Skip to content
Accessibility
Diversity in Communities (115)
-
Available in English Options
-
5′2″ 80 000 LBSNathalie Trépanier 1999 51 minThis feature documentary shines a light on a group of women who are passionate about their non-traditional job – trucking. Filmed in 1999, it follows the women all across Quebec as they do their job and address the big-ticket items in life: love, family, freedom, and solitude. Filled with humour and the contagious good spirits of the women involved. -
24 Days in BrooksDana Inkster 2007 42 minOver 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.
-
Apples and OrangesLynne Fernie 2003 17 minThis short documentary with interspersed animated vignettes is designed to raise children's awareness of the harmful effects of homophobia and gender-related bullying. In the course of a lively in-class discussion, children's paintings magically dissolve into two short animated stories. In Anta's Revenge, Anta finds out that creativity, not revenge, is the best way to deal with a school bully. Defying Gravity tells the story of two skateboarders whose friendship is tested when one of them finds out the other is gay. The animated stories in this video will help elementary school students explore name calling and bullying. The video can assist children aged 8-12 in learning about families, differences and respect.
-
Act of DishonourNelofer Pazira 2009 1 h 30 minSet in the northern region of Afghanistan, this feature drama tells the story of a young bride-to-be who strays from local customs after befriending an Afghan-Canadian translator. Part lament against injustice, part testament to the spirit of a people who have survived decades of war, this film is a compelling drama in which East and West, love and honour, modernity and custom clash with tragic consequences.
-
Angel PeacockPeter Svatek 2019 24 minDawod is a 12 year old Yazidi boy. The Yazidi are a small Kurdish-speaking sect from northern Iraq that dates back to Mesopotamian times – who have been persecuted for almost as long. ISIS has been waging a campaign of genocide against them since 2014. Over 10,000 men have been killed. Thousands of women kidnapped, raped and trafficked. The survivors are in camps in Kurdistan and a lucky few have been brought to Germany and Canada. Dawod and his mother Naro were held captive by ISIS for months. They managed to escape by running through forests for 9 days and nights without food or water. They made it to one of the refugee camps and from there to Canada, arriving in London, Ontario in January 2018. This is the story of Dawod's arrival in and introduction to his new homeland and way of life.
-
Afghan ChroniclesDominic Morissette 2007 52 minThis feature documentary looks at democracy, freedom of speech and nation rebuilding in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. With a radio station and 2 magazines - one of them aimed at women - the press agency Killid Media is a real media phenomenon. As it follows the distribution of these popular magazines across Kabul, this film shows the struggles within this changing society and paints a touching picture of a land that is a work in progress, dreaming of a better future.
-
The Apollo of GazaNicolas Wadimoff 2018 1 h 18 minIn 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 to a Palestinian people desperately in need of hope? Soon the rumours start to swirl, while behind the scenes local and international players start jostling—some driven by historical preservation and others by purely commercial interests. Filmed in Gaza and Jerusalem, The Apollo of Gaza plays out like a mystery built around a national treasure that is the stuff of dreams. The Apollo of Gaza is an engaging reflection on the passage of time and the fragility of civilizations, as well as a poetic and philosophical meditation that immerses us in the often-misunderstood realities of life in a place that continues to pay a heavy price for the seemingly endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict—a place where life doggedly carries on, resisting. Like a meteor streaking across the sky, the statue of Apollo brings a moment of light and beauty to Gaza. Can it help restore dignity to a people, revealing a glorious history and fostering pride in a nation often misrepresented and demeaned?
-
BalablokBretislav Pojar 1972 7 minBretislav Pojar's animated short explores the human phenomenon of resorting to violence over reason. The cubes live happily amongst themselves until one of them encounters a ball. War erupts and they fight until they all become the same again – this time in the form of hexagons. All is right in the world until one of them stumbles upon a triangle… Winner of the 1973 Grand Prix du Festival for Short Film at the International Film Festival in Cannes.
-
The Ballad of CrowfootWillie Dunn 1968 10 minReleased in 1968 and often referred to as Canada’s first music video, The Ballad of Crowfoot was directed by Willie Dunn, a Mi’kmaq/Scottish folk singer and activist who was part of the historic Indian Film Crew, the first all-Indigenous production unit at the NFB. The film is a powerful look at colonial betrayals, told through a striking montage of archival images and a ballad composed by Dunn himself about the legendary 19th-century Siksika (Blackfoot) chief who negotiated Treaty 7 on behalf of the Blackfoot Confederacy. The IFC’s inaugural release, Crowfoot was the first Indigenous-directed film to be made at the NFB.
