMovies

    Stravinsky

    Stravinsky

    7.7 1966 HD

    This documentary is an informal portrait of the great modern composer Igor Stravinsky. Proudly American, though still very much an Old World figure with a long and alert memory for people and events in music, literature and art, Stravinsky is depicted here conducting the CBC Symphony Orchestra in a recording of his Symphony of Psalms.

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  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Glenn Gould: On the Record

    Glenn Gould: On the Record

    7.8 1959 HD

    This short documentary (the second of two parts) follows Glenn Gould to New York City. There, we see the renowned Canadian concert pianist kidding the cab driver, bantering with sound engineers at Columbia Records, and then, alone with the piano, fastidiously recording Bach's Italian Concerto.

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  • 1966
    imgMovies

    Stravinsky

    Stravinsky

    7.7 1966 HD

    This documentary is an informal portrait of the great modern composer Igor Stravinsky. Proudly American, though still very much an Old World figure with a long and alert memory for people and events in music, literature and art, Stravinsky is depicted here conducting the CBC Symphony Orchestra in a recording of his Symphony of Psalms.

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  • 1964
    imgMovies

    Age of the Buffalo

    Age of the Buffalo

    1 1964 HD

    A vivid recollection of the free west of the North American Indigenous Peoples and the vast herds of buffalo that once thundered across the plains. From paintings of the mid-1800s, the animation camera creates a most convincing picture of the buffalo hunt, both as the Indigenous People and, disastrously, the white hunters practiced it.

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  • 1955
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    Gold

    Gold

    1 1955 HD

    A description of placer gold mining in the Yukon. East of Dawson City giant dredges cut deep into the creek beds, leaving behind monstrous coils of waste as the gold-bearing gravel is washed. The film shows how gold is trapped and hand-sorted, finally to emerge as precious gold brick.

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  • 1962
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    The Living Machine

    The Living Machine

    1 1962 HD

    In two half-hour parts, The Living Machine explores the progress made in electronics technology and looks forward to an exciting world-to-be. Produced in 1962, the first part demonstrates the capacities of a computer's "artificial intelligence," far exceeding that of any one human brain. The second part shows experiments in electronically duplicating some sensory perceptions.

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  • 1982
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    Ted Baryluk's Grocery

    Ted Baryluk's Grocery

    1 1982 HD

    Ukrainian-Canadian Ted Baryluk's grocery store has been a fixture in Winnipeg's North End for over 20 years. In this photo study, Ted talks about his store, the customers who have come and gone and the social changes his multicultural neighbourhood has seen. But most of all he wonders what will become of his store after he retires. He hopes his daughter will take over, but she wants to move away. The film is a wistful rendering of a shopkeeper's relationship with his daughter and a fascinating portrait of a neighbourhood and its inhabitants.

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  • 1974
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    Who Are We?

    Who Are We?

    1 1974 HD

    Canadians in search of the national identity will not find it fully fleshed in this film. An animated cartoon, it sees Canadians as pragmatists, adaptable to whatever climate or history place in their way. It is a boisterous, bubbling analysis of the Canadian character and, although it may not answer the question of the title, it does leave the feeling that being Canadian is not so exhausting as one might expect.

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  • 1960
    imgMovies

    The Cars in Your Life

    The Cars in Your Life

    1 1960 HD

    A light, humorous look at the motor car and the great North American itch for a place on the road. From the comparative peace of Honest Joe's used-car lot, this film hustles you onto our public speedways, where hot rubber erases any distance between all points. Slow-motion and pop-on-pop-off photography make this a provocative, revealing study of motormania unlimited. A 1960 black and white production. (Also released under the title 1/3 Down and 24 Months to Pay.)

    img
  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Glenn Gould: On the Record

    Glenn Gould: On the Record

    7.8 1959 HD

    This short documentary (the second of two parts) follows Glenn Gould to New York City. There, we see the renowned Canadian concert pianist kidding the cab driver, bantering with sound engineers at Columbia Records, and then, alone with the piano, fastidiously recording Bach's Italian Concerto.

    img
  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Glenn Gould: Off the Record

    Glenn Gould: Off the Record

    1 1959 HD

    Canadian concert pianist Glenn Gould enjoys a respite at his lakeside cottage. It is an aspect of Gould previously known only to the collie pacing beside him through the woods, the fishermen resting their oars to hear his piano, and fellow musicians like Franz Kraemer, with whom Gould talks of composition. (First of two parts.)

