Skip to content
Accessibility
Work Issues (13)
-
EconomicsPhilip Eddolls 2020 3 minEconomist Armine Yalnizyan offers a radically honest and deliciously sweet review of our absurdly dysfunctional economic system and what we must do in order to survive and thrive in the 21st century. -
Billy Crane Moves AwayColin Low 1967 17 minThis short documentary features Newfoundland fisherman Billy Crane, who speaks frankly on the state of the inshore fishery and how the lack of government support has contributed to the industry’s downfall. He is being forced to leave home to seek employment in Toronto. This film was made with the Challenge for Change program.
-
The Case of Charlie GordonStuart Legg 1939 16 minThe first film ever distributed by the NFB, The Case of Charlie Gordon focuses on an unemployed young Canadian who has never held a job. In the late '30s, there were many in Charlie's position. Determined to change this, a committee was formed to team up local employers with these young men. Through their efforts, and with the help of the Federal Government, people were trained and employed. As a result, their hopeless attitudes were transformed into a readiness to learn and be useful members of society.
-
Come to your sensesAlicia Eisen & Sophie Jarvis 2020 4 minNine artists across the continent document their sensory experiences of lockdown, and the results broke our editing program. What emerges is an absurdist collage that playfully flips the format of a video conference on its head. Filmmakers Alicia Eisen and Sophie Jarvis pose the question: is the human need to make sense of chaos an inherently chaotic pursuit?
-
The Emperor's New ClothesMagnus Isacsson 1995 53 minThis feature documentary focuses on the reality of life before, during, and after the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the profound effects the economic agreements between big business and government can have on human lives.
Filmed over a three year period in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, this documentary poses a sobering question: In this global war of cut-rate economies, are people on the losing side? -
Gopher BrokePeter Thurling 1979 24 minThe Depression era. A small town in Saskatchewan, Dominion Day, 1935. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police sergeant runs up against a group of desperate people who plan to join the Trekkers on their march to Ottawa in protest against the daily wage of twenty cents a day paid by the government to the unemployed in federal labour camps. Kid, the hero, has wrangled a truck and is planning to transport people and food to the Regina meeting place. Because of its illegal nature, their mission is thwarted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. But only briefly. Humour, suspense and music enliven this short historical drama.
-
It's a CrimeWolf Koenig 1957 12 minThis animated short uses humour to demonstrate how the problem of seasonal employment could be mitigated if industry made use of the increased labour supply during winter lay-offs. Luckily, we have an expert to guide us through the process – a gentleman thief and safecracker, whose highly skilled profession gives him a lot of insight into business… and safes.
-
The NewcomersDavid Bennett 1953 27 minAll across Canada, at every level, national life is being enriched and strengthened by the talents and skills, as diverse as the countries from which they come, which are being poured into their adopted land by immigrants from the British Isles and Europe. This film travels to many places from coast to coast to present a visual inventory of the many ways in which Canada's expansion is being helped by the newcomers, who see fresh opportunities to develop existing resources--both economically and culturally--and who also arrive as the purveyors of specialized knowledge from abroad.
-
ScoggieCynthia Scott 1975 26 minThis short documentary by Oscar®-winner Cynthia Scott (Flamenco at 5:15) profiles 27-year-old Scoggie Watson, a Cape Breton stalwart who clings to the things he cherishes most: the waters of Lake Bras d'Or, his hand-built sailboat, his freedom, and the friends who stayed in Cape Breton instead of leaving for the big cities. Scoggie ruminates on the hearty determination of the island people, a government scheme to develop marine farming, and a mysterious stranger who has remained Scoggie's hero since he was 14 years old. This film is a portrait of island life through the eyes of a local whose love for his home shines through in everything he does.
-
A Sun Like Nowhere ElseLéonard Forest 1972 47 minAcadians are French-speaking Maritimers. In this film the people speak for themselves--about their feelings toward governments wanting to relocate and urbanize them, about present-day "tragedies" in their communities, and about their hopes for a productive future.
-
Shift ChangeJefferson Lewis 1986 56 minThis documentary looks at the microchip, an American invention exploited by the Japanese that caused a second industrial revolution. The devastating effect on millions of human lives is related through interviews with some of the newly jobless in Hamilton, Ontario. Using the example of Japan for contrast, host James Laxer demonstrates that the cost of technological advances need not be so high if their effects are foreseen and planned for. Part 2 of the series Reckoning: The Political Economy of Canada.
-
WAL-TOWN The FilmSergeo Kirby 2006 1 h 6 minIn this feature documentary, 6 student activists visit 36 Canadian towns to take on one giant corporation. Filmed over 2 summers, these young crusaders (plus a gonzo journalist) try to raise public awareness about Wal-Mart's business practices and their effect on cities and towns across Canada. With youthful passion and often hilarious cultural jams, this film takes us to the frontlines of the ongoing debate over the company's increasing dominance in the Canadian retail market.
-
Work DifferentJulien Capraro 2023 50 minHow 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 Different takes a close look at the origins, impacts, upsides and uncertainties of remote work.