-
Baroque'n RollPierre M. Trudeau 1994 4 minA young immigrant is rejected because of his different ways and unusual clothing but is eventually accepted by the other kids when he impresses them with his bravery and resourcefulness. Based on article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this film illustrates the right of children belonging to minority groups to enjoy their own culture, religion and language. Film without words.
-
Becoming LabradorRohan Fernando , Tamara Segura , … 2018 1 h 10 minIn the stark Labrador interior, a growing number of Filipino workers have recently landed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, travelling halfway around the world for jobs they hope will offer their families new opportunities and a better life. Becoming Labrador follows a handful of those women and men as they make a place for themselves in Labrador while dealing with the unexpected costs of living far from their family.
-
Black History Month 2015 Virtual Classroom: The Power of Mentoring, Diversity and Dreaming BigDan Thornhill 2015 1 h 3 minOn February 19, 2015, the NFB, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and Heritage Toronto connected students from across Canada with four talented Black professionals for a one-of-a-kind virtual conversation. Streamed live from the Daniels Spectrum auditorium in the multicultural neighbourhood of Regent Park, Toronto, the virtual classroom explored the topic of achieving one’s career goals while giving back to the community. Featuring: TV anchor and three-time Olympian Rosey Edeh; Dr. Catherine Chandler-Crichlow, Executive Director of the Centre of Excellence in Financial Services Education; Layth Gafoor, sports and entertainment lawyer; and Dr. Teela Johnson, resident in family medicine. Discussion moderated by poet, playwright, and professor Dr. George Elliott Clarke. Special performances by Thompson Egbo-Egbo, Shawn Byfield, and Sean Mauricette, a.k.a. Subliminal.
-
The Basketball GameHart Snider 2011 5 minThis animated short tells the story of an epic basketball game between kids attending Jewish camp and students of a notorious local Holocaust denier. Nine-year-old Hart is attending Jewish summer camp for the first time. He is both curious and afraid. What awaits him on the basketball court?
-
The Back-breaking LeafTerence Macartney-Filgate 1959 29 minHere 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."
-
GovernanceHo Che Anderson 2020 3 minCriminologist and community activist Munira Abukar believes justice and equity begin in your own home and heart. Embracing the uncomfortable awakening that 2020 has brought about, she debunks the cozy narrative of social equality and puts her finger on the key issues needing change.
-
Big MouthAndrea Dorfman 2012 8 minThis animated short tells the story of Trudy, a little girl who is equal parts truthful and rude. A bright-minded and quick-witted child, Trudy has an unfiltered and deeply curious way of looking at the world. Here, events force her to question what it means to speak the truth, and comes to understand how our differences make us unique.
-
Colour BlindJinder Oujla-Chambers 1999 25 minThis film shows kids that being racist is not cool and that even subtle racism can explode into violence. Shot in Vancouver and Toronto schools, the film features teens from a variety of backgrounds. The students speak from personal experience, providing a startling look into the average high school--a place where the kids themselves create de facto segregation by hanging out only with others of the same colour.
-
The Maple LeafPaul Bochner 1978 1 minIn this animated short, the maple leaf on the Canadian flag turns into two profiles that illustrate the many relationships between people.
-
Cold-RoddersClaude Larue 1970 15 minAn amusing view of the machine that has taken the country by winter storm: the snowmobile, revving, raring, ready to go. What the motorboat was to the summer lake, this motorized sled now is to the snow-covered fields. This film shows it all--the pull of this sit-down sport, the eagerness of the trade to keep it booming, the daring rivalry of the racing crowd, and the bemused pleasure of the family outing.
-
FacesPaul Bochner 1978 1 minThis short animation attempts to show the landscape of Canadians through a series of transforming faces -- young, old and from many different backgrounds, illustrating the great variety of people living in the country.