    img
  • 1966
    imgMovies

    Stravinsky

    Stravinsky

    7.7 1966 HD

    This documentary is an informal portrait of the great modern composer Igor Stravinsky. Proudly American, though still very much an Old World figure with a long and alert memory for people and events in music, literature and art, Stravinsky is depicted here conducting the CBC Symphony Orchestra in a recording of his Symphony of Psalms.

    img
  • 1959
    imgMovies

    Emergency Ward

    Emergency Ward

    1 1959 HD

    This 1959 documentary short is a frank portrait of the daily operations inside the Montreal General Hospital’s emergency ward.

    img
  • 1958
    imgMovies

    Pilgrimage

    Pilgrimage

    1 1958 HD

    St. Joseph's Oratory, a picturesque shrine silhouetted against Mount Royal, draws pilgrims by the thousands every year. They come from California by Greyhound bus, from Vancouver by plane, and on foot from many parishes surrounding Montréal. What is the fame of this shrine, that it attracts the devout and the curious alike? The story is told by Brother Placide Vermandère of the Order of the Holy Cross, who was personally acquainted with Brother André, after whom the shrine's famous temple is named. Cameras follow a procession of the League of the Sacred Heart through the streets of the city to the famous sanctuary and show many of the religious observances conducted in the church, including Mass attended by invalids who come in the hope of being healed of various afflictions.

    img
  • 1957
    imgMovies

    City of Gold

    City of Gold

    5.5 1957 HD

    This classic short film depicts the Klondike gold rush at its peak, when would-be prospectors struggled through harsh conditions to reach the fabled gold fields over 3000 km north of civilization. Using a collection of still photographs, the film juxtaposes the Dawson City at the height of the gold rush with its bustling taverns and dance halls with the more tranquil Dawson City of the present.

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  • 1958
    imgMovies

    Blood and Fire

    Blood and Fire

    1 1958 HD

    The Salvation Army in action. Band rehearsals, personal reminiscences of an Army officer, and an unrehearsed "coming to Christ" in the Army Citadel make for a revealing film study of men and women dedicated to a life of service to humanity.

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  • 1954
    imgMovies

    Corral

    Corral

    6 1954 HD

    Corral is a 1954 National Film Board of Canada documentary by Colin Low, partly shot in the Cochrane Ranch in what is now Cochrane, Alberta. In the film, a cowboy rounds up wild horses, lassoing one of the high-spirited animals in the corral, then going on a ride across the Rocky Mountain Foothills of Alberta.

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  • 1998
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    Show Girls

    Show Girls

    1 1998 HD

    Show Girls celebrates Montreal's swinging Black jazz scene from the 1920s to the 1960s, when the city was wide open. Three women who danced in the legendary Black clubs of the day - Rockhead's Paradise, The Terminal, Café St. Michel - share their unforgettable memories of life at the centre of one of the world's hottest jazz spots. From the Roaring Twenties, through the Second World War and on into the golden era of clubs in the fifties and sixities, Show Girls chronicles the lives of Bernice, Tina and Olga - mixing their memories with rarely seen footage of the era.

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  • 1961
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    The Days of Whisky Gap

    The Days of Whisky Gap

    1 1961 HD

    Rousing tales of the North-West Mounted Police are brought to life through photos and artists' sketches. In 1873, the North-West Mounted Police were established to maintain law and order in the North-West Territories. They undertook a trek from Fort Dufferin, south of Winnipeg, to Fort Whoop-up, near present-day Lethbridge, Alberta. The force raised the flag and proclaimed the Queen's Law, ensuring that the Canadian West would not become a lawless, American-style frontier.

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  • 1975
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    Perspectrum

    Perspectrum

    1 1975 HD

    In this animated short, simple geometric forms as thin and flat as playing cards constantly form and re-form to the sound of the koto, a 13-stringed Japanese instrument.

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  • 1984
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    Behind the Veil: Nuns

    Behind the Veil: Nuns

    1 1984 HD

    The history of nuns mirrors the history of all women -- in what we are taught about the past, women are almost invisible. Although today's one million nuns outnumber priests two to one, they must struggle to be heard by the all-male Roman Catholic hierarchy from which they are excluded. Behind the Veil: Nuns is the first film ever to record from a global perspective the turbulent history and remarkable achievements of women in religion, from pre-Christian Celtic communities to the radical sisters of the 1980s. Contemporary nuns of strength, dignity and commitment speak of their lives and of their predecessors.

