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Diseases (17)
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AphasiaMarielle Dalpé 2023 3 minPropelled by a jarring, lyrical aesthetic, Aphasia pulls viewers into a disconcerting sensory experience. This striking and unsettling debut professional animated short by Marielle Dalpé is a deeply moving foray into the heart of aphasia—a devastating neurocognitive condition that progressively destroys the ability to speak and understand words, afflicting many people with Alzheimer’s disease. -
Bearing Witness: Luke MelchiorDan Curtis 2003 51 minThis feature documentary is a portrait of Luke Melchior (1973-2021) who, at 26, had already lived longer than most people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive wasting of the muscles. Knowing his life would be relatively short had made Luke feel an urgency about making a lasting contribution. Living independently, with the help of 3 homecare workers, he ran a web-based business selling outdoor gear, and chaired the board of the Disability Resource Centre in Victoria, BC, where he was a passionate advocate for the rights of the disabled.
Bearing Witness consists of 3 films, each approximately one hour long, on people with life-threatening illnesses. The series also profiles Jocelyn Morton, who died of liver cancer at 44, and Robert Coley-Donohue, who died of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) at age 74. -
CoppermineRay Harper 1992 55 minThis feature documentary introduces us to the Copper Inuit of the Coronation Gulf region of Canada's Northwest Territories, one of the last aboriginal groups to be contacted by people from outside. When Doctor R.D. Martin arrived in Coppermine in 1929, he had to deal with one of the consequences of that contact: a full-blown tuberculosis epidemic.
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Eye Witness No. 41948 13 minIn this short newsreel clip from 1948, we see commercial fishing being practiced on a large scale north of The Pas, Manitoba; a doctor from Indian Health Service struggle against the odds to build a better future for Canada's first citizens; a winter carnival in Banff that attracts large crowds to watch ski experts and the crowning of the carnival queen, and; a colour sequence of Barbara Ann Scott, Olympic skating champion.
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A Fight for Breath: EmphysemaJoseph Licastro 1974 11 minA film aimed at youngsters tempted by cigarettes but also for all those already addicted. Why a man suffering from emphysema has difficulty breathing is graphically illustrated. The entire respiratory system is shown in animated cross-sectional models, down to the smallest air cells, the alveoli. That is where the breakdown begins that eventually leads to impaired pulmonary function. This internal view of the damage done to the lungs is one that no viewer can ignore.
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The Gift of DiabetesO. Brion Whitford & John Paskievich 2005 58 minThis feature-length documentary explores the diabetes epidemic within Indigenous communities in Canada. Ojibway filmmaker Brion Whitford lives with the pain of advanced diabetes, but shunned traditional Indigenous medicine and healing practices. But as his health deteriorated, he had a change of heart. Join Brion as he connects with his culture, comes to grips with his own mortality, and tries to re-establish balance in his life.
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Life's a TwitchCindy Bisaillon 2002 30 minThis short documentary is a quirky ride into the world of Duncan McKinlay, a man with Tourette Syndrome. At 7 he noticed what he called a devil in his head that made his life hell. In his teens, it wasn't a question of whether to kill himself, but when. At 19, when he was finally diagnosed, Duncan made researching TS his life path. He's come to understand that his strange ticks are release triggers for the high energy charging through him. At 27 he's a virtuoso at channelling this energy. He's just finished a doctorate in psychology. He's in nationwide demand for his workshops that enlighten and boost the spirits of the 100,000 across Canada who have Tourette's.
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love, ammaPrajwala Dixit 2022 14 minAfter being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, a young mother writes a letter to her daughter about their family’s collective journey to acceptance.
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The Last Days of OkakAnne Budgell & Nigel Markham 1985 23 minThis short documentary tells the story the once-thriving town of Okak, an Inuit settlement on the northern Labrador coast. Moravian missionaries evangelized the coast and encouraged the growth of Inuit settlements, but it was also a Moravian ship that brought the deadly Spanish influenza during the world epidemic of 1919. The Inuit of the area were decimated, and Okak was abandoned. Through diaries, old photos and interviews with survivors, this film relates the story of the epidemic and examines the relations between natives and missionaries.
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The Noise of EnginesPhilippe Grégoire 2021 1 h 19 minAlexandre, an instructor at the Canadian customs college, returns home to his small town after his employer places him on compulsory leave. As he forms a new friendship with a female Icelandic drag racer, he finds himself under surveillance by police investigators trying to get to the bottom of the sexually explicit drawings that have been troubling the town.
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Perfecting the Art of LongingKitra Cahana 2021 12 minCut off from his loved ones due to the pandemic lockdown, a quadriplegic rabbi in a long-term-care facility is filmed remotely by his daughter. Offering powerful meditations on love and hope, Perfecting the Art of Longing shows us what it means to be alive in a state of profound isolation.
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The QuestStanley Jackson 1958 38 minThis short film is a re-enactment of the critical year in Dr. Frederick Banting's life when he discovered insulin for the treatment of diabetes at the University of Toronto. It depicts the odds against which he and his assistant, Charles Best, worked; the scepticism of other doctors and the final victory that gave thousands of diabetics hope for a healthier life.
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Something in the AirSylvie Dauphinais 2001 24 minA 2001 documentary about the dangers of pesticides used by potato farmers in Prince Edward Island. Filmmaker Sylvie Dauphinais made this documentary to issue a wake-up call about an environmental crisis that put the ill, the elderly and the young at great risk. Includes some subtitles.
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Topics: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum DisorderNettie Wild 2007 7 minPediatrician Christine Loock offers effective and non-judgemental communication strategies for nurses and healthcare providers who work with people affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
*Watch the complete documentary.
*View all 10 educational playlists.
*Explore the Teacher's Guide for this chapter. -
The Turtle SyndromeSamuel Cantin 2021 4 minWhat could the illness afflicting Henri Castagnette be? Filled with anxiety, the young man puts his fate in the hands of the off-puttingly exuberant Dr. Von Strudel. In The Turtle Syndrome, Samuel Cantin, author of the popular “motormouth” graphic novels Phobie des moments seuls and Whitehorse, recounts the story of an endearing anti-hero’s frenzied and hilarious medical appointment. Produced by the NFB, The Turtle Syndrome is part of the Comic Strip Chronicles collection.
