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Individual in Society (66)
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2000 mmGeorges Hannan 2021 7 minReady or not, society is in a process of redefinition. What goes through people’s minds in a situation like a toilet paper shortage? The term COVID-19 stands for something invisible, stoking fears strong enough to cause stock markets to melt like snow in springtime. As filmmaker Georges Hannan’s 91-year-old mother puts it, “I’ve never seen anything like this.” It has prompted him to embark on a gradual reflection over time, in a part of the world like any other: Atlantic Canada. Call it a fishing expedition with camera and microphone, into the unknown. -
60 Day CycleColin Jones & Darcy Wittenburg 2020 5 minWhen society shifts abruptly into pandemic low gear, a lone cyclist embarks on a tour that begins with shuttered shops and empty streets, and ends with a city opening up to a new reality.
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Here At Home: EvictedManfred Becker 2012 4 minOn the verge of being evicted, Theresa heads out to work panhandling on a familiar patch of concrete in downtown Toronto. Confiding in her caseworker, Bouchra, Theresa blames herself for her eviction and delivers a startling revelation.
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
Here At Home: A Model PersonLynne Stopkewich 2012 2 minMr. MadDogg gives the lowdown on drugs, friendship and the street as he whips up breakfast for 100 fellow residents at the Bosman Hotel.
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
Here At Home: Not ChosenSarah Fortin 2012 2 minFor every housed participant, another remains homeless. Wandering the empty corridors of his shelter, Valère reveals his struggle with HIV/AIDS, and his longing for a home of his own.
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
Here At Home: A New LeaseSarah Fortin 2012 3 minDetermined to go to NYC to reconnect with a famous actor, Simon is radically altering his life. He’s quit hard drugs, prostitution and crime and is moving into a new apartment.
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
Alone, TogetherPaul Émile d'Entremont 2001 24 minIs culture accepting of difference? This is the vital question that Nova Scotia filmmaker Paul Émile d'Entremont asks in his film about difference and identity. Alone, Together charts the quest of two Acadians: Simon, who is trying to come to terms with his sexuality, and Cynthia, who is searching for her biological mother. The filmmaker sees himself in Simon and Cynthia who, each in their own way, is seeking an answer to the existential questions: who am I? where do I belong? In daring to come out with his homosexuality, Simon is also able to assume his Acadian identity. After finding her birth mother, Cynthia finally untangles the various strands of her identity. Alone, Together shows Acadia as a multifaceted society embracing the more open attitudes of the 21st century. Today's Acadians are able to assume their difference and create their own identity. In French with English subtitles.
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Here at Home: Honestly PainfulManfred Becker 2012 3 minHaunted by visions of his father, Mark thought he’d won the jackpot when he discovered he was going to be housed. But now, safe and secure in his apartment, he’s overwhelmed by a new fear – will he lose his home when the study ends?
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
Here At Home: Life Isn't EasySarah Fortin 2012 5 minCovering everything from bug bites to welding to drug use, Dr. Plante counsels participants with a mixture of tough love and compassion in this glimpse of her at work.
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
As Night DescendsNadine Gomez 2020 10 minIn conversations with passionate sociologist and political thinker Jean Pichette, the filmmaker views the forced downtime stemming from the current crisis as an opportunity to rethink our modes of existence and our relationship to others, nature, science, the economy, art, politics—in short, everything that makes us human.
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And So to BedJeff McKay 1999 57 minThis feature documentary is all about beds: their cultural, personal, psychological, and physical importance is examined by Peabody Award-winning director Jeff McKay. This curious film about a seemingly mundane subject takes us on an unusual odyssey into the world of the commonplace: throughout the film, we visit the beds of families, Nevada sex workers, truckers, a prisoner convicted of murder, artists, an undertaker, a coroner, and a homeless man who remembers his mother tucking him in as a child. We even visit the bed of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Maddin. From the threat of bed bugs to the transient nature of RV and motel beds, this film takes a fresh look at the most familiar of topics.
