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Competitions (25)
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26 Times in a RowJean-Claude Labrecque 1978 23 minThis short documentary revisits the 1976 Olympic Marathon. A modern-day addition to the Games, the marathon commemorates the soldier who ran cross-country, in 490 B.C., to announce the Greek victory at Marathon and then died. Here, great film footage of the 1976 Summer Olympics captures the physical demands of the race, while its emotional counterpart is related by Waldemar Cierpinski, the event’s 1976 gold medalist. This emotion-charged film proves that although the winner of the Decathlon is the best all-round athlete, the “toughest” is the winner of the Marathon. -
180 Is MaxWilliam Pettigrew 1972 16 minThis short documentary invites us to Göteborg, Sweden, where the 23rd world championship match for builders of free-flight model aircraft was held in July 1971. The film follows the successful flights and the failures, as competitors, including a Canadian team, attempt to get their fragile handmade craft airborne by whatever means.
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60 CyclesJean-Claude Labrecque 1965 16 minThis short documentary follows the 11th St-Laurent long-distance bicycle race held in Quebec in the summer of 1964. There, participants from 13 countries covered 2 400 km of Gaspé countryside in 12 days--a course longer than those of Italy, Belgium or Spain. With the curving landscape of this most picturesque province as backdrop, you see here a sports event where the challenge seems more personal than competitive.
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Almost GiantsGary Toole 1984 24 minIn recent years, Canada has risen from virtual obscurity in women's gymnastics to become one of the top ten countries in the world, directly behind the United States and Eastern Europe. Almost Giants takes a behind-the-scenes look at the training process--from young hopefuls in individual clubs to the selection of competitors for a berth on the national team. Highlights include the team's training and preparation for, as well as participation in, the 1983 World Championships in Budapest, where the Canadian National Women's Gymnastic Team finished in the top twelve.
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British Empire and Commonwealth GamesJack Olsen 1954 11 minThis short documentary presents highlights of the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In Vancouver, top-ranking athletes from the far corners of the British Commonwealth competed for new records. The film records outstanding feats in racing, jumping, pole-vaulting, swimming as well as the "miracle mile" duel between John Landy and Roger Bannister.
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Cycling: Still the GreatestGary Toole 1980 27 minThis short documentary is an ode to the thrills and excitement of cycling. Including highlights from the 1976 Olympics and the 1978 Commonwealth Games, the film features some of the world's best cyclists and their coaches, in training and in competition.
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Skier1978 2 minIn this short vignette, skier Kathy Kreiner prepares for and participates in her Olympic gold-medal race at Innsbruck.
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The Great Chess MovieGilles Carle & Camille Coudari 1982 1 h 19 minIn this Gilles Carle feature documentary on the game of chess, the international chess match is cast as a classic Western shoot-out. Three chess greats dominate the film: Russia's Anatoly Karpov; Viktor Korchnoi, a Russian defector; and American Bobby Fischer. Chess aficionados Camille Coudari and Fernando Arrabal analyze the personalities and strategies of the players and comment on the interplay of politics and chess.
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Getting Around1963 9 minIn the Air: At the Saskatoon Soaring Club prairie farmers take up the sport of gliding. Under the Water: Scuba diving and spearfishing at Cape Breton's Dolphin Skin Diving Club. On the Water: The Canadian Canoe Championship races at Ottawa.
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Games of the XXI OlympiadJean-Claude Labrecque , Jean Beaudin , … 1977 1 h 57 minEdited from almost 100 km of film footage shot during the Games, this feature documentary is a breathtaking portrait of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Much more than a simple record of the Games, the film approaches each event with the intention of revealing the athlete - whether winner or loser - as a unique individual.
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Going the DistancePaul Cowan 1979 1 h 29 minThis feature-length documentary chronicles the efforts of 8 athletes, both in their home countries before the August 1978 Commonwealth Games and during competition itself. The film was the official film of the 11th Commonwealth Games, held in Edmonton, Canada.
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Golden GlovesGilles Groulx 1964 27 minA classic NFB documentary about the Golden Gloves boxing tournament, the Canadian amateur's hope for success in the boxing world. This Gilles Groulx film shows three Montreal boxers in training. In behind-the-scenes interviews they talk about their ambitions and what prompted them to take up the sport.
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I'll Go AgainPaul Cowan 1977 41 minThis documentary by director Paul Cowan is about four athletes and a team that competed in the 1976 Olympics. They had trained courageously to be among those who would mount the podium to receive a medal. None of them did, but was it worth the effort? I'll Go Again answers the question.
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Northern GamesKen Buck 1981 25 minThis documentary short depicts the traditional games of the Inuit as they are practised 800 km north of the Arctic Circle by youth in competition from communities across the North. The film describes the skills required to play them, the traditions behind the games, and the spirit of co-operation, as opposed to hard competition, that inspires the participants.