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  • 1975
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    Natsik Hunting

    Natsik Hunting

    1 1975 HD

    Mosha Michael made an assured directorial debut with this seven-minute short, a relaxed, narration-free depiction of an Inuk seal hunt. Having participated in a 1974 Super 8 workshop in Frobisher Bay, Michael shot and edited the film himself. His voice can be heard on the appealing guitar-based soundtrack…. Natsik Hunting is believed to be Canada’s first Inuk-directed film. – NFB

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  • 1958
    imgMovies

    Memory of Summer

    Memory of Summer

    1 1958 HD

    An attempt to recapture the magic of childhood as the cameras follow children at play.

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  • 1977
    imgMovies

    Spinnolio

    Spinnolio

    1 1977 HD

    A lonely woodcarver longs for a son, so he builds a wooden puppet and names it Spinnolio

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  • 1973
    imgMovies

    Man: The Polluter

    Man: The Polluter

    1 1973 HD

    A richly illustrated cartoon film that enlarges on man's capacity to foul his own nest, and to ignore it. Made by a joint team of Canadian and Yugoslav animation artists, the film transmits its warning with unflagging humor, imagination, movement and design. In between animated sequences Dr. Fred H. Knelman, Professor of Science and Human Affairs at Concordia University in Montréal, comments on the import of what is shown and on what lies in store if more responsibility is not taken on a global scale to conserve what is left of our vital resources and usable environment.

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  • 1951
    imgMovies

    Sur le pont d'Avignon

    Sur le pont d'Avignon

    1 1951 HD

    Extravagantly gowned marionettes pantomime this old French folksong, sung by the Trio Lyrique. The song describes the traffic over the bridge at Avignon--the beautiful ladies and gallant gentlemen, the musicians and singers, learned professors, uniformed soldiers, comedians, acrobats, and village pranksters.

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  • 1978
    imgMovies

    Canada Vignettes: Trading Post

    Canada Vignettes: Trading Post

    4 1978 HD

    An animated film about the Hudson's Bay trading post, and the relationship between fur traders and Indians.

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  • 1973
    imgMovies

    The Innocent Door

    The Innocent Door

    1 1973 HD

    A short documentary about urban planning and the harmonisation of old and new building elements in Jerusalem of the 1970's, led by the architect Moshe Safdie.

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  • 1960
    imgMovies

    I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling

    I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling

    1 1960 HD

    A short 1960 documentary about physical fitness trends in the big city. Here you see modern man brought to bay by his own poundage, resolved to erase by exercise what rich food, idleness and age have put on.

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  • 1995
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    Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot... He Scores

    Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot... He Scores

    1 1995 HD

    This short documentary traces the life and career of composer Eldon Rathburn. A music lover since childhood, Rathburn used to go to the movies in Saint John, New Brunswick, in the 1920s just to hear the soundtrack. In 1947, he joined the National Film Board as a staff composer and went on to score over 300 documentaries and feature films. He is responsible for the music heard in classic NFB films like City of Gold and the IMAX feature Momentum, as well as the scores for lesser-known “classics” like Hog Family Supreme and Fish Spoilage Control.

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  • 1957
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    It's a Crime

    It's a Crime

    1 1957 HD

    A suave safecracker offers his reflections on wintertime unemployment in Canada.

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  • 1977
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    Amisk

    Amisk

    7 1977 HD

    A performing arts film by Alanis Obomsawin, it documents efforts to raise funds for the James Bay Cree and was made at a time when Cree territory was threatened by hydro-electric projects. Amisk represents early work by Obomsawin, a trailblazer in Canadian Aboriginal film.

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  • 1958
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    Memory of Summer

    Memory of Summer

    1 1958 HD

    An attempt to recapture the magic of childhood as the cameras follow children at play.

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  • 1977
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    No Apple for Johnny

    No Apple for Johnny

    1 1977 HD

    This animated short is the visual enactment of the year-long obstacle course run by a teacher trainee. Rich in humor and anecdote, it is a comedy of educational manners seen through the autobiographical and unflinching eye of the trainee-turned-filmmaker.

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  • 1977
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    Poets on Film No. 1

    Poets on Film No. 1

    1 1977 HD

    This short film brings together animated interpretations of four poems by great Canadian wordsmiths: "Riverdale Lion" by John Robert Colombo, "A Kite Is a Victim" by Leonard Cohen, "Klaxon" by James Reaney and George Johnston’s "The Bulge."

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  • 1977
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    Poets on Film No. 2

    Poets on Film No. 2

    1 1977 HD

    This short film brings together animated interpretations of 4 poems by great Canadian wordsmiths: “From the Hazel Bough” by Earle Birney, “Travellers Palm” by P.K. Page, “Death by Streetcar” by Raymond Souster, and “A Said Poem” by John Robert Colombo.