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Here At Home: Will to liveLouiselle Noël 2012 2 minAfter years on the edge, Hector now has a place to live, a job and a beloved dog. Shuttling farm hands to work, he remembers the life he lost and worries about his homeless son.
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
Here at Home: The Wound InsideDarryl Nepinak 2012 3 minLukas makes his rounds as a caseworker, delivering meds, gifts and good cheer to participants while exposing the dark history behind the addiction issues that plague Winnipeg's Aboriginal homeless population.
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
Here At Home: Where I BelongLouiselle Noël 2012 3 minLise has been living with schizophrenia for years, some of them spent in dangerous housing conditions. Now she’s selling her paintings in a Moncton marketplace and celebrating her new home.
This short film is a chapter from Here At Home, a web documentary about mental health and homelessness that takes us inside the Mental Health Commission of Canada's At Home pilot project. -
AsiemutMélanie Carrier & Olivier Higgins 2007 56 minThere are so many choices in everyday life! Everyone has their own journey, their own direction, their own azimuth. Olivier Higgins and Mélanie Carrier chose a journey, but most would call it a long adventure, approximately 8000 kilometres long. Riding their bicycles & pedaling through Asia. Olivier and Mélanie traveled from Mongolia to Kolkata, at the mouth of the Ganges in India, passing through Xinjiang, the Taklamakan Desert, Tibet and Nepal. Along the way, they discover the world, but over all, they discover themselves. Who are they? What do they want? What is their place in this world? Maybe, between the encounters, obstacles and the discovery, this daring journey made them reflex… Do we not all have a common “Asiemut”?
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Assholes - A TheoryJohn Walker 2019 1 h 20 minSome grapple with the challenge of treating other human beings decently. Others are just… assholes, claims Professor Aaron James in his New York Times bestselling book, Assholes: A Theory. This intellectually provocative film takes a playful approach to uncovering why asshole behaviour is on the rise in the workplace, in government, and at home.
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BAMHowie Shia 2015 5 minA modern adaptation of the myth of Hercules, BAM tells the story of a young boxer struggling to negotiate between his shy, bookish nature and a divinely violent temper. Where does this rage come from? Is it psychological or environmental - or is it something altogether more primordial?
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BANGLukas Conway 2022 1 minIn a frenzied attempt to break the isolation, a man drums his head against the wall, unleashing a battery of brightly hued hallucinations.
Produced as part of the 13th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
BeautyChristina Willings 2018 23 minBeauty explores the lives of five gender-creative kids, each uniquely engaged in shaping their own sense of what it means to be fully human. Whether it’s dealing with bullies, explaining themselves to their parents, or navigating the uncharted waters of relationships, Bex, Lili, Fox, Tru and Milo talk about their experiences and struggle to live in authenticity.
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Cell 16Martin Duckworth 1971 14 minThis short documentary portrays the complex effects of incarceration on individuals. Prisons, the film shows, lock men within themselves, depriving their minds of normal life experiences, confiscating their humanity.
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Corpus and the WanderingJo Roy 2024 7 minOne dancer, one body, one phone. In a time of collective alienation and technological mass control, one woman rediscovers her soul and reclaims her mind. A short, experimental self-portrait composed of 100 video screens, Corpus and the Wandering transcends the walls of a fragmented grid system to uncover the shared humanity in each of us, and our place in the cosmos.
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Captive Minds: Hypnosis and BeyondPierre Lasry 1983 55 minFrom stage hypnosis to group and individual therapies and long-term conditioning, Captive Minds: Hypnosis and Beyond explores the power of suggestion and its ability to influence behaviour--sometimes for life. By focusing on such disparate institutions as an Indian ashram, a United States Marines training camp, a monastery, and the Moonie cult, the film reveals the striking similarities in the indoctrination methods each uses to achieve long-term effects. It is a film that serves as a reminder that we are all vulnerable to persuasion, and one that provokes serious consideration of the far-reaching implications of any form of psychological manipulation.
