The NFB is committed to respecting your privacy

We use cookies to ensure that our site works efficiently, as well as for advertising purposes.

If you do not wish to have your information used in this way, you can modify your browser settings before continuing your visit.

Learn more
Skip to content Accessibility
Subjects (65)
History - Canada - 1867-1919 (23)

Portraits (2)

  • John A. Macdonald: The Impossible Idea
    John A. Macdonald: The Impossible Idea
    Gordon Burwash 1961 27 min
    This short fiction film tells the story of John A. MacDonald’s rise to power. Canada’s first Prime Minister and one of the Fathers of the Confederation, MacDonald didn’t enjoy an easy political career. When he first shared his vision of a Dominion reaching from sea to sea – an audacious proposal regarded as uncertain even by his supporters – his opponents derided him. “The fox is out of tricks," they taunted. "Bankrupt of ideas, he offers us clouds." This film offers us a memorable flashback
  • The Legendary Judge
    The Legendary Judge
    Donald Wilder 1958 30 min
    This short fiction film profiles the controversial figure of Judge Matthew Bailie Begbie, who was tasked with bringing law and order to the gold-mining camps of British Columbia more than 150 years ago. After his death, Begbie’s fame grew, and he subsequently came to be known as “the Hanging Judge”; historians argue about his methods and legacy to this day. This film was produced in 1958 and may reflect outdated or even offensive stereotypes of that era. It must be seen in this historical context.

Explore