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  • 1978
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    Canada Vignettes: The Maple Leaf

    Canada Vignettes: The Maple Leaf

    4.8 1978 HD

    The maple leaf on the Canadian flag turns into two profiles that illustrate the many relationships between people.

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  • 1978
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    Canada Vignettes: Sodbusters

    Canada Vignettes: Sodbusters

    4.3 1978 HD

    A Canadian prairie farm family has a tough beginning on their new farm.

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  • 1978
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    Canada Vignettes: Voyageurs

    Canada Vignettes: Voyageurs

    3 1978 HD

    An animated film about the hardships of voyageurs' lives in the early Canadian fur trade.

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  • 1978
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    Canada Vignettes: Faces

    Canada Vignettes: Faces

    5 1978 HD

    Animated images showing the variety of people who live in Canada.

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  • 1991
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    Walker

    Walker

    1 1991 HD

    Walker is a young Aboriginal foster child whose only playmate is his dog. Jamie is a lonely young white boy who is afraid of dogs, and has some strange ideas about Aboriginal people. Walker ignores the racist jeering and taunting of the bigger boys and reaches out to Jamie. Together, they find friendship and understanding. Walker challenges racist attitudes toward Aboriginal people, and shows how children from different backgrounds can form friendships. This film is part of the Playing Fair series.

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  • 1977
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    Extinction of the Dinosaurs

    Extinction of the Dinosaurs

    1 1977 HD

    This film illustrates the theory that a sudden change in climate caused by a stellar explosion resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs.

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  • 1974
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    The Light Fantastick

    The Light Fantastick

    1 1974 HD

    A detailed retrospective of animation and animation techniques at the National Film Board of Canada.

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  • 1985
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    Discussions in Bioethics: A Chronic Problem

    Discussions in Bioethics: A Chronic Problem

    1 1985 HD

    One of a series of short, open-ended dramas designed to stimulate discussion of values and ethics in relation to modern medical technology. This film considers the chronic patient's right to quality care, and the acutely ill patient's right to a hospital bed. Jean is suffering from multiple sclerosis and is almost completely paralyzed. It seems that the only ones who care about her are the nurses. With the arrival of a patient in need of an operation, it becomes apparent that chronic patients have little priority.

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  • 1969
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    To See or Not to See

    To See or Not to See

    5.6 1969 HD

    A scientist develops an unusual pair of eyeglasses which allows the wearer's mind to see things objectively rather than the usual subjective manner.

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  • 1971
    imgMovies

    Christmas at Moose Factory

    Christmas at Moose Factory

    8 1971 HD

    A study of life at Christmastime in Moose Factory, an old settlement mainly composed of Cree families on the shore of James Bay, composed entirely of children's crayon drawings and narrated by children.

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  • 1973
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    The Family That Dwelt Apart

    The Family That Dwelt Apart

    7.7 1973 HD

    A family of seven lives on a New England island with nobody else. One winter, they got stranded because the bay froze over. This didn't much matter to them, but someone on the mainland remembered them and launched an aerial rescue mission; an unfounded story that one boy had appendicitis results in a larger rescue mission, with the situation rapidly escalating into a major catastrophe all because of the rescue mission.

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  • 1970
    imgMovies

    Where There's Smoke

    Where There's Smoke

    1 1970 HD

    A compilation of satirical anti-smoking clips.

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  • 1995
    imgMovies

    Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot... He Scores

    Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot... He Scores

    1 1995 HD

    This short documentary traces the life and career of composer Eldon Rathburn. A music lover since childhood, Rathburn used to go to the movies in Saint John, New Brunswick, in the 1920s just to hear the soundtrack. In 1947, he joined the National Film Board as a staff composer and went on to score over 300 documentaries and feature films. He is responsible for the music heard in classic NFB films like City of Gold and the IMAX feature Momentum, as well as the scores for lesser-known “classics” like Hog Family Supreme and Fish Spoilage Control.

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  • 1970
    imgMovies

    N-Zone

    N-Zone

    7.5 1970 HD

    Arthur Lipsett’s N-Zone is the longest, loosest and last of the collage films he produced at Canada’s National Film Board (NFB). It marks the end-point of his trajectory from feted young genius to discarded problem child/eccentric within the NFB.

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  • 1960
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    Universe

    Universe

    7.4 1960 HD

    A triumph of film art, creating on the screen a vast, awe-inspiring picture of the universe as it would appear to a voyager through space, this film was among the sources of inspiration used by Stanley Kubrick for his 2001: A Space Odyssey. Realistic animation takes you into far regions of space, beyond the reach of the strongest telescope, past Moon, Sun, and Milky Way, into galaxies yet unfathomed.

