On Film
Posts related to the movies available for free streaming on NFB.ca; basically, what you should be watching and why.
Celebrating 65 Years of Cannes
The 2012 Cannes Film Festival is here. The high mass of cinema, which celebrates its 65th edition this year, opens Wednesday night with Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, the story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love in 1965 New England.
The U.S. presence seems particularly strong at Cannes this...
A Trip Down Memory Lane: A Phantasmagoria of the 20th Century Compressed by Arthur Lipsett
May 13th marks the 76th anniversary of the birth of experimental filmmaker Arthur Lipsett. I thought it appropriate to talk about his films and why they have become such cult classics. I could easily write a 200-page book on his oeuvre, so instead of attempting to cover everything...
REW-FFWD: Remembering Denis Villeneuve’s 1994 Jamaican Psychodrama
Denis Villeneuve’s first film, REW-FFWD (1994) opens on a shot of buzzards scampering off and a close-up of a dead dog being snacked upon by maggots. A voice, which you guess belongs to a magazine editor, is inquiring in a less-than-pleased tone of voice why on earth a...
Notman’s World: Depicting the Dawn of Canadian Photography
In an age when it has become easier (and faster) to take a picture than to brush your teeth, the dawn of photography -- a time when obtaining a photographic image of yourself meant a) finding a photographer, b) hauling yourself (and your best dress/suit hat and gloves)...
The Sweater Gets Symphonic Treatment in Toronto
Roch Carrier's The Hockey Sweater, a story about a young Montreal hockey fan who is mistakenly sent the wrong jersey and forced by his mom to wear it, is being interpreted by the Toronto Symphonic Orchestra (TSO) for the very first time this May.
The classic tale, which many...
Pacificanada: British Columbia Seen through the NFB Lens
A few months back I wrote a piece on the West television series (you can read it here), the NFB’s second documentary series on the various regions of Canada. West had focused on the Prairies, and it followed the immensely successful Adieu Alouette series on Quebec. With these...
The Devil’s Toy: Skateboarding in Montreal in 1966
The NFB, as we all know, is a total paradox. On the one hand, it is a 73 year-old public institution. On the other, it is so insanely cool and avant-garde it's almost unfair.
One of the films that contributes most to the NFB's coolness rankings has to be...
Irving Layton, Canadian Poet Extraordinaire
March 12, 2012, will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Canadian poet Irving Layton. To commemorate this occasion, we are adding Donald Winkler’s 1986 documentary Poet: Irving Layton Observed to the NFB.ca screening room. It focuses on Layton discussing his work and giving readings...
Friday staff pick: Augusta
On Tuesday, I got a nice big red envelope in the mail. Inside was a Valentine's Day card, from my grandma Antoinette (a.k.a. Mimi). On top of being a spectacular human being, my grandma is 94 now, and still the only person who sends me letters in the...
Heading to the Oscars: 10 Questions for Patrick Doyon
* This post is a translation. Read the original here.
This isn't the first time I've interviewed Patrick Doyon. We met at the NFB last year, and held an online chat in February 2011. At the time, Patrick was in Berlin for the world premiere of his film Sunday.
Patrick...
Friday staff pick: The Coca-Cola Case
* This is a guest post by Karine Ligneau, Director's Office Assistant, Human Resources
At first glance, the soft drink in the red package seems quite inoffensive. However, we learn in The Coca-Cola case that its hidden contents consist of unacceptable working conditions, murder and other crimes, and the...
Christopher’s Movie Matinée: haphazard adventures in Flower Power cinema
Full confession today guys: I’m a total hippie.
I may look sort of normal to you on the outside (accent on the sort of), but on the inside, I’ve always belonged to that crunchy-granola posse that believes in meditation, past lives, homeopathic remedies, guardian angels, plant-based diets and that...
