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Only fifty years after the Holocaust, the world has allowed another genocide to take place, this time in Rwanda. In April 1994, the international community sat by and watched while a million Tutsi men, women and children were massacred in the central African nation. Sitting on a Volcano, the first volume in the three-part Rwanda series, follows the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Hutus who fled Rwanda to take refuge in neighbouring countries. One year after the slaughter, they find themselves trapped beween gangs of Rwandan war criminals in control of the refugee camps and their country's new masters, who show little interest in reconciliation. Sitting on a Volcano criticizes the international community, which continues to feed the killers in the refugee camps and refuses to acknowledge human rights violations in Rwanda.

This documentary traces the folklore, stories, and reality of living under the hurricane force winds, that beat down upon the residents of the Acadian region of Western Cape Breton Island, between Margaree Harbour and Cheticamp. The film contains stunning landscapes shot in winds of 130 miles per hour. While there is often serious damage from these Suêtes, roofs blowing off buildings and even homes blowing apart, there is also a good dose of local humour surrounding life under these harsh environmental conditions. Residents from young to more than 90 years old tell their tales of life under these winds.

The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 is recast as a slapstick silent set in a bathhouse.

An introduction to the world of exotic dancers in Canada.

Documents the contemporary obsession with an unrealistic body size and shape among North American women and the eating disorders it engenders.

Reflecting on the premature death of a young dancer and artist, Heaven or Montréal points to unfinished ideas, creating "outlines" of lost energy and imagination. As a finale, it summons all its desperation and asks for silence to speak and stillness to dance. Ian Middleton, its co-author, died in 1993 of AIDS related causes.

Fresh Blood: A Consideration of Belonging is a hybrid documentary which includes questions around Arab Jewishness, negotiating Palestine, gender, belly dancing and memory. This video essay, formed by personal narrative and including a return to Israel/Palestine, engages issues of: Jewish racialized identity, Arab/Jewish dichotomies and the way these come together in Iraqi Jewish culture, and the personal implications of the politics of Palestine and the Jewish holocaust.

A Prayer For Nettie dramatizes the death of an elderly woman who was Cumming’s photographic model from 1982 to 1993, presenting an improvised series of prayers and memorials for Nettie Harris by people who knew her, and some who did not. In its ambiguous mix of tenderness and aggression, A Prayer For Nettie extends the traditions of the grotesque and the absurd. The fervent prayers of the actors are undermined by indifference, forgetfulness, and the presence of the camera. In the end, comedy turns the tables on piety and remembrance as Nettie looks up from the grave.

Through Ukrainian songs and dances, a Canadian woman who came to Ukraine learns about her family history.

The town of Myrnam, Alberta forms a non-denominational hospital.

Filmmakers Marco and Mauro La Villa examine the role of disc jockeys in 1990s dance-club culture.

David Vandenbrink seems like a healthy 21-year-old, bright and articulate young man. There is little to suggest that while in his mother's womb, he suffered permanent brain damage. His condition, fetal alcohol syndrome (F.A.S.), went undiagnosed for the first 18 years of his life, causing confusion, anger, and pain for both David and his non-Indigenous adoptive family. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a term used to describe a set of symptoms seen in some children born to women who drank alcohol during pregnancy. The damage can be subtle or severe, resulting in a wide range of symptoms in the areas of slowed growth, disfigurement, and damage to the brain. Associated behavioural problems include impulsiveness, poor judgment, and an inability to grasp the consequences of actions. This personal story, using video footage shot by David himself, along with the experiences of members of his family, is a hard look into the serious consequences of a little-known, but widespread, health problem.

Violent is a dream like "gun in cheek" look at perverse sexual fantasies.

An experimental piece about two people and how their conversation compares to a river.

In this short comedy, two Canadian Muslim brothers are sleeping in their home when the barbecue in the backyard blows up. They are immediately suspected of being dangerous Middle Eastern terrorists and their neighbourhood turns against them. This film was inspired by events following the Oklahoma City bombing.

Attack of the Killer Squirrel

"The Red Hotel: flying car. Filmed from the backseat, images scroll at the speed of miles fleeing, forwards, backwards ... and on this road, Venice. Floating lights, gratings, bridges above, below. The city was coming out of the Red Hotel to bend under the magnifying glass and the flashlight of the projector, drunk by the narrow streets and carried by the seasickness emanating from the "flicker" which returns in waves. Venice left the Red Hotel to take another turn, detached from the previous trip, it seems to become a suite of old postcards and gives to people who pass and search at a second-hand dealer, memories of yesteryear.“

Originally written for the stage, Melbourne actor Maude Davey stars in the film adaptation of her subversive black comedy My Cunt. In this bold and controversial monologue, Maude poses sly questions about the meaning of female perfection as she introduces us to her grandmother's favourite party trick and gives us a glimpse of what Demi Moore, Pamela Anderson Lee and her grandmother have in common.

