History
54 Hours
This short animation is a remarkably vivid account of the 1914 tragedy in which 132 men were stranded on the ice during a severe snowstorm off the coast of Newfoundland. …
Anatomy
A white room. The aging bodies of actors Gilles Pelletier and Françoise Graton testify to a love that has triumphed over time and engage in a captivating dialogue of desire, …
The Apollo of Gaza
In 2013, an ancient statue of Apollo was found in the waters off Gaza—before disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Is it the work of forgers, or a gift from the gods …
Beyond Paper
At a critical moment in the history of the written word, as humanity’s archives migrate to the cloud, one filmmaker goes on a journey around the globe to better understand …
Big Trees
This short semi-animated film tells the story of a woman's spectacular ocean view from her apartment in Vancouver’s West End. How far will she go when leaves start to obscure …
Canada at the Coronation
This documentary depicts the colour and pageantry of the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Canada's participation in this momentous event.
China 2000 BC - The Rise and Fall of Dynasties in Ancient China
Between 2000 B.C. and 221 B.C., many civilizations developed in the area now known as China and each had its own distinct language, culture and gods. This series unveils remarkable …
China 2000 BC - Unearthing the Truth Behind a Myth: The Xia Dynasty
Between 2000 B.C. and 221 B.C., many civilizations developed in the area now known as China and each had its own distinct language, culture and gods. This series unveils remarkable …
The Devil's Share
Quebec, on the cusp of the 1960s. The province is on the brink of momentous change. Deftly selecting clips from nearly 200 films from the National Film Board of Canada …
Exile - A Myth Unearthed (BBC Version)
It has been depicted in artwork and lamented in poetry and prayer for nearly 2,000 years: the exile of the Jewish people from their homeland in the first century AD, …
Finding Macpherson
This feature doc tells the story of the improbable friendship between acclaimed Quebec singer Félix Leclerc and the intriguing Frank Randolph Macpherson. A chemical engineer from Jamaica, Macpherson immigrated to …
Front Lines
A 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 …
High Wire
High Wire examines the reasons that Canada declined to take part in the 2003 US-led military mission in Iraq, shining a spotlight on the diplomatic tug of war that took …
The Hole Story
In this feature documentary, Richard Desjardins and Robert Monderie continue in the same provocative vein as their earlier Forest Alert, this time turning their lens on Canada's mining industry. …
I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors
This short animation is director Ann Marie Fleming’s animated adaptation of Bernice Eisenstein’s acclaimed illustrated memoir. Using the healing power of humour, the film probes the taboos around a very …
The Invisible Nation
The Algonquin once lived in harmony with the vast territory they occupied. This balance was upset when the Europeans arrived in the 16th century. Gradually, their Aboriginal traditions were undermined …
John Ware Reclaimed
John Ware Reclaimed follows filmmaker Cheryl Foggo on her quest to re-examine the mythology surrounding John Ware, the Black cowboy who settled in Alberta, Canada, before the turn of the …
Klondike Promises
It’s been over a century since prospectors roamed the Klondike in search of gold. Like Charlie Chaplin and Lucky Luke before her, filmmaker Julie Plourde tracks the modern-day explorers for …
The Memories of Angels
This visual love letter crafted by filmmaker Luc Bourdon uses clips from 120 NFB films to pay tribute to the city of Montreal in the '50s and '60s, with hat …
Mighty Jerome (Short Version)
In 1959, at just 19, Harry Jerome was Canada's most promising track and field star on his way to the Olympics in Rome. By 1962, after suffering a gruesome leg …
A Museum in the City
In A Museum in the City, Luc Bourdon invites us on a tour of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). A backstage discovery of the institution and its 150-year …
My Son Shall Be Armenian
Exploring the question of Armenian identity, My Son Shall Be Armenian follows filmmaker Hagop Goudsouzian, who travels with five Montreal men and women of Armenian descent to the land of …
The Mystery of Mazo de la Roche
This feature documentary tells the mysterious story of Canadian author Mazo de la Roche, author of the Jalna novels. Using both dramatic and documentary techniques, the film explores this compelling …