-
DeyzangerooEhsan Gharib 2017 4 min“Deyzangeroo” is a ritual performed in the Iranian port city of Bushehr. Influenced by the city’s colonial rule by the British and Portuguese, and the African slaves that followed, it is imbued with the terror and magic of the lunar eclipse. The ritual is believed to ward off evil spirits and take back the moon. It works every time. Directed by Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Ehsan Gharib, this animated short features hand-painted animation, time-lapse photography, trick photography using mirrors, and the haunting music of virtuoso percussionist Habib Meftah Boushehri.
-
The Elder ProjectEva Colmers 2010 2 h 11 minThe Elder Project follows seven diverse seniors over two years and records their experiences through a series of short and candid episodic stories. As they face the possibility of increasing frailty and transitioning into more dependent-living scenarios, the elders talk of their concerns and eloquently express their desire to grow older with dignity and some control over their future.
-
Enemy AlienJeanette Lerman 1975 26 minThis documentary tells the story of the frustration and injustice experienced by Japanese Canadians, who fought long and hard to be accepted as Canadians.
-
Everything Will BeJulia Kwan 2014 1 h 26 minJulia Kwan’s feature-length documentary Everything Will Be captures a significant moment of time in Vancouver’s Chinatown, with the influx of condos and new, non-Chinese businesses. The film follows a year in the life of several Chinatown denizens, including a 90-year-old Chinese newspaper street vendor and a second-generation tea shop owner, as they navigate this community in flux.
-
The Faith Project: A Classroom Discussion on Practicing Faith in a Secular WorldChristopher Romeike 2015 5 minThe Faith Project is an interactive documentary and app that features evocative short films about being spiritual in the modern world. This accompanying six-part video discussion series was developed to assist educators in exploring the diverse perspectives that exist across religious, spiritual and cultural lines among an array of young people practising various faith traditions in Canada. We encourage educators to begin an ongoing discussion on the many different faiths that are practised throughout the country and to use this project as a springboard to a thoughtful conversation about what it means to be spiritual.
-
For AngelaNancy Trites Botkin & Daniel Prouty 1993 21 minThis short film portrays the experiences of Rhonda Gordon and her daughter, Angela, when a simple bus ride changes their lives in an unforeseeable way. When they are harassed by three boys, Rhonda finds the courage to take a unique and powerful stance against ignorance and prejudice. What ensues is a dramatic story of racism and empowerment.
-
The Faith Project - The Four Pillars2015 7 minJetan Mistry is a mechanical engineer who has grown up in the Swaminarayan Hindu community in the Greater Toronto area in Ontario. The opulent temple near his home is the focal point in his life. In its halls of carved marble, he softens and lays down before sacred images of deities and gurus.
-
The Fight for Francophone Rights - Part Three - Setbacks and JusticeAnne-Marie Rocher 2015 56 minIn 1982, when section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was adopted, the Canadian Constitution gave linguistic minorities the right to be educated in their own language. Yet, as francophone minorities outside Quebec soon came to realize, infrastructures needed for an education in French were lacking or totally nonexistent.
Groups of parents decided to launch legal battles to force provincial governments to recognize and respect their rights. The three-part documentary series The Fight For Francophone Rights looks at six of these battles. Through interviews with the players involved, director Anne-Marie Rocher spotlights the issues that have pushed francophones to commit to a long fight that many considered a lost cause. If the infrastructures needed to transmit culture, language and history are lacking, inadequate or nonexistent, what does the future hold for francophone minorities? -
The Faith Project - Breaking Bread2015 5 minAllison Chubb is a chaplain at the University of Manitoba and an ordained priest in the Anglican Church. She “loiters with intent” on campus, counselling students of all backgrounds. She also connects physically with God through the Christian service of Eucharist in the university chapel that is under her stewardship.
-
The Fight for Francophone Rights - Part One - Winning the CaseAnne-Marie Rocher 2015 56 minIn 1982, when section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was adopted, the Canadian Constitution gave linguistic minorities the right to be educated in their own language. Yet, as francophone minorities outside Quebec soon came to realize, infrastructures needed for an education in French were lacking or totally nonexistent.
Groups of parents decided to launch legal battles to force provincial governments to recognize and respect their rights. The three-part documentary series The Fight For Francophone Rights looks at six of these battles. Through interviews with the players involved, director Anne-Marie Rocher spotlights the issues that have pushed francophones to commit to a long fight that many considered a lost cause. If the infrastructures needed to transmit culture, language and history are lacking, inadequate or nonexistent, what does the future hold for francophone minorities?
