11 Steps to Survival

A study of the automobile and its pervasive effect on the history of North America. Focusing on the Ford dynasty, from the original Henry car through to Henry II, the film demonstrates how society has adapted to fit the needs of the automobile.

An imaginative history of editorial cartooning in Canada. The documentary provides a witty take on Canada's history through the eyes of political cartoonists like Duncan Macpherson, Robert LaPalme, and Aislin (Terry Mosher). Over 50 artists' notable cartoons and their impact are explored, capturing reactions from their subjects. One cartoonist sums it up: "A picture is worth a thousand words, but a well-crafted cartoon is worth a thousand pictures." An absolute must for cartoon buffs.

When Masset, a Haida village in Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands), held a potlatch, it seemed as if the past grandeur of the people had returned. This is a colourful recreation of Indigenous life that faded more than two generations ago when the great totems were toppled by the missionaries and the costly potlatch was forbidden by law. The film shows how one village lived again the old glory, with singing, dancing, feasting, and the raising of a towering totem as a lasting reminder of what once was.

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.

Toronto-born Norman Jewison first gained prominence producing for Canadian television, then went on to greater success making Hollywood theatrical features. In this film he is seen directing a large international cast and crew in the film version of the musical hit 'Fiddler on the Roof'. Between scenes, Jewison talks freely about many aspects of the film industry and some of his experiences in it. A candid study of a director in action.

This documentary shows how an Inuit artist's drawings are transferred to stone, printed and sold. Kenojuak Ashevak became the first woman involved with the printmaking co-operative in Cape Dorset. This film was nominated for the 1963 Documentary Short Subject Oscar.

In two half-hour parts, The Living Machine explores the progress made in electronics technology and looks forward to an exciting world-to-be. Produced in 1962, the first part demonstrates the capacities of a computer's "artificial intelligence," far exceeding that of any one human brain. The second part shows experiments in electronically duplicating some sensory perceptions.

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.