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Central America and the Caribbean (29)
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Background to Latin America1963 58 minThis feature documentary is a curious example of the mid-20th century ethnographic film and its depiction of non-Western peoples. We begin our tour of Central and South America in the Caribbean and move along to the vast agricultural and urban locales of Mexico, a socio-economic profile of the so-called “banana republics”, and the rich oil fields of Venezuela and its neighbours. Across the vast Andes mountain range and down towards the coffee industry in Colombia, we continually see the contrast between Spanish colonial architecture and the ruins of ancient Indigenous temples. The film shows the proud history of twenty republics and their growing unrest. -
Background to FederationIan MacNeill 1958 30 minPart one of New Nation in the West Indies is an introduction to the Federation of the West Indies. Ten palm-shaded island units, popularly regarded as tourist paradises, have pooled their resources for a common future. What are their problems, hopes and aspirations as they embark on this new chapter in their history? The film presents the views of several spokesmen, notably Hugh Springer, Registrar of the University College of the West Indies, and the Honourable Norman Manley, Chief Minister of Jamaica, who describes the historical, political and economic motivations that led to the union.
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The Bright LandMorten Parker 1959 30 minThis short documentary from Morten Parker takes audiences on a tour of the islands in the West Indies Federation, circa 1959. While there, we see the various resources of the islands, including sugar, coffee, bananas, oil, and bauxite.
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Black SugarMichel Régnier 1988 57 minThis feature documentary offers a shocking look at the living and working conditions of Haitian agricultural laborers in the Dominican Republic. Each year, some 20 000 workers cross the border to cut sugar cane, lured by promises of good money. Instead, they toil up to 14 hours per day and live in unhealthy, cramped camps without running water, electricity, medical or educational facilities.
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The Chocolate Farmer (Short Version)Rohan Fernando 2010 52 minThis full-length documentary takes us to an unspoiled corner of southern Belize, where cacao farmer and father Eladio Pop manually works his plantation in the tradition of his Mayan ancestors: as a steward of the land. The film captures a year in the life of the Pop family as they struggle to preserve their values in a world that is dramatically changing around them. A lament for cultures lost, The Chocolate Farmer challenges our deeply held assumptions of progress.
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The Chocolate FarmerRohan Fernando 2010 1 h 11 minThis full-length documentary takes us to an unspoiled corner of southern Belize, where cacao farmer and father Eladio Pop manually works his plantation in the tradition of his Mayan ancestors: as a steward of the land. The film captures a year in the life of the Pop family as they struggle to preserve their values in a world that is dramatically changing around them. A lament for cultures lost, The Chocolate Farmer challenges our deeply held assumptions of progress.
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Elisha and the Cacao TreesRohan Fernando 2010 17 minThis charming short documentary takes us on a trip to Belize, where we meet 13-year-old Elisha, the daughter of a cacao farmer. What links a village in Belize and millions of North American kids? Chocolate! We learn about Elisha's daily life and her dreams as she and her father show how cacao is grown, harvested and turned into chocolate.
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A Family for MariaLina Gagnon 1992 5 minAn animated film for five- to eight-year-olds about international adoption and the difficulty of adapting to a new environment. The film also gives a glimpse into the problems of abandoned children in developing countries. In A Family for Maria/Une famille pour Maria, love triumphs over the insecurity of a little Latin American girl who finds a new family in North America.
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Five Centuries Later ...Germán Gutiérrez 1991 53 minFive centuries after the "discovery" of America by the Europeans, the Indigenous Peoples of Guatemala and Bolivia affront difficult times. What is left of their culture? What will their future hold?
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The GiftGary Farmer 1998 48 minThis short documentary examines the role of corn in the lives of Indigenous peoples in the Americas. Before colonization, corn was widely used as a beverage, a food staple, an oil, and a ceremonial object. It was respected and revered as a critical part of creation. This film explores the powerful bond and spiritual relationship that continues to exist between people and corn. Combining interviews, dance, and song, The Gift captures the traditional, spiritual, economic, and political importance of this sacred plant.
