SHORT FILM PROGRAMME If you’d like to see some of the incredible short films produced in Canada, please check out our description of the Short Film Programme on page 50, and contact us for advice and assistance. IM Indigenous-made films (written, directed or produced by Indigenous artists) Films produced by the National Film Board of Canada NFB CLASSIC ANIMATIONS BEGONE DULL CARE LA FAIM / HUNGER THE STREET Norman McLaren, Evelyn Lambart Peter Foldès 1973 11 min. Caroline Leaf 1976 10 min. 1949 8 min. Rapidly dissolving images form a An award-winning adaptation of a An innovative experimental film satire of self-indulgence in a world story by Canadian author Mordecai consisting of abstract shapes and plagued by hunger. This Oscar- Richler about how families deal with colours shifting in sync with jazz nominated film was among the first older relatives, and the emotions COSMIC ZOOM music performed by the Oscar to use computer animation. surrounding a grandmother’s death. Peterson Trio. THE LOG DRIVER’S WALTZ THE SWEATER THE BIG SNIT John Weldon 1979 3 min. Sheldon Cohen 1980 10 min. Richard Condie 1985 10 min. The McGarrigle sisters sing along to Iconic author Roch Carrier narrates A wonderfully wacky look at two the tale of a young girl who loves to a mortifying boyhood experience conflicts — global nuclear war and a dance and chooses to marry a log in this animated adaptation of his domestic quarrel — and how each is driver over more well-to-do suitors. beloved book The Hockey Sweater. resolved. Nominated for an Oscar. NEIGHBOURS VILLAGE OF IDIOTS THE CAT CAME BACK Norman McLaren 1952 8 min. Eugene Fedorenko, Rose Newlove THE LOG DRIVER’S WALTZ Cordell Barker 1988 7 min. This satirical anti-war parable uses 1999 13 min. In this Oscar-nominated short, a live actors as stop-motion subjects Based on a Jewish folk tale, this humorous song tells the silly tale of to tell the tale of a destructive feud hilarious film provides a fresh and a man who just can’t get rid of an over a flower. A groundbreaking – irreverent take on our tendency to unwanted cat. and Oscar-winning – short. romanticize what we don’t have. COSMIC ZOOM THE SAND CASTLE WALKING Eva Szasz 1968 8 min. Co Hoedeman 1977 13 min. Ryan Larkin 1968 5 min. A visually stunning journey from the A man made of sand makes other An artist’s interpretation of the way farthest point of the universe to the sand creatures in this inventive, people walk, using a variety THE SWEATER tiniest particle of matter. Oscar-winning stop-motion film. of animation techniques. CONTEMPORARY ANIMATION ᑐᒃᑐᒥᑦ / TUKTUMIT IM AMAQQUT NUNAAT / IM AT THE QUINTE HOTEL Ippiksaut Friesen (Inuk) 2014 4 min. THE COUNTRY OF WOLVES Bruce Alcock 2005 4 min. This gorgeously rendered animation Neil Christopher, Louise Flaherty An animated version of Al Purdy’s explores the way traditional hunting (Inuk) 2011 12 min. poem about a man drinking in a / TUKTUMIT in Nunavut has evolved to maintain its Two brothers are set adrift on ice floes basement pub. Narrated by The ᑐᒃᑐᒥᑦ vital role in contemporary Inuit culture. while hunting for seal. They soon find Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie. IM themselves in the country of wolves, IM ABORIGINALITY where all is not as it appears. AWASKINAWASON / Dominique Keller, Tom Jackson (Cree) CHILDREN OF EARTH 2007 5 min. ÂME NOIRE / BLACK SOUL Antony Dubé (Atikamekw) 2015 A young boy is transported Martine Chartrand 2000 10 min. 3 min. through his television set to the A young boy traces his roots through Awaskinawason is made up of the scene of a traditional hoop dance, the stories his grandmother shares Atikamekw words awacic (child), aski encountering his family’s cultural with him in this exhilarating voyage (earth) and takonawason (having the heritage in a new way. through the defining moments of responsibility for). A plea to respect ABORIGINALITY the great circle of life. AL GHORBA black history. Alia Hijaab 2019 6 min. AND THAT’S REMARKABLE THE BASKETBALL GAME Through a conversation with Linnea Ritland 2013 1 min. Hart Snider 2011 5 min. her family back home, a Syrian “It’s remarkable how easily a human When nine-year-old Hart attends immigrant in Canada expresses her spirit can be broken,” this punchy Jewish summer camp, his group loneliness, and faces her mounting short about bullying laments. But, as must play an epic basketball game fears about the future. the animation assures us, it’s just as against the students of a notorious remarkable how it can be fixed. Holocaust denier. What awaits him on the court? AL GHORBA REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS 61 CONTEMPORARY ANIMATION continued BAM THE END OF PINKY THE GUEST IM Howie Shia 2015 6 min. Claire Blanchet 2013 8 min. Nick Rodgers (Anishinaabe) In this modern adaptation of the story Johnny is