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  • 1962
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    Lonely Boy

    Lonely Boy

    5.9 1962 HD

    This short film portrays the story of singer Paul Anka, who rose from obscurity to become the idol of millions of adolescent fans around the world. Taking a candid look at both sides of the footlights, this film examines the marketing machine behind a generation of pop singers. Interviews with Anka and his manager reveal their perspective on the industry.

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  • 1971
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    Hot Stuff

    Hot Stuff

    5.8 1971 HD

    This tongue-in-cheek cautionary tale by Croatian director Zlatko Grgic traces man's checkered history with fire, and shows how growing carelessness in the form of overloaded sockets, smoldering cigarettes and other fire hazards can have highly undesirable consequences.

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  • 1985
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    Discussions in Bioethics: The Courage of One's Convictions

    Discussions in Bioethics: The Courage of One's Convictions

    1 1985 HD

    A 17-year-old girl refuses medical treatment that will prolong her life due to religious convictions.

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  • 1973
    imgMovies

    Ten: The Magic Number

    Ten: The Magic Number

    1 1973 HD

    An amusing introduction to the metric system, presented through the person of George, a tropical fish fancier who is stymied in estimating the weight of his aquarium because he doesn't remember what a cubic inch of water weighs in ounces. How he is jolted into the metric age, and how he discovers its advantages, makes an amusing cartoon screen adventure for anyone who sees George's problem but, like him, resists the idea of change to a simpler way of figuring the size and weight of things.

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  • 1974
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    The Coldspring Project

    The Coldspring Project

    1 1974 HD

    The human side of town planning, as exemplified in Baltimore, Maryland. The Coldspring Project concerned a proposed housing development for lower and upper income levels on a three hundred-acre site adjoining a wildlife sanctuary. The film records the differences aired in meetings of various interest groups that tried to modify the plan according to their views, and the compromise reached, based on plans drawn up by Montréal architect Moshe Safdie.

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  • 1986
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    Connection

    Connection

    1 1986 HD

    A half-hour drama based on a short story by Alice Munro in which a young woman has to deal with her snobbish husband when her aunt comes to dinner. The aunt is unsophisticated and perhaps boring, but the young wife comes to realize how this fat woman's warmth and humanity have so much more value than her husband's cold sophistication.

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  • 1986
    imgMovies

    Connection

    Connection

    1 1986 HD

    A half-hour drama based on a short story by Alice Munro in which a young woman has to deal with her snobbish husband when her aunt comes to dinner. The aunt is unsophisticated and perhaps boring, but the young wife comes to realize how this fat woman's warmth and humanity have so much more value than her husband's cold sophistication.

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  • 1966
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    Steeltown

    Steeltown

    1 1966 HD

    A portrait of Hamilton, the Pittsburgh or Birmingham of Canada. This is a rich and colourful subject that encourages imaginative treatment on the screen. The heart of the city is the immense complex of furnaces and rolling mills, but nearby are the lake, the mountain, and the rich fruit farms. How the work of the steel mills touches the city and its surroundings is shown in many views during both day and night.

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  • 1960
    imgMovies

    I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling

    I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling

    1 1960 HD

    A short 1960 documentary about physical fitness trends in the big city. Here you see modern man brought to bay by his own poundage, resolved to erase by exercise what rich food, idleness and age have put on.

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  • 1960
    imgMovies

    I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling

    I Was a Ninety-pound Weakling

    1 1960 HD

    A short 1960 documentary about physical fitness trends in the big city. Here you see modern man brought to bay by his own poundage, resolved to erase by exercise what rich food, idleness and age have put on.

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  • 1969
    imgMovies

    Le Québec as Seen by Cartier-Bresson

    Le Québec as Seen by Cartier-Bresson

    1 1969 HD

    The photographs of Henri Cartier-Bresson were the first ever to be displayed in the Louvre, Paris. In this film the world-famous photographer turns his lens on the Québec scene, finding there the same fascination with form and movement that gives his work a mark of individuality. Here, in town and country, are young people, old people, streets and fences, homes and edifices captured in a moment of time to give a composite representation of the world of Québec.

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  • 1970
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    Why Men Rape

    Why Men Rape

    1 1970 HD

    An unusual documentary investigating rape from the assailant's point of view. Ten men convicted of rape tell their stories, describing their backgrounds, and their violent attacks on women. The film is a guaranteed catalyst for discussion.

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