J. Frank Willis

This documentary presents a fascinating study of the great and enduring principles of international relations. Through this close look at Canada and the American Civil War, and the relationship between Canada, Britain, the North and the South, we get a sense of the delicate balance between war and peace, and the diplomacy involved. Part 7 of the series Struggle for a Border: Canada's Relations with the United States.

Folio, a precursor to CBC's renowned fine-arts series Festival, aired for four years starting in 1956. The series showcased original dramas, music compositions, and ballets, many originating from diverse regions across Canada. Notable episodes featured Barry Morse in a new staging of MacBeth, along with performances by Canadian talents like Robert Goulet and Sharon Acker. One of the highlights included a musical adaptation of the beloved Canadian classic, Anne of Green Gables. Airing without sponsorship, Folio thrived until its conclusion in the fall of 1960. Producers: Robert Allen, Harvey Hart, David Greene, Mario Prizek and Ronald Weyman.

Why are there just two nations occupying that enormous expanse of the North American continent north of the Rio Grande? Why not just one unlimited American empire? Or why not several nations? This unique work gives clear and vivid form to the immense and complex forces--economic, political, military, diplomatic, social, and geographic--that created and confirmed the U.S.-Canada border. The largest single work ever undertaken by the National Film Board of Canada, Stuggle for a Border is the result of painstaking scholarship and research, and imaginative filmmaking. Each of the nine one-hour films is entirely self-contained, though part of a larger continuity. There are no interviews, but an on-screen narrator provides commentary and perspective. The films are so constructed that, if need be, they may be shown in half-hour, or shorter, segments.