CANADA
HISTORIC

From the Rocky Mountains to Niagara Falls, passing through the Percé Rock, the Prairies, and the boreal forest, Canada captivates with the diversity and splendor of its landscapes. Explore this silent documentary short film about the geographical riches of Canada, expressly made for the Canadian pavilion at the Osaka World Exposition in 1970.

The land couldn't be further divided, the farms couldn't be fragmented anymore: there was no more room for them. Men left first. They left the old parishes of the valley to head north. At the end of the long journey, hard work awaited them. They tackled the forest. Soon, every clearing had its log cabin. Then came the women and children; the new lands resisted the efforts of the settlers. It wasn't enough to fell the trees and clear the land with sheer strength; they still had to escape from a land that had never been disturbed. That's why the history of the colonization of Abitibi resembles an epic tale.

This animated film about the pesky blackfly is based on the song of the same title, written and sung by Canadian folk singer Wade Hemsworth, with back-up vocals by the McGarrigle sisters. It recounts Hemsworth's battles with this quintessential 'critter' during a summer of surveying in Northern Ontario.

This short documentary offers a dizzying view of the Mohawk of Kahnawake who work in Manhattan erecting the steel frames of skyscrapers. Famed for their skill in working with steel, the Mohawks demonstrate their nimble abilities in the sky. As a counterbalance, the viewer is also allowed a peek at their quieter community life on the Kahnawake Reserve, in Quebec.

In winter, Montreal breathes an almost magical atmosphere. However, the snow, the creator of this backdrop of white spaces and bluish frost, presents challenges for the Municipal Road Service. Nevertheless, the experience of storms has allowed the authorities of the metropolis to develop a truly marvelous snow removal method. One must see how, in one night, teams of workers, assisted by powerful machinery, manage to clear more than 880 miles of streets.

Docufiction telling the charming story of a kid living in the south-central part of Montreal, who takes advantage of a day off to escape. He will discover the waterfront, the expanded horizon of the mighty Saint Lawrence River, and the bustling activity of the Port of Montreal. The film shows us a often forgotten aspect of Montreal, as it was in 1958.

This short film, shot like a live cartoon, tells the amusing tale of a man who feels the common urge to escape the city's noise for the weekend. Made without words, but with a wide range of other sounds, this film tracks our hero to a perfect haven of ... pandemonium. The countryside, it turns out, is not as unspoiled and quiet as the poets proclaim.

Expert fishers for their entire lives, Líl̓wat Elders Cora and Daniel Wells share their deep knowledge of salmon fishing, cleaning and smoking. This short is part of the L’il’wata series. In the early 1970s, at the outset of her documentary career, Alanis Obomsawin visited the Líl̓wat Nation, an Interior Salish First Nation in British Columbia, and created a series of shorts that provide personal narratives about Líl̓wat culture, histories and knowledge.

In the mountainous country near Lillooet, British Columbia, eleven-year-old Kevin Alec of the Fountain Indian Reserve learns to make fishnets with his grandfather, and skin and tan hides with his aunt. He goes fishing with his grandmother and horseback riding with his brother. Life is full of wonderful things to do and to learn. Will Kevin eventually abandon his traditional way of life or will it be a source of continuing enrichment? This film is part of the Children of Canada series.