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Remembrance Day
For Remembrance Day, a selection of films that pay tribute to the Canadians who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace.
Mennonites in WWII
The Pacifist Who Went to War
Mennonite beliefs intertwine with ideologies of WWII
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And We Knew How to Dance: Women in World War IMaureen Judge 1993 55 minThis feature documentary profiles 12 Canadian women who entered the male-dominated world of munitions factories and farm labour during World War I. In 1994, aged 86 to 101, these women recall their wartime work experiences and the ways in which their commitment and determination helped lead the way to postwar social changes for women. -
The War Is Over1945 4 minThis commemoration of V-J Day--the World War II victory of the Allied forces in Japan--shows various scenes of celebration, and suggests that the energies which Canada deployed in the war effort in mining, agriculture and industrial development will now be the keys to a brighter, peaceful future.
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The Pacifist Who Went to WarDavid Neufeld 2002 51 minThis documentary is the story of two Mennonite brothers from Manitoba who were forced to make a decision in 1939, as Canada joined World War II. In the face of 400 years of pacifist tradition, should they now go to war? Ted became a conscientious objector while his brother went into military service. Fifty years later, the town of Winkler dedicates its first war memorial and John begins to share his war experiences with Ted.
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The Valour and the Horror1991This three-part series critically examines some aspects of Canada's contribution during the Second World War. Many of the events described are not familiar to most Canadians, and all share the theme of the bravery of Canadian soldiers and the tragedies of war.
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First StripesJean-François Caissy 2018 1 h 46 minA group of civilians embark on 12 weeks of intensive training that will see them gradually transformed into soldiers of the Canadian Armed Forces. For the third instalment in his documentary series about the different stages of life, Jean-François Caissy offers a compelling portrait of the military experience, charting the paths of young adults who have made this singular career choice.
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Return to VimyDenis McCready 2017 9 minIn this short film, a young woman visits the Vimy Memorial to make a charcoal imprint of the engraved name of her great-grandfather who was lost in battle. She brings with her a notebook of sketches and diary entries that he made during his preparation for battle. The sketches transform into colourized archive footage and take us back in time to revisit the daily lives of the Canadian Corps soldiers. This project marks the first time the NFB has colourized its own archives for a film project.
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Between Two Wars1960Three half-hour films revive the eventful, time-obscured years between the end of the First World War and the beginning of the Second. From a wealth of newsreel footage, much of it irreplaceable, these films recall two eventful decades of Canada's history.
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Forgotten WarriorsLoretta Todd 1997 51 minThis documentary introduces us to thousands of Indigenous Canadians who enlisted and fought alongside their countrymen and women during World War II, even though they could not be conscripted. Ironically, while they fought for the freedom of others, they were being denied equality in their own country and returned home to find their land seized. Loretta Todd's poignant film offers forth the testimony of those who were there, and how they managed to heal.
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Open SecretsJosé Torrealba 2003 52 minThis provocative documentary uncovers a lost chapter in Canadian military history: how the Armed Forces dealt with homosexual behaviour among soldiers, during and after World War II. More than 60 years later, a group of five veterans, barely adults when they enlisted, break the silence to talk about how homosexual behaviour "was even more unmentionable than cancer." Yet amidst the brutality of war, instances of sexual awakening among soldiers and officers were occuring. Initially, the Army overlooked it, but as the war advanced, they began to crack down: military tribunals, threats of imprisonment, discharge and public exposure. After the war, officers accused of homosexuality were discharged. Back home in Canada, reputations and careers were ruined. For the young men who had served their country with valour, this final chapter was often too much to bear. Based on the book Courting Homosexuals in the Military by Paul Jackson.
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Canada Remembers1995This 3-part series draws on personal stories and archival footage to tell the story of six of the most significant years in our country's history: from 1939, the beginning of WWII, to its end in 1945.
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The Van Doos, 100 Years with the Royal 22e RégimentClaude Guilmain 2014 52 minThis documentary marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal 22e Régiment, the only French-speaking Canadian battalion to fight in the First World War. Widely known by its colloquial name, “The Van Doos”, the battalion served with distinction on several fronts, including both world wars, the Korean War, and in numerous U.N. peacekeeping operations. This film offers a moving tribute to both the living veterans and the lost soldiers of the Van Doos. Their personal stories and narratives bring a little-known page of our history books to life. This vibrant elegy features a moving score by Claude Naubert performed live by the regimental formation La Musique du Royal 22e Régiment.
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Front LinesClaude Guilmain 2008 33 minA tribute to the combatants in the First World War, this film traces the conflict through the war diary and private letters of five Canadian soldiers and a nurse. Hearing them, the listener detects between the lines an unspoken horror censored by war and propriety.
The film mingles war footage, historical photos and readings of excerpts from the diary and letters. The directorial talent of Claude Guilmain breathes life into these 90-year-old documents and accompanying archival images so that we experience the human face and heart of the conflict.
For the educational sector, five documentary vignettes have been drawn from the film: Nurses at the Front, The Officer's Role, The Life of the Soldier, Faith and Hope and The Trenches, each with further information on its particular subject. -
Gene Boy Came HomeAlanis Obomsawin 2007 24 minThis short documentary by celebrated filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin is a portrait of Eugene "Gene Boy" (pronounced Genie Boy) Benedict, from Odanak Indian Reserve (near Montreal, Quebec). At 17, he enlisted in the US Marines and was sent to the frontlines of the Vietnam War. This film is the account of his 2 years of service and his long journey back to Odanak afterwards.