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Home AgainSudz Sutherland 2012 1 h 43 minThis feature drama tells the story of Marva, Dunston and Everton, three Jamaicans who grew up in Toronto, New York and London respectively, and are deported “home” to Jamaica. Once in Kingston, they discover that every day is a fight for survival in which family support, friendships and shelter are elusive. They each embark on a journey that pushes their endurance beyond measure and forces them to discover who they truly are. A powerful, visually stunning film, Home Again asks the question: “How would you survive?” Starring Tatyana Ali and singer-songwriter Fefe Dobson.
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HaitiLéonard Forest 1957 30 minThis short film from the Perspective series highlights social and economic development in Haiti circa 1957. It depicts customs and traditions used to pass along the history of a people, and offers a look into their daily lives — lives that looks very different from their experiences today.
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Hue: A Matter of Colour (Short Version)Vic Sarin 2013 57 minThis feature documentary by renowned director and cinematographer Vic Sarin is a personal yet global investigation into the history and current state of colourism: the discrimination within one ethnicity based on differences in skin tone. Sarin travels the globe to discuss this complex cross-cultural social issue with individuals whose lives it affects, including a Filipina entrepreneur whose business has flourished within the billion-dollar skin-whitening industry. Hue leads viewers on a thoughtful and surprising journey to the heart of a painful and pervasive social issue that not only polices appearance, but also class, gender, and geography.
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Hue: A Matter of ColourVic Sarin 2013 1 h 25 minThis feature documentary by renowned director and cinematographer Vic Sarin is a personal yet global investigation into the history and current state of colourism: the discrimination within one ethnicity based on differences in skin tone. Sarin travels the globe to discuss this complex cross-cultural social issue with individuals whose lives it affects, including a Filipina entrepreneur whose business has flourished within the billion-dollar skin-whitening industry. Hue leads viewers on a thoughtful and surprising journey to the heart of a painful and pervasive social issue that not only polices appearance, but also class, gender, and geography.
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Last ChancePaul Émile d'Entremont 2012 1 h 24 minThis feature documentary tells the stories of 5 asylum seekers who flee their native countries to escape homophobic violence. They face hurdles integrating into Canada, fear deportation and anxiously await a decision that will change their lives forever.
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A Memory Forgotten: A Generation SacrificedMartine Duviella 2008 23 minThis short documentary is a portrait of Martine Duviella, whose parents were forced to flee Haiti during the Duvalier regime. Here, Duviella recounts the story of her activist father and through him seeks to retrieve the forgotten past of a generation that sacrificed itself trying to free Haiti. In French with English subtitles.
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Of Lives UprootedPierre Marier 1988 9 minThis short film illustrates the impact of the civil war in El Salvador and Guatemala through the words and drawings of children who have known conflict or refugee camps. The film was adapted from an exhibition entitled Disrupted Lives, organized by Linda Dale and sponsored by INTER-PARES and CUSO.
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Of Hopscotch and Little Girls...Marquise Lepage 1999 52 minHopscotch is universal. Girls around the world trace squares on the ground, then hop through them, trying hard to reach the end. Girls share other interests too; they all like to talk about school, what they want to be when they grow up, who they will marry, how many children they will have, their hopes for a better life for themselves and their family.
But all too often, through poverty, perversion, spite, ignorance or superstition, adults shatter these dreams by denying girls the right to an education, entering them into forced labour, subjecting them to mutilation, sexual abuse and other injustices.
Soni, Kamlesh, Mou, Yui, Dalal, Esmeralda, Fatou, Adiaratou, Safi and Maude range in age from 8 to 14. Some are frail, some strong; all are beautiful. Whether they live in India, Thailand, Yemen, Peru, Burkina Faso or Haiti, they all speak of having much of their childhood stolen from them. Because they are girls. With subtitles. -
The Responsibilities of FreedomIan MacNeill 1958 30 minPart four of New Nation in the West Indies appraises problems that face the people of the West Indies Federation as they take up the challenge of their new nationhood. With such problems as over-population and a disparity in the resources of the ten member island units, underdevelopment and poverty loom large on the horizon. The will to win is there, and the film strikes a note of optimism as it shows how the challenge is being met. An important development is the educational program, at all levels and in all regions, which promises to be the cornerstone on which the Federation will build.