Nunavut Animation Lab: Qalupalik
This animated short tells the story of Qalupalik, a part-human sea monster that lives deep in the Arctic Ocean and preys on children who do not listen to their parents …
Paris 1919
This feature-length film, based on Margaret MacMillan's acclaimed book of the same name, takes us inside the most ambitious peace talks in history. Revisiting the event with a vivid sense …
Passage
With a unique blend of dramatic action and behind-the-scenes documentary footage, filmmaker John Walker shares the multi-layered story of British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew of 128 men, …
Reel Injun
In this feature-length documentary, Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond takes an entertaining and insightful look at the portrayal of North American Indigenous people throughout a century of cinema. Featuring hundreds of …
A Return to Memory
When Canada entered World War II, the National Film Board suddenly had an urgent new mission—and hundreds of women stepped forward, helping to create Canadian cinema as we now know …
Return to Vimy
In 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 …
The Rose Family
In October 1970, members of the Front de libération du Québec kidnapped minister Pierre Laporte, unleashing an unprecedented crisis in Quebec. Fifty years later, Félix Rose tries to understand what …
Royal Journey
A documentary account of the five-week visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Canada and the United States in the fall of 1951. Stops on the royal …
The Secret Order
Phil Comeau shines a spotlight on the Ordre de Jacques-Cartier, a powerful secret society that operated from 1926 to 1965, infiltrating every sector of Canadian society and forging the fate …
A Short History of the Highrise, Part Four: Home
In the final installment, "Home" consists of images from New York Times readers, who submitted personal pictures of their lives in high-rises from around the world. Montreal musician Patrick Watson …
A Short History of the Highrise, Part One: Mud
In the first installment, "Mud" traces the historical roots of the residential highrise, from the biblical Tower of Babel to the tenement buildings of New York. The film is narrated …
A Short History of the Highrise, Part Three: Glass
In the third installment, "Glass" examines the recent proliferation of luxury condos and the growing segregation between the rich and poor. The film is narrated by the singer-songwriter of Cold …
A Short History of the Highrise, Part Two: Concrete
In the second installment, "Concrete" explores how, in New York City and globally, residential high-rises and public housing attempted to foster social equality in the 20th century. The film is …
Surviving Progress
This feature documentary connects the financial collapse, growing inequity and the Wall Street oligarchy with future technology, sustainability, and the fate of civilization itself. Inspired by Ronald Wright's bestseller A …
A Time There Was: Stories from the Last Days of Kenya Colony
This autobiographical documentary revisits the Mau Mau Rebellion of the 1950s. More than 50 years after the conflict, in which the director participated as a young British soldier stationed in …
The Trenches
This animated short by Claude Cloutier is a pictorial account of an attack on Canadian soldiers during WWI. On the edge of the battlefield, recruits are dreading the order to …
Unarchived
In community archives across British Columbia, local knowledge keepers are hand-fashioning a more inclusive history. Through a collage of personal interviews, archival footage and deeply rooted memories, the past, present …
Vanishing Point
Two Inuit communities of the circumpolar north—one on Canada’s Baffin Island, the other in Northwest Greenland—are linked by a migration led by an intrepid shaman. Navarana, Inughuit elder and descendant …
What is Democracy?
Featuring a diverse cast—including celebrated philosophers, trauma surgeons, factory workers, refugees, and politicians—What Is Democracy? connects past and present, emotion and the intellect, the personal and the political, to …
The Wings of Johnny May
The first Inuit bush pilot in Nunavik, Johnny May has lived through adventures worthy of the novels of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. While his exploits have made him a legend among …
Work Different
How has working remotely reshaped the workplace—and our lives? While the shift to working from home may seem abrupt, the concept is far from new. With humour and intelligence, Work …