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CaterpillarplastyDavid Barlow-Krelina 2018 5 minA prescient, grotesque sci-fi satire that lifts plastic surgery to another level. Set in a state-of-the-art clinic, in a world where advanced technologies have given rise to new standards of beauty and prestige, Caterpillarplasty offers its sardonic take on a social obsession with beauty that’s spiralled out of control.
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Door to DoorZabelle Côté 1992 4 minAn animated film for five-to eight-year-olds that presents the familiar situation of big kids bullying little ones in the schoolyard. This time, however, the little kids refuse to accept it and their constructive efforts in their own defence prove that might does not necessarily mean right. Film without words.
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DominoesDaniel Schorr 2006 10 minDominoes animates the tiles of this age-old game to illustrate an oddly shaped domino's struggle to belong. Set to tunes inspired by Brazil's chorinho music, the film gives a new spin to the old domino theory as the characters ultimately learn about openness, flexibility, cooperation... and sharing one's dots.
This film is part of the ShowPeace series of lively animated films about conflict resolution. This series has received support from UNICEF and Justice Canada.
Technique: Cut-out animation -
Dialogue(s)Philippe David Gagné 2016 6 minAir force pilots, a heavy metal band and two fans of modified cars are the unlikely focus of a deadpan film essay on language. Through a clever, unpredictable edit, Philippe David Gagné takes great delight in revealing the strange ways that men communicate.
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EdgeCode: Sayonara Super 8Pia Yona Massie 2006 5 minPia Yona Massie's Sayonara Super 8 uses personal archival footage to ask questions about the fragile nature of memory, human relationships and the foibles of the medium itself.
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Edmond Was a DonkeyFranck Dion 2012 15 minThis animated short about social conformity tells the story of Edmond - a very "different" sort of guy. When his co-workers jokingly crown him with a pair of donkey ears, Edmond suddenly discovers his true identity. And while he enjoys his newfound self, the ears create an ever-widening gap between himself and others.
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Each Day That ComesGraham Parker 1966 27 minA glimpse into the nature of loneliness. Frances Hyland plays the part of a small-town girl who enjoys position and respect in her community as the owner of a successful dress shop, but who wonders if marriage might not have been a better choice. Disturbed by thoughts of what might have been, she resolves to live each day as it comes.
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Especially YouMoira Simpson 1989 16 minThe last film in the series focuses on the skills pre-adolescents will need to cope with peer pressure. Animated sequences reflecting universal peer-pressure situations, and live-action role-playing sequences, help children gain skill in decision-making. When the action is stopped in the middle of a scene, the children are challenged to come up with their own solutions to the problem.
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FleeRosa Aiello 2012 1 minA man wakes in a sea of sand dunes. He clutches a metal suitcase as if it holds something of great value. In the distance looms a distorted and inhuman city from which the man has apparently fled. An experiment in science-fiction/mystery, Flee wonders how many possible histories and possible futures can be implied in a single minute.
Produced as part of the 8th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
The Great MalaiseCatherine Lepage 2019 5 minIn the voiceover for this animated short, a young woman attempts to describe herself, casting her life in the ideal light that society expects. The film’s imagery, however, tells a different story, poignantly illustrating the intense anxiety that comes with the quest for perfection and the pursuit of happiness. A film that’s both funny and moving, and above all, profoundly human.
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The Hangman at HomeMichelle Kranot & Uri Kranot 2021 14 minThe animated film invites you into five interwoven stories featuring people caught in a pivotal moment: they are fragile, playful, terrified, contemplative, confused, curious. We watch their intimate deeds in a reflective state, and they gaze back, transforming us from spectators to witnesses. The film is not about hanging people, but about the awkward intimacy that comes with being human, and the connection between spectator, witness, and accomplice. The Hangman at Home reveals that we are all alike in these moments, while also raising questions of responsibility.
