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Environment and Technology (22)
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AwayPeter Mettler 2007 3 minThe filmmaker of this short documentary used his cellphone camera to shoot these scenes in Costa Rica. He reflects on the dichotomy of nature versus technology. Part of the MobiDOCS: Confessions in a Digital Age series. -
Another Side of the ForestRaoul Fox & Strowan Robertson 1974 20 minThis documentary looks at developments in the Canadian forestry industry from the 1970s. Turning a Newfoundland bog into woodland, fostering British Columbia seedlings that withstand mechanical planting, inoculating Ontario elms against the bark beetle, devising ways of controlling fire... these are some of the experiments shown being carried out in laboratories and in the field to protect and conserve the country's vast forests.
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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.
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Country ThreshingWolf Koenig 1958 30 minThis short documentary records the rural sights and sounds of the Chateauguay Valley 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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City Center and PedestriansMichel Régnier 1974 56 minThis film focusses on the approaches that several cities have taken to one problem. Through various examples, it examines the implications and options for a pedestrian-oriented city core.
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Design Innovations for Canadian SettlementsBruce Mackay 1976 17 minA 1976 documentary about innovative housing and community design as a way to conserve energy. Two planned mining towns, one in Quebec and another in Manitoba, are examined, as well as solar-heated homes in Ontario and Prince Edward Island. This film was produced by the NFB for the Canadian Habitat Secretariat, Urban Affairs.
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Düsseldorf - Balanced Urban GrowthMichel Régnier 1974 56 minIndividualized for profit, yet harmonious in its whole, Düsseldorf has met and largely conquered the conflicting demands of economic growth and human environment.
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The Energy CarolLes Drew 1975 10 minThis animated short borrows A Christmas Carol’s storyline to sketch a satirical exposé on energy waste and conservation. In this version, Ebenezer "Stooge", a power company CEO, has a bold motto: to waste is to grow. After his midnight meeting with the spirits of Energy Past, Present and Future, however, that motto is up for thorough review.
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Eye Witness No. 151949 11 minThese vignettes from 1949 cover various aspects of life in Canada and were shown in theatres across the country. Subjects included here are: Man-Made Niagara: the construction of the Des Joachims hydro plant on the Ottawa River adds to Ontario's power resources. Irrigation Revitalizes Dust Bowl: In the southern Alberta drylands, the St. Mary's River is being harnessed to provide life-giving irrigation for prairie crops. Underwater Harvest: Lobster season in New Brunswick provides choice seafoods for epicurean tables.
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From Ashes to ForestTony Ianzelo 1984 52 minFilmed in several of Canada's national parks (including Banff and Wood Buffalo), this feature documentary looks at forest fires versus fire suppression. Sometimes forest fires are essential for plant renewal, healthy growth, soil enrichment and new environments for wildlife.
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The Fight for True FarmingEve Lamont 2005 1 h 29 minIn this documentary, crop and animal farmers in Quebec, the Canadian West, the US Northeast and France offer solutions to the social and environmental scourges of factory farming. Driven by the forces of globalization, rampant agribusiness is harming the environmemt and threatening the survival of farms. The proliferation of GMO crops is a further threat to biodiversity as well as to farmers' autonomy. In Europe as well as North America, a current of resistance bringing together farmers and consumers insists that it is possible - indeed imperative - to grow food differently.
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ForestersWerner Aellen 1968 13 minThis short documentary looks at how modern technology affects the forestry industry and the role of the forester in ensuring the sustainability of this great natural resource. It was in the '60s that people started to realize that the forests did not provide an endless supply of wood, and thanks to recent developments in the science of forestry, people are learning how to manage the resources more effectively.
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The Glass ArkBernard Gosselin 1994 1 h 29 minMontreal’s Biodome, one of the most popular attractions in the city, features a microcosm of the Earth’s major ecosystems, from tropical rainforest to the Arctic. This feature-length doc shows the enthusiasm brought to the last stages of this undertaking and the magnitude of the challenge met by a young team of scientists who planned this unusual nature museum, home to thousands of animals and plants.
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A House on the PrairieRon Bashford & Bob Lower 1978 17 minThis documentary describes the unfortunate legacy of the lone house on the prairie, an example of a dwelling entirely unsuited for the harsh winter or summer. We meet some builders and home owners experimenting with designs that are more energy efficient, such as the dome, the underground house and a ranch with wind, solar energy and methane gas from animal waste.
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Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to LifeChris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski 2010 23 minOnce Jennie had everything. The terrier had two food bowls, two pillows, and for cold weather, a red wool sweater. She even had a master who loved her. But Jennie didn't care. In the middle of the night she packed everything she had in a black leather bag with gold buckles and looked out of her favourite window for the last time...
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life follows Jennie's suspenseful and unexpectedly moving journey to gain new experiences and realize her dream of becoming the star of the World Mother Goose Theatre.
The National Film Board of Canada and Warner Home Video present this live-action/animated adaptation of Maurice Sendak's book from filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Oscar® nominee and Genie Award winner for Madame Tutli-Putli), featuring the voices of Meryl Streep and Forest Whitaker.
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It'll Be Nice Out TomorrowAntoine Létourneau-Berger & Guillaume Lévesque 2020 4 minIMPORTANT: For the optimal experience, please use headphones and turn up the volume.
The influence of the weather on our daily lives and the immense role it plays in our conversations, day after day, are undeniable. The creators Guillaume Lévesque and Antoine Létourneau-Berger had the brilliant idea of weaving their film from snippets of meteorology talk collected in various cities of the Bas-Saint-Laurent. Focusing on human speech and its poetry, It'll Be Nice Out Tomorrow demonstrates how the uncontrollable elements permeate our collective imagination. -
Return of the Swift FoxJy Chiperzak 1988 26 minThe swift fox is one of the many lost species that has suffered from the cultivation of the prairie grasslands. An innovative program has been implemented to reintroduce the swift fox into its original habitat in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Documenting the history and human misuse of this fragile ecosystem, this short film illustrates the precious balance between human and wildlife use of the environment.
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Silence Is GoldJulien Fréchette 2012 1 h 17 minThis feature documentary takes us through the twists and turns of judicial proceedings pitting Canadian mining companies Barrick Gold and Banro against author Alain Deneault, his co-writers and publisher Éditions Écosociété, following the 2008 release of the book Noir Canada, which raised troubling questions about the controversial practices of Canadian mining companies in Africa. Silence is Gold is a legal and political thriller that captures years of intense psychological tension.
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ShipbreakersMichael Kot 2004 1 h 12 minThis 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.
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Tomorrow Is Too LateBané Jovanovic , Douglas Kiefer , … 1974 28 minA 1974 documentary film about the state of the Canadian fisheries industry. The film shows the depletion of some species of fish and some of the conservation and management techniques that were employed at the time.
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Trouble in the ForestGary Toole 1988 46 minIn this compelling film, David Suzuki investigates the frightening phenomenon of forest dieback caused by acid rain and proposes some solutions.
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Where the Bay Becomes the SeaJohn Brett 1985 29 minThis is a documentary about the fragile and complex marine ecosystem in the Bay of Fundy. The film traces relationships within the food chain - from tiny plankton to birds and seals and finally to whales and humans. The film is a plea for careful management of our ocean resource and was first telecast as part of CBC's Nature of Things series.