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REW-FFWDDenis Villeneuve 1994 30 minIn this film by Denis Villeneuve, a young photographer is on assignment in Jamaica. It's a cultural shock! First anguished, he later becomes quite fascinated by the people he meets, their neighbourhood and their music.
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The Riches of the IndiesIan MacNeill 1958 30 minPart three of New Nation in the West Indies takes stock of the economic situation as it exists in the British West Indies in the year of federation. It visits various islands in the Caribbean and shows the development programs being carried out to stimulate industry and all forms of production. The interest of Canada in helping this new nation achieve a sound economy is made evident in the film.
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Spirits of HavanaBay Weyman & Luis Osvaldo Garcia 2000 1 h 30 minThis feature documentary offers a glimpse of contemporary Cuba’s rich musical culture through the experiences of renowned Canadian soprano sax player and flautist Jane Bunnett. Jane and her husband, trumpeter Larry Cramer, are surrounded by the charm of Old Havana as they connect with some of the city's finest musicians—like singers Bobby Carcasses and Amado Dedeu —for a recording session. Bunnett and Cramer then venture to small towns like Cienfuegos and Camaguey, where they hook up with local musicians and visit music schools. Global music fans will be captivated by the performances of Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, a celebrated Afro-Cuban rumba group, and Desandann, a 10-member a cappella choir that sings in Haitian Creole.
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Super-CompaniesBoyce Richardson 1987 56 minThe super-companies of this film are multi-national corporations that treat the world as one market. They take raw materials from one place, process them in another, and sell them everywhere. Shot on four continents, Super-Companies provides a provocative view of the way our world is being shaped by economic powers that are often at odds with the needs of people.
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SerenalNorman McLaren 1959 3 minA gay fantasia of patterned sound in which Norman McLaren salutes the West Indies, painting the spirit of fiesta on film to the lively beat of an island tune by Trinidad's Grand Curacaya Orchestra.
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Song for CubaTamara Segura 2014 7 minThis short experimental documentary about memory and music follows a young Cuban couple charting a new course for their lives on an island in the North Atlantic. The film features the original music of Patrick Boyle and the songs “Preferi Perderte” by Benny Moré and “Suavecito” by Ignacio Piñeiro.
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StatelessMichèle Stephenson 2020 1 h 35 minIn 1937, tens of thousands of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent were exterminated by the Dominican army on the basis of anti-black racism. Fast-forward to 2013: the Dominican Republic’s Supreme Court stripped the citizenship of anyone with Haitian parents, retroactive to 1929, rendering more than 200,000 people stateless. Director Michèle Stephenson’s new documentary follows the grassroots campaign of a young attorney named Rosa Iris, as she challenges electoral corruption and fights to protect the right to citizenship for all people.
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Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm LowryDonald Brittain & John Kramer 1976 1 h 39 minThis feature-length documentary focuses on Malcolm Lowry, author of one of the major novels of the 20th century, Under the Volcano. But while Lowry fought a winning battle with words, he lost his battle with alcohol. Shot on location in four countries, the film combines photographs, readings by Richard Burton from the novel and interviews with the people who loved and hated Lowry, to create a vivid portrait of the man.
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Waiting for FidelMichael Rubbo 1974 57 minThis feature-length documentary from 1974 takes viewers inside Fidel Castro's Cuba. A movie-making threesome hope that Fidel himself will star in their film. The unusual crew consists of former Newfoundland premier Joseph Smallwood, radio and TV owner Geoff Stirling and NFB film director Michael Rubbo. What happens while the crew awaits its star shows a good deal of the new Cuba, and also of the three Canadians who chose to film the island.
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Weakness into StrengthIan MacNeill 1958 30 minPart two of New Nation in the West Indies focusses on the people of the British West Indies--the multi-racial groups whose origins are African, East African, Chinese, European, and Amerindian--and shows their common effort to nurture their fledgling nation. Hugh Springer and other spokesmen draw many examples from the economic and political life of the Caribbean islands that have joined the Federation to illustrate ways in which union is expected to benefit them, and to show how the people are accepting the responsibilities of their new state.