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How To Be At HomeAndrea Dorfman 2020 4 minLean into loneliness — and know you’re not alone in it. Filmmaker Andrea Dorfman reunites with poet Tanya Davis to craft tender and profound animation on the theme of isolation, providing a wise and soaringly lyrical sequel to their viral hit How to Be Alone.
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In Deep WatersSarah Van Den Boom 2014 11 minFrom the moment they are conceived, twin babies forge a close bond in their mother’s womb. But when one twin dies in utero, the surviving twin is left with a deep feeling of grief that may last a lifetime.
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I Am HereEoin Duffy 2016 4 minThis short film from Eoin Duffy introduces a mysterious traveler journeying across time and space in search of the origin of life, God, and the universe. Looking for answers, he arrives at a devastating realization, yet the earth continues to spin. Through sharp modernist shapes and a riveting score by Menalon, I Am Here takes a curious and contemplative approach to dark and complex themes. Featuring the voice of Nicholas Campbell (Da Vinci's Inquest), the film is a thoughtful and open-ended exploration of existence itself.
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Into LightSheona McDonald 2021 19 minWhen a child reveals who they truly are on the inside, how does a parent set aside their own expectations to help them become their most authentic self? Sheona McDonald’s documentary captures a season of change as a mother and child navigate the complexities of gender identity together.
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I Am Syd StoneDenis Thériault 2020 1 h 21 minWhile shooting a film in a small town, a famous actor puts his personal life and career in jeopardy by starting an intense affair with another man.
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Just a Little Love SongViviane Elnécavé 1974 10 minThis particular love song is an ironic, oftentimes caustic, commentary on the terror and pain of love, from a child's desperate attempts at closeness with his parents to an adult's relationship with a cruel and isolating world. Animated boldly with a paint brush and black ink, the action, like a continual dance, throbs to the rhythms of a five-string banjo. Shapes change, are metamorphosed, in an emotional roller-coaster trip through the subconscious.
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Kali the Little VampireRegina Pessoa 2012 9 minThis animated short tells the story of Kali, a young vampire who suffers from not being able to live in the light. Living in the shadows and inspiring fear, he lives envious of other children who don’t even dream that he exists. One day, while once again watching young boys play beside the train tracks, he breaks from his isolation and discovers that because of who—and what—he is, he can make a difference in others’ lives. Narrated by Oscar winner Christopher Plummer.
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The LumpJohn Weldon 1991 7 minThis animated short tells the story of a short and unattractive man who develops an inert but highly attractive lump on top of his head. By simply buttoning his shirt over his face he changes his life! An animated parody on the superficiality of those qualities that lead to popularity and power.
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Lonesome Monsieur TurgeonJeanne Crépeau 2001 13 minMr. Turgeon is a lonely bachelor. When his fantasies about a female companion fail to materialize, he tries to fill the void with an overabundance of consumer goods. There is nothing in his life but the raucous music of his neighbours. A digital urban tale with the naïve style of paper cut-outs, Lonesome Monsieur Turgeon is an amusing but sympathetic portrait of a man who feels all alone in the world. If only he could connect with the people around him. A film without words.
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Lucien’s HappinessNathalie Hébert 2019 23 minTo better understand the essence of happiness, filmmaker Nathalie Hébert speaks with Lucien Comeau, a musician and “philosopher of the everyday” who lives in Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick. This simple, informal portrait nonetheless moves beyond conventional, preconceived ideas to offer profound insights into the meaning of life and success.
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Living TogetherHalima Elkhatabi 2024 1 h 15 minIn a series of captivating encounters, several young people try to find the ideal roommate, that rare gem with whom they can share their space—and their values. A complex and engaging picture of a generation accustomed to playing all their identity cards, Living Together maps a mosaic of cultures and ideas, with explorations of community, individualism and the right to housing in constant interplay.
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MarginsOliver Tsuji 2007 1 minThis short animated film looks at the relationship between social spaces and taboos surrounding mental illness and other forms of marginalization. The film is intended as a mood piece, a chance encounter between a lone figure and an indifferent crowd.
