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Ontario (13)
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The Beauty of My PeopleAlan Collins 1977 29 minThe film centres on Arthur Shilling, an Ojibwa artist from the Rama Reserve on Lake Couchiching, Ontario. Shilling's artistic evolution is traced, as is his move to Toronto and the difficulties he encountered there. Also discussed is the illness that caused Shilling to re-evaluate his artistic goals. Interviews with the artist and others interested in his paintings are juxtaposed with examples of paintings. -
Cowboy and IndianDon Owen 1972 44 minThis documentary is a portrait of two friends: Robert Markle, who comes from a family of Mohawk steel workers, and Gordon Rayner, his longtime art associate. Both are Toronto artists and art teachers who also share an interest in jazz. Rayner plays the drums, Markle the electric piano. This film is a study of their lifestyle, their mutual interests and their friendship.
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Camera MenAllen Stark 1954 15 minIn this film, On the Spot series host Fred Davis sets out to learn about the art of photography. Amateur, commercial, news and portrait photographers discuss the tricks of their trade when Davis pays them a visit: Louis Jacques does a photo story on pianist Oscar Peterson, while Ottawa's Yousuf Karsh explains how he clicks the shutter at famous people and, illustrating his point, snaps Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent’s portrait.
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Canadian LandscapeRadford Crawley 1941 18 minThis documentary follows painter A.Y. Jackson on his canoe trips and on foot to the northern wilderness of Canada in autumn. This leading member of the Group of Seven discusses his approach to his subject matter and shows some of his paintings.
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Eye Witness No. 41Thomas Farley & Walford Hewitson 1952 11 minSabres at the Ready: At British training centres Canadian airmen and Sabre jet fighter aircraft join Royal Air Force and American squadrons in NATO defense preparations. Midnight Sculptors: Nightly, in the centre block of Canada's Parliament Buildings, William Oosterhoff and his crew of skilled artisans carve beautiful Canadian motifs on limestone walls and cornices. Crime Detection at the Double: Montréal's motorized crime detection laboratory aids police detective squads in the rapid apprehension of criminals.
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LismerAllan Wargon 1951 19 minThis short documentary looks at the work of artist Arthur Lismer, a member of the Group of Seven, emphasizing his contribution to art education and to Canadian art. At the Montreal Art Centre we see how children learn the independence of creative self-expression in art.
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Off the WallDerek May 1981 55 minIn this feature documentary, art and business collide with a look at how artists and artistic integrity achieve success in the marketplace. Sketches on artists and the art world are combined with exploration by the filmmaker of his own relationship to art. The film features artists General Idea, Mendelson Joe, Jack Pollock, Arnold Edinborough, Vera Frenkel, Colette Whiten, David Buchan and Pat Fleisher.
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Portrait of the Artist--As an Old LadyGail Singer 1982 27 minParaskeva Clark, artist, socialist, feminist, is her own woman at her own cost. This film is a cameo of an irascible and oftentimes touching artist whose work has won her a place in exhibitions and private collections. Born in Russia in 1898, she eventually married a Canadian and moved to Toronto. Because her canvases reflect a strong social conscience, she had to struggle hard to earn a place in the nation's ultra-conservative galleries.
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A Quiet WaveBarry Perles 1971 20 minFor some people it is the later years that release the passion and confidence for self-expression in the arts. This film shows one of them, Cecil Richards, close to his seventieth year, who spends his time working alone at his Lakefield, Ontario, retreat, in what he calls the "honest" media of sculpture--wood, clay, stone and bronze. For anyone interested in the nature of an artist and his inspiration, here is a relaxed, absorbing study.
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VarleyAllan Wargon 1953 16 minThis short documentary is a portrait of Frederick Varley, Canadian painter and member of the Group of Seven. In the film, Varley returns to his studio in Toronto after a sketching trip. The camera moves about the studio selecting examples of his canvases and watches him as he begins a new painting.
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Woodland SpiritsDave Clement 2007 27 minIn this documentary short, two men paddle a canoe across a remote part of northern Lake Superior. Each stroke brings them closer to the culmination of an artistic and spiritual journey, one that begins with ancient rock paintings from their Anishinaabe ancestors.
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WaterwalkerBill Mason 1984 1 h 26 minThis feature-length documentary follows naturalist Bill Mason on his journey by canoe into the Ontario wilderness. The filmmaker and artist begins on Lake Superior, then explores winding and sometimes tortuous river waters to the meadowlands of the river's source. Along the way, Mason paints scenes that capture his attention and muses about his love of the canoe, his artwork and his own sense of the land.
Mason also uses the film as a commentary on the link between God and nature and the vast array of beautiful canvases God created for him to paint. Features breathtaking visuals and exciting whitewater footage, with a musical score by Bruce Cockburn. -
West WindGraham McInnes 1944 21 minThis short documentary features a visual tour of legendary Canadian painter Tom Thomson's favourite natural landscapes. The film traces Thomson's career, which began in Toronto, where he worked as a commercial artist. Later, Thomson's weekend sketching trips in the country turned into longer journeys farther north, and he finally settled in northern Ontario's Algonquin Park. Thomson spent less than four years as an artist and was barely 40 when a canoe accident ended his life. Fellow artists Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson and Arthur Lismer pay tribute to this genius, who, in Jackson's words, "contributed more to Canadian painting than any other artist."
