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Portraits (26)
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AngusMichael Scott & Andy Thomson 1971 12 minA film portrait of Angus Mowat, with commentary by his son, author Farley Mowat. At seventy-six, Angus still shows an enviable capacity for life, turning his hand to things that the leisure of retirement now makes possible. One of these is the rebuilding of an old fishing boat, converting it to sail. This is a picture of a man who has reached his later years with no slackening of interest in life, who finds a good and constant companion in nature, and contentment in the quiet isolation of his cabin by the shore. -
Adrenaline BachMarten Berkman 2007 6 minAdrenaline Bach is a visually stunning short film that features Tim Sellars, a triathlon athlete who trains among the forests, ridges and mists of Canada’s boreal mountains. A meditation on the inter-connectedness of human nature and the natural world, the film is shot against the startlingly beautiful landscape of the Yukon Territory. Director Marten Berkman was the winner of the 2006 Yukon Northern Sights Short Film Competition. Film without words.
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BlakeBill Mason 1969 19 minDirector Bill Mason's short film focuses on his friend and fellow filmmaker, Blake James. In his never-ending quest for freedom, Blake pilots his own plane. This film is Mason's view of his friend as a "hobo of the skies," but it is also an adventure that beckons the viewer to come along for the ride.
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Bush Pilot - Into the Wild Blue YonderBruno Boulianne 2000 48 minThis documentary paints a vivid portrait of the bush pilots who soar daily above the boreal forests and tundra of Quebec's Great North. Who hasn't dreamed of flying? Head in the clouds, light-hearted giddiness, a surge of adrenaline, exhilarating freedom. Bush pilots of northern Quebec, the last of a dying breed, experience these sensations every day aboard their hydroplanes. Lakes, rivers, forests: this majestic North of open spaces and infinite silence is all theirs.
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CoachesPaul Cowan 1976 57 minCoaches is about four people preparing their teams for the Pre-Olympics. Their distinctive approaches emerge during the fights, the good times, and those critical post-game sessions when feelings are raw or jubilant. It is a film about human growth.
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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 Devil at Your HeelsRobert Fortier 1981 1 h 42 minThis feature-length documentary introduces viewers to Ken Carter, a Montreal-born stunt driver who made a living by risking his life. The film shines a light on the intense preparation that led to Carter’s first attempt to jump a car across a mile-wide stretch of the St. Lawrence River – a 5-year period during which the dare-devil raised a million dollars, erected a 10-storey take-off ramp and built a rocket-powered car.
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Eye Witness No. 91948 15 minIn this installment of the Eye Witness series from 1948, we watch as Canada's long-time prime minister, Mackenzie King, retires and his successor, Louis St. Laurent, takes the reins. We then head to Manitoba's Netley marsh, where three of the continent's main duck breeds meet, creating a hunter's paradise. On the BC coast, whaling resumes after a five-year halt, and finally, all across Canada we watch children collect pennies and nickels to buy school supplies for European children.
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FighterErica Lepage 2007 9 minAfter being attacked, a young Mohawk woman decides to overcome her fear and do what she loves, namely box. Story of a Kanesatake fighter out to prove she?s the strongest.
Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving young Aboriginals the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD. -
Fighting BackGary Toole 1984 24 minThe Cabbagetown Boxing Club in Toronto has produced many Olympic and world-class boxers. Fighting Back is the story of Asif Dar, an underweight immigrant who learned boxing in order to defend himself from neighbourhood bullies. The film traces the relationship between Asif Dar, who came to the club as a youngster, and his instructor, Ken Hamilton, a long-time foe of the violence traditionally associated with boxing.
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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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Hitman Hart: Wrestling with ShadowsPaul Jay 1998 1 h 33 minIn this feature-length documentary, director Paul Jay was given unprecedented access to the world of Bret Hart and pro wrestling as his camera followed Bret "the Hitman" Hart for one year. Going behind the tightly guarded walls of wrestling's spectacle and theatre, the film explores the meaning of today's wrestling morality plays. As fantasy crosses into real life, the true story of Bret Hart's struggle with Vince McMahon, the legendary owner of the WWE, is revealed. Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows climaxes with the tale of the biggest double-cross in pro wrestling.
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HardwoodHubert Davis 2004 29 minHardwood is a personal journey by director Hubert Davis, the son of former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis, who explores how his father's decisions affected his life and those of his extended family. Elegantly structured into three chapters entitled "love," "recollection" and "redemption," Davis uses personal interviews, archival footage and home movies to delve into his father's past in the hope of finding a new direction for his own.
At its core, Hardwood is about the power of redemption and the healing of the bonds between fathers and sons. -
Hard RiderJosef Reeve 1972 57 minThis documentary follows the rodeo circuit as experienced by Canadian world-champion cowboy Kenny McLean. The film follows him on the stampede trail from Texas to Alberta, with scenes of bronco busting, calf roping and steer wrestling. It is what he does for a living, but his real life is with his wife and infant son on his ranch in British Columbia.