Produced as part of the fourth edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. -
Multiple Choices - CommunityAlison Burns 1995 12 minWhile the idyllic image of the community may have disappeared in the whirlwind of urban living and the accompanying fragmentation of our lives, new communities develop, crossing boundaries of space, time and distance. As one participant puts it, "We are the community." Participants discuss different types of support networks inside and outside the family, the perceived stigma associated with asking for help from community services, and the changing definition of community.
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Be CoolChris Landreth 2017 41 s2/3 OF US DON’T KNOW WE’RE ASSHOLES. An unapologetic poke at the self-consumed selfie culture.
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One NightSerge Bordeleau 2015 5 minA night in a bar like any other… Deftly capturing furtive glances, moments of euphoria and awkward situations, Serge Bordeleau blends tools borrowed from fiction filmmaking with documentary observation to construct a gallery of characters who provide undeniable proof that every night holds a myriad potential stories.
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The PlantThomas Vamos 1983 13 minThis short fiction has much to say about kindness, although without any dialogue. In a combination of live action and animation, we are introduced to a man who discovers a small plant hidden under the snow and takes it inside his house. The plant responds to his loving care with rather startling enthusiasm.
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Panoramic ChronicleLewis Trondheim & Jean-Matthieu Tanguy 2017 3 minRide the commuter train with this animated short that questions what goes on it the hearts of minds of the train's silent passengers. Filmmakers Lewis Trondheim and Jean Matthieu Tanguy take a common, humdrum experience and turn it into a captivating journey tinged with some delicious, deadpan humour. This film is part of the Comic Strip Chronicles, a collection of shorts celebrating the strong affinity between comic strips and animated film. Inspired by moments of everyday life, these films showcase the playful imaginations of renowned artists Guy Delisle, Zviane, Aude Picault, Lewis Trondheim, and Jean Matthieu Tanguy. Produced by the NFB, Canal+, and Sacrebleu.
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Ryan Reynolds: I'm a Laureate?Christopher Auchter 2021 4 minRyan Reynolds reflects on his childhood, family and career—punctuated by diversions into the charitable side of Twitter to appeal to his Canadian sense of self.
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StigmaStanley Jackson 1958 19 minThis film tells the story of a young woman who suffers a mental breakdown, recovers fully in a mental hospital and returns home. Instead of the understanding and support she most needs from her friends and associates, she is virtually ostracized. The film makes a plea for a change in the sort of public thinking that places a stigma upon people who have suffered from an illness of the mind rather than of the body.
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Spare ChangeRyan Larkin & Laurie Gordon 2008 7 minThis animation short by Ryan Larkin (Walking, Street Musique, etc.) recounts some “comical experiences” Larkin had during his many years as a panhandler in Montreal. It tells the story of Astral Pan, a street beggar (voiced by Larkin himself), who takes us on a wild journey from the sidewalks of a wintry Montreal day, to the gates of Heaven and Hell and back. The great filmmaker passed away before finishing his film. Spare Change was completed by a friend, producer and singer-songwriter Laurie Gordon, assisted by a team of young, devoted animators.
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Self(less) PortraitDanic Champoux 2014 1 h 38 minIn this feature documentary, 50 people decide to bare all about their personal lives and discuss a multitude of subjects on camera, ranging from funny anecdotes to heartbreaking experiences. From their stories emerges a human mosaic with which we can all identify, one that celebrates the diversity of human experience. This inventive, free-form ensemble film breathes new life into the documentary genre.
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Society of ClothesJeong Dahee 2024 15 minWhen morning arrives in Society of Clothes, a shirt and a pair of pants step outside the closet, transforming into a human figure. In this world, everyone exists only as clothes. They wander into the streets, bodiless and faceless, performing absurd daily tasks
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The SubjectPatrick Bouchard 2018 10 minAn animator dissects his own body, extracting memories, emotions and fears that will nurture his work. As he cuts into his skin with a scalpel, various symbolic objects recalling his past emerge. Reaching the heart after cracking his ribs, he succeeds in identifying the burden he’s been dying to cast off.