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Oskee Wee WeeWilliam Pettigrew 1968 10 minThis documentary is a zany portrait of the particular fever that hits the city of Ottawa, Ontario, during Grey Cup finals. The film is as much about the football game, where the Hamilton Tiger Cats face the Saskatchewan Roughriders, as it is about Ti-Cats fans and their infamous "Oskee Wee Wee", the magic chant with which they exhort their team to victory.
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Of Sport and Men1961 58 minThis feature documentary is all about sports. Here, sport is seen as a lesson in courage and discipline, and a peculiar form of beauty. The film covers 5 great sporting events. Part 1 covers the Tour de France bicycle race, the sports car race at Sebring, Florida, and the Spanish bullring. Part 2 covers British soccer and Canadian hockey.
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Ping-pongMarcel Carrière 1974 13 minThe NFB filmed the table tennis competitions between teams of young Canadians and Chinese that took place in the People's Republic of China in the summer of 1973, the first time in twenty-five years that such filming was made possible. Shown are highlights of play at the China-Canada Friendship Meet, as well as some of the sightseeing taken in by the young Canadians--a visit, for example, to the Great Wall of China. Film without words.
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RunnerDon Owen 1962 10 minThis captivating short documentary profiles the young Canadian long-distance runner Bruce Kidd at 19 years old. Kidd eventually went on to win a gold and bronze medal at the 1962 Commonwealth Games, and was a competing member of the 1964 Canadian Olympic team. Directed by Don Owen (Nobody Waved Good-bye, Toronto Jazz), the film is luminously photographed by John Spotton and features poetic commentary composed and spoken by the great Anglo-American poet W.H. Auden. The camera follows Kidd’s sprightly movements as he runs on piers, practice tracks, and finally, in an international race. Oblivious to the clapping crowds and the flash of cameras, he knows full well that in the long run it is the cold stopwatch that tells the truth.
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Spirit of the GameAnnie Fraziér Henry 2003 47 minIn this short documentary, award-winning filmmaker Annie Frazier Henry follows an elite handful of Indigenous athletes from British Columbia for two years as they make their way to the 2002 North American Indigenous Games in Winnipeg. Over 6,000 young sportsmen and women from across Canada and the US compete in the games, and this film serves as a tribute to their hard work, dedication, and achievements.
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Standing on the LinePaul Émile d'Entremont 2018 1 h 20 minTRIGGER WARNING: This film contains the following subject matter: Suicide and self harm.
In both amateur and professional sports, being gay remains taboo. For some athletes, the pressure to perform is compounded by the further strain of deciding whether or not to come out of the closet. They set out to overcome prejudice in the hopes of changing things for the athletes of tomorrow. -
Sabre and FoilGeorge Kaczender 1967 7 minThe ancient and deadly sport of fencing, demonstrated by world masters in competition. The film is not a record of individual duels but it does capture the cool, merciless attack in a way to focus the eye on every swift maneuver. The cold clash of steel on steel, the staccato pound of feet, the strange, sculptured postures of the masked, white figures - all make absorbing, convincing viewing.
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Springboard to the SunJean Dansereau 1964 27 minAt the 4th Pan-American Games at São Paulo, Brazil, gymnastic teams from North, South and Central America demonstrate a perfection of grace, form and strength that will inspire every audience to fresh appreciation of gymnastics. The film shows events in which Canadian teams competed and in which Wilhelm Weiler won a gold medal for Canada.
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Silks and SulkiesPierre Petel 1950 11 minThis short documentary from 1950 captures the thrill of harness racing on Prince Edward Island. We follow Bellhop's career as a pacer, from his unwilling introduction to harness through trials with a bicycle sulky (or 2-wheel cart) to his first big race. The film culminates with scenes of trotters and pacers at Charlottetown's Old Home Week.
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Stories from Our Land Vol. 2 - Strength, Flexibility, and EnduranceAllen Auksaq 2013 10 minThis short film explores why Inuit games were more than just fun to pass the time; it required the athletes to be in peak physical condition to perform these ancient feats of strength. Stories from Our Land 2.0 is the latest edition of the NFB's Indigenous short film inititiative. This edition helped four Inuit youth hone the creative skills and tell their stories, offering viewers insightful perspectives on life in Nunavut.
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True North: Inside the Rise of Toronto Basketball (Feature)Ryan Sidhoo 2019 1 h 29 minOn the heels of the Toronto Raptors’ historic NBA Championship and the record-setting number of Canadian draft picks, the Toronto hoop dream is more alive than ever. In this feature-length doc, director Ryan Sidhoo shines the spotlight on 12-year-old Elijah Fisher, 15-year-old Keone Davis and 18-year-old Cordell Veira as they navigate today’s youth basketball machine in pursuit of their own NBA dreams.