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JudokaJosef Reeve 1965 18 minThis short documentary tells the story of Doug Rogers, a young Canadian athlete who developed a talent for judo that led him into competition for the world championship at the Tokyo Olympics and subsequent competition at the Pan-American Games. The film shows the intensive judo training Rogers took at a Tokyo college, as well as glimpses of his life in Japan.
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King of the HillWilliam Canning & Donald Brittain 1974 56 minThis feature documentary follows one of the greatest Canadian baseball players of all time, Ferguson Jenkins, through the 1972-1973 season. From the hope and innocence of spring training to the dog days of an August slump, the camera gets up close and personal at the home plate and records the intimate chatter on the mound, in the dugout and in the locker room. It provides a glimpse into the rewards and pressures of sports stardom and the easy camaraderie of the quintessential summer sport.
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Legend of a WarriorCorey Lee 2012 1 h 18 minIn this feature length documentary, filmmaker Corey Lee attempts to reconnect with his father, renowned martial artist Frank Lee. Frank's status as legendary street fighter and coach have kept him at an emotional (and physical) distance from his son, but now the younger Lee has decided to re-enter his father's world... a world where fighting rules.
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Monica Goermann, GymnastSteven Kellar 1980 27 minMonica Goermann is a young Winnipeg gymnast who is on her way to becoming an international celebrity. Under the watchful supervision of her mother, who is her coach, Monica trains daily, executing difficult moves with superhuman control. In this film she is shown preparing for the 1978 Commonwealth Games at Edmonton, where she tied for the Silver Medal.
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The Mad CanadianRobert Fortier 1976 10 minThis short film follows stuntman Ken Carter on the stock-car racing track, where he engages in crazy activities, such as driving his car off a ramp over a parked line of cars. Take a wild ride with Ken as he prepares for his act.
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Mug of a DiverRoland Savoye 2007 51 minJean-Claude Roubaud's passion is the sea. He's a diver, and for over 15 years has been making his childhood dream come true: earning his living finding sunken treasure. To be more precise, Jean-Claude has become an expert in underwater archaeology. Through his mask he's seen enough treasures to make a museum conservator blench - and Jean-Claude's not one to boast. In 1991 he met a man with the same enthusiasm: Franck Goddio. With his team, Jean-Claude gained enough experience to become a dive master, exploring the world's seas to recover treasures lost in the briny deep.
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Nelli KimGeorges Dufaux & Pierre Bernier 1978 28 minA member of the Soviet Union's women's gymnastic team at the 1976 Olympic Games, Nelli Kim was seventeen when she won two gold medals for her superb performance on the horse vault and for the floor exercises. The slow-motion camera highlights the best moments of her performance. It also shows the person behind the athlete, and the nervousness that is generated by the presence of a new star, Nadia Comeneci of Romania.
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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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Ride for Your LifeRobin Spry 1966 9 minThis short documentary is about Michelle Duff (then known as Mike Duff), a Canadian motorcycle racer, and the sport that almost killed her. After a near-fatal crash in Japan and extensive surgery and therapy, Duff returned to racing to claim two victories in Canadian races. Though the sport takes its toll on the lives of her friends and fellow competitors annually, the racer explains she can’t give up just yet – not before winning a world championship.
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RideKristin Catherwood 2017 7 minBareback bronc riding is not for the faint of heart. The risk of serious and possibly fatal injury looms with each buck and kick. For Liam Marshall, it’s a thrill he’s always known growing up in the Big Muddy Valley, in rural Saskatchewan. Training to compete and become a bareback champion requires his complete focus. It’s clear that it fills his every waking moment (when he’s not checking his cellphone). Surrounded by family and providing inspiration to his three younger brothers, this brave teenager holds on tight to a tradition that’s been passed down through generations.
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The SteakPierre Falardeau & Manon Leriche 1993 1 h 15 minA film about boxing and boxer Gaetan Hart. Structuring The Steak in counterpoint to a match, the filmmakers follow Hart closely as he talks about his life and his sport.
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Secretariat's Jockey, Ron TurcottePhil Comeau 2013 1 h 14 minThis feature-length documentary tells the story of jockey Ron Turcotte, who, along with his legendary horse Secretariat, won the prestigious American Triple Crown in 1973. Follow along as we witness Turcotte’s rise to fame, the fall in 1978 that left him a paraplegic and his emotional journey back to the people and places that marked his life. This is a road movie that delves deep into the thrilling and dangerous world of horseracing, featuring never-before-seen footage of Secretariat and appearances by Triple Crown winners Steve Cauthen and Jean Cruguet.