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The Trembling Veil of BonesMatthew Talbot-Kelly 2010 12 minIn this animated short, a lone clockmaker named Bones sits inside a darkened studio filled with the sounds of ticking clocks. He parcels out his time in teaspoons and shadow, until the arrival of a mysterious package propels him to leave his refuge.
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Tic TacMarc Daigle 2008 9 minMarc Daigle is a graduate in animation and graphic technologies from the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick in Miramichi. He works as a graphic artist, illustrator, Web designer and animator. In 2005 he co-directed the animation Pimp ma botte, a hilarious parody of the TV program Pimp my Ride.
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ToysGrant Munro 1966 7 minThis stop-motion animation takes a dark look into the war toys often given to children at Christmas time. Starting off as harmless objects, the toys quickly take on the gestures of real soldiers, mimicking the actions and penalties of a real war. This critical commentary on war and glamorized violence creates a real and frightening battle.
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ThursdayGalen Johnson 2020 15 minThursday, shot from filmmaker Galen Johnson's high-rise apartment during COVID-19 “lockdown” in Winnipeg, captures people going about their daily routines in the city's eerily empty streets, yards and parking lots, on their balconies and on the riverbanks. The extreme distance and the diminutive scale of humans is paired with sound close-ups—a combination that embodies the strange, heightened intensity of feeling of the time, knowing an era-defining tragedy is happening yet being so physically removed.
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ThomasPedro Pires & Robert Lepage 2014 29 minThis short fiction is part of Robert Lepage's three-piece cinematic work Triptych, itself an adaptation of Lepage's own epic nine-hour theatre play. Like his namesake in Caravaggio's iconic painting, Thomas is doubtful of everything: his marriage, his profession, and even the city where he lives. Marie, a jazz singer from Montreal, is devastated by the news that she must undergo brain surgery and finds herself desperately in search of comfort.
Bathed in dreamlight, London is the half-fantasized, half-real backdrop for the improbable but fateful meeting of these two troubled souls. Beneath Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel fresco and on the chilly docks of the Thames, the singer and the brain surgeon seek, find and then lose each other in this existential urban fable.
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Zaagi'idiwinTracie Louttit 2018 9 minThis short film offers a snap-shot of life in Fort Frances, Ontario, as some of its community members prepare to gather in a special place that will bond their hearts and minds. By engaging in ceremony and celebrating their language, culture and land, the people are creating “Zaagi’idiwin”—a symbol of their truth, their story and their own reconciliation, which is community-defined, beautiful and inspiring.
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When the Day BreaksWendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis 1999 9 minIn this animated short, Ruby the pig seeks affirmation in the city around her after witnessing the accidental death of a stranger… and finds it in surprising places. With deft humour and finely rendered detail, When the Day Breaks illuminates the links that connect our urban lives, while evoking the promise and fragility of a new day. Winner of over 40 prizes from around the world, the film also features singer Martha Wainwright.
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What Walaa WantsChristy Garland 2018 1 h 29 minRaised in a refugee camp in the West Bank while her mother was in an Israeli prison, Walaa is determined to become one of the few women in the Palestinian Security Forces—not easy for a girl who breaks all the rules. Following Walaa from the ages of 15 to 21 with an intimate POV, What Walaa Wants tells the compelling story of a defiant young girl who navigates formidable obstacles, disproving the negative predictions from her surroundings and the world at large.
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White NoiseSimon Beaulieu 2019 1 h 17 minA reflection on the fate of humanity in the Anthropocene epoch, White Noise is a roller-coaster of a film, a whirlwind of sounds and images. The fourth feature-length work by Simon Beaulieu, this film essay plunges viewers into a subjective sensory adventure—a direct physical encounter with the information overload of daily life. White Noise transforms the imminent collapse of our civilization into a visceral aesthetic experience.