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Canada at War1962From the depressed thirties to the war-torn forties -- a time of testing and trial, of strength discovered and victory won. Here is Canada's story of World War II, as experienced by Canadians at home and on the battlefronts of the world. In thirteen half-hour films you re-live a vital era that changed the nation and the world.
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Unwanted SoldiersJari Osborne 1999 48 minThis documentary tells the personal story of filmmaker Jari Osborne's father, a Chinese-Canadian veteran. She describes her father's involvement in World War II and uncovers a legacy of discrimination and racism against British Columbia's Chinese-Canadian community. Sworn to secrecy for decades, Osborne's father and his war buddies now vividly recall their top-secret missions behind enemy lines in Southeast Asia. Theirs is a tale of young men proudly fighting for a country that had mistreated them. This film does more than reveal an important period in Canadian history. It pays moving tribute to a father's quiet heroism.
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John McCrae's War: In Flanders FieldsRobert Duncan 1998 46 minThis feature documentary profiles poet John McCrae, from his childhood in Ontario to his years in medicine at McGill University and the WWI battlefields of Belgium, where he cared for wounded soldiers. Generations of schoolchildren have recited McCrae’s iconic poem “In Flanders Fields,” but McCrae and Alexis Helmer—the young man whose death inspired the poem—have faded from memory. This film seeks to revive their stories through a vivid portrait of a great man in Canadian history.
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The Price of DutyGarth Pritchard 1995 47 minA tribute to Canadian peacekeeper Mark Isfeld, or "Issy" as he was known to his fellow soldiers. In the first 3 years of UN peacekeeping activity in former Yugoslavia, 10 Canadian soldiers died. Many others were seriously injured, a number of whom were "engineers" – soldiers assigned the dangerous task of clearing land mines to create a safer environment for the local people. As we see in dramatic close-up, this is a painstaking job requiring great personal risk, nerves of steel and unwavering trust among soldiers. It's a job that cost Canadian peacekeeper Mark Isfeld his life.
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In God's CommandGarth Pritchard 1995 47 minThis documentary introduces us to Captain Mark Sargent, chaplain to the Canadian peacekeepers (soldiers of the First Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) stationed in former Yugoslavia. It offers an intimate look at the work of this remarkable man as he travels from bunker to bunker and from village to village, ministering to soldiers and civilians caught in the bloody conflict that has torn apart the Balkans.
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Caught in the CrossfireGarth Pritchard 1995 47 minCaught in the Crossfire is an in-depth and moving look at how Canadian soldiers keep peace in wartorn former Yugoslavia. Seen through the soldiers' eyes, it pays tribute to a community of men and women who have earned the respect of all sides in a bloody dispute. Throughout the film, we gain an awareness of the difficult work of our peacekeepers and of the successes that have resulted from our Canadian policy of refusing to take sides in the conflict.
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Return to DresdenMartin Duckworth 1986 27 minIn 1945, Great Britain and the United States organized a bombing raid that devastated the ancient city of Dresden. This short documentary returns exactly 40 years after its destruction and celebrates its renaissance with the re-opening of one of the most beautiful opera houses in Europe. One guest at this gala was the Canadian navigator of one of the bomber planes, returning to Dresden on a mission of peace that brought him face-to-face with the people who were once his enemies.
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A War StoryAnne Wheeler 1981 1 h 21 minBased on the diaries of Canadian doctor Ben Wheeler during his internment in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, this feature-length docudrama is a glowing account of the spirit and its will to survive physical and mental suffering. The film is comprised of newsreel footage, interviews and dramatic re-enactments.
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Fields of SacrificeDonald Brittain 1963 38 minThis 1964 documentary returns to the battlefields where over 100,000 Canadian soldiers lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. The film also visits cemeteries where servicemen are buried. Filmed from Hong Kong to Sicily, this documentary is designed to show Canadians places they have reason to know but may not be able to visit. Produced for the Canadian Department of Veteran Affairs by the renowned documentary filmmaker Donald Brittain.
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Georges P. Vanier: Soldier, Diplomat, Governor GeneralClément Perron 1960 29 minThis 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.
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With the Canadians in KoreaJulian Biggs 1952 16 minThis short documentary offers a record of the living conditions and military operations of the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade during the Korean War. The film briefly reviews the unfolding of the war and presents a soldier’s account of front-line conditions.
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Back to Jobs1945 9 minThis short documentary depicts the return of Canadian WWII veterans to civilian life, including those who, because of war injuries or lack of training, require special treatment or courses before taking on jobs. Throughout the program, emphasis is laid on individual adjustment to normal peacetime life and work. Part of the Canada Carries On series.
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Welcome Soldier1944 15 minThis archival film outlines the various government plans created to help World War II Canadian veterans return to civilian life. Cash bonuses, paid educational leave, assured work, free medical services and many other benefits were extended to the veterans to help them reintegrate into civilian life. Produced by the NFB for the Canadian Department of Pensions and National Health.
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Home to the LandStanley Jackson 1944 21 minThis documentary from 1945 explains The Veteran's Land Act, which provided for low-cost loans to veterans who wished to purchase properties and re-establish themselves in Canada after the war. The loans were for properties ranging from town lots to full-scale farms. The Act also provided aid in purchasing farm machinery, fishing boats, building materials and livestock. Produced by the NFB for the Canadian Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Churchill's IslandStuart Legg 1941 22 minIt presents the strategy of the Battle of Britain, showing with penetrating clarity the relationships between the various forces made up the island's defenses. Here is the Royal Air Force in its epic battle with the Luftwaffe, the Navy in its stubborn fight against the raiders of sea and sky, the coastal defenses, the mechanized cavalry, the merchant seamen and behind them all, Britain's tough, unbending civilian army.