out to kill his best friend, 2015 5 min. of Hercules, a young boxer struggles Pinky, in this film noir adaptation of A trapper collects a mysterious to negotiate between his shy, bookish a short story by acclaimed Canadian animal in the forest, but as he tries BIIDAABAN nature and his divinely violent temper. author Heather O’Neill. to care for it, the beast quickly becomes insatiable. BIIDAABAN IM FIGHTING CHANCE IM (THE DAWN COMES) Alexandra Lazarowich (Cree) HOLE Amanda Strong (Michif) 2011 9 min. G. Goletski 2018 6 min. 2018 19 min. With a family history of residential The story of Mo, a young adult In this dream-like animation, a schooling, 13-year-old Joey is put on the autism spectrum whose young Anishinaabe artist comes into a group home, where he gets a daily routine is disrupted when a to a suburban neighbourhood to chance to turn his life around. mysterious hole begins to follow him reclaim her ancestral tradition of sap around. harvesting. FLUX BLIND VAYSHA Christopher Hinton 2002 7 min. HOW TO BE ALONE BIRCHBARK IM A whimsical piece that plays with Andrea Dorfman 2010 6 min. John Hupfield (Anishinaabe) 2008 both the significant and mundane Narrated by Tanya Davis to beautiful 4 min. events in the lives of a large family. hand-drawn illustrations by Dorfman, Davis’s eloquent poem is full of Symbols of traditional knowledge IM come alive and find themselves FOUR FACES OF THE MOON powerful truths. With over eight Amanda Strong (Michif) inside the pages of a book. million views on YouTube, the film is 2016 13 min. an online sensation. BLIND VAYSHA In this intricate and stunning Theodore Ushev 2016 8 min. stop-motion animation, a young IF I WAS GOD… BONE MOTHER A young girl’s left eye sees only the filmmaker travels back through time, Cordell Barker 2014 8 min. past while her right sees only the encountering pivotal moments in her In this darkly whimsical animation future. Haunted by what was and family’s history and strengthening her from two-time Oscar-nominee threatened by what will be, Blind connections to her Métis, Cree and Cordell Barker, a student dissecting Vaysha is cursed to be incapable of Anishinaabe ancestors. a frog in his biology class daydreams living in the present. about omnipotent powers. THE GIFT IM BONE MOTHER Terril Calder (Métis) 2011 2 min. I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE Cam Christiansen 2007 6 min. Dale Hayward, Sylvie Trouvé This stop-motion tale captures the 2018 8 min. betrayal and deception of when An animated music video about a father-son tennis game set on a hot FOUR FACES OF THE MOON A traveller wanders deep into smallpox-infected blankets were given summer day in the suburbs. the forest to visit Baba Yaga, a by European settlers to Indigenous mysterious woman who is said to populations as a deadly “gift.” I’M SCARED TOO possess the powers of life and death. LE GOUFFRE / THE GULF Nadia Lakhdari, Caroline Lavergne DANCERS OF THE GRASS IM Carl Beauchemin, Thomas Chrétien, 2017 2 min. Melanie Jackson (Métis/ David Forest 2015 10 min. In the days following the attack on Saulteaux) 2009 2 min. When two travellers undertake a Quebec City mosque, Lakhdari and Lavergne sought out stories Spectacular stop-motion animation to build a gigantic bridge that will from Quebecers of all walks of life, breathes life into a traditional dance. cross a gulf blocking their way, their courage and determination inspire a revealing the same emotions that THE GRANDFATHER DRUM THE DANISH POET nearby rural community. unite rather than divide us. Torill Kove 2006 14 min. In this Oscar-winning short, a young THE GRANDFATHER DRUM IM I MET THE WALRUS woman tells the story of how the Michelle Derosier (Anishinaabe) Josh Raskin 2007 5 min. Danish poet Kasper Jørgensen found 2016 12 min. In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatles fan inspiration and ultimately caused her In this stunning storybook animation, sneaks into John Lennon’s Toronto hotel room and convinces him to do parents to find one another. the forceful removal of a healing drum from an Anishinabek an interview for his school paper. DIMANCHE / SUNDAY community disrupts the balance This clever animation illustrates the Patrick Doyon 2011 10 min. between the sky-world and the audio recording of that conversation. IF I WAS GOD A young boy is bored during a visit to underworld. his grandparents’ house in small-town MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski Quebec, so he goes outside in search GRANDFATHER ON IM 2007 17 min. of adventure. Nominated for an Oscar. THE PRAIRIES Andrew Genaille (Cree) 2018 3 min. Madame Tutli-Putli boards a night train for a mysterious and EMPTY IM Jason meets his great-great-great- Jackie Traverse (Anishinaabe) grandfather and soon finds himself suspenseful journey in this stunning 2009 5 min.