For 200 years, coal mining had been a way of life in Cape Breton. By 1920 things were looking up: miners were unionized and paid decent wages. Then the British Empire Steel Corporation arrived and bought every single steel and coal company in Nova Scotia. BESCO cut wages by a third, setting off a bitter labour dispute. The miners settled in for a long strike. Finally, in 1925, the military ended the unrest with brute force. But the miners, in one sense, had won. They broke up the monopoly and provided an example to workers across the country.

A look at the importance of midwives in early Canada.

A documentary video on spirited individuals who have found a way to integrate their sexuality with their unique religious and cultural heritage.

What do the Japanese see in Canada? What's the magnetic pull from the Far East? And what's our take on this land of ours? Bolstering our feeling of national pride comes naturally after watching the Japanese embrace the country. The film follows Masaaki Kagami, a Japanese transplanted in Alberta. He specializes in making souvenir videos for Japanese tourists. HO! KANADA is an investigation of national stereotypes. The film records the way the Japanese see us, and how we see them and ourselves.

When Hydro-Québec announced its intention to proceed with the enormous James Bay II hydroelectric project, the 15,000 Cree who live in the region decided to stand up to the giant utility. With unprecedented access to key figures like Cree leader Matthew Coon Come and American environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr., Power is the compelling, behind-the-scenes story of the Cree's five-year battle to save the Great Whale River and their traditional way of life.

In this program, devotees of Wicca and practitioners of tarot, astrology, palmistry, and other arcane arts explain their gifts of divination and healing while reflecting on their efforts to reconcile their unorthodox callings with Biblical injunctions and sometimes hostile skepticism. Wiccan initiation rites and psychic counseling sessions shed light on obscure practices that are very much alive today and in demand by a diverse constituency that even includes police

This candid documentary opens the door on the riskiest labour negotiations in the history of the Canadian Auto Workers (now UNIFOR), Canada's largest private sector union. For veteran negotiator Buzz Hargrove, president of the union, the de Havilland/Bombardier talks turn out to be the toughest of his career. Hargrove finds himself doing battle not only with the company, but with his own union locals. Everything goes wrong. Hargrove has to choose between solidarity with his workers or saving thousands of jobs. His decision, the battle that led up to it, and the outcome make for high drama in this no-holds-barred portrait of organized labour in the 1990s. Played on the shifting ground of a globalized economy, "The Negotiator" is a revealing look at democracy, leadership and its price in a high stakes fight for jobs and power.

In Green Dream, Josephine Massarella has infused her vibrant, impressionistic images of nature with the spirit of the goddess Artemis. Evocative and abstract, Green Dream relies on a wide range of experimental techniques, including pixilation, optical printing, and manipulated motion to achieve a dreamlike state where the relevance of beauty and the irrelevance of use can be contemplated. Reminiscent of the work of French experimental filmmaker Rose Lawder, Green Dream confronts modern overdevelopment with overpowering life forces.

A car crash is replayed as a victim's narration shifts from disbelief to pain. Colourization and motion-controlled footage suggest the feeling of tunnel vision induced by shock. Optical printing, film chemistry, digital effects and computer animation are layered to evoke the perceptions and technological mediations of trauma.

October, 1995. The most important political event in recent Canadian history, the Quebec vote on sovereignty, is about to unfold. During the tense days leading up to the referendum for independence, 23 filmmakers from the NFB's English and French documentary studios take their cameras into the streets and homes of Quebeckers. Culled from 250 hours of footage, Referendum is an emotional portrait of a profoundly divided society. In a collage of powerful moments, the video recaptures the emotions of that time and measures them against today's political agenda. Implicit is the question: What next?

A portrait of the country of Mexico, as seen through the eyes of Mario Rojas Alba, a physician and former member of Congress, who fled to Montreal as a political refugee after surviving a brutal physical assault. During a cautious trip home, he guides us through the workings of political repression and violence in Mexico. The resulting film reveals the darker side of this vast country which became our official trading partner in 1994 under NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), an accord criticized by a great many Mexicans, especially the indigenous people of Chiapas, who rose in revolt, demanding a more just and democratic society. On the Day of the Dead, families and friends remember those who have "disappeared"; widows lay flowers on the graves of husbands slain for opposing the ruling party. By their side, Alba reaffirms his commitment to a peaceful transition toward true democracy.

An animated Raeside cartoon from 1990. The depletion of the earth's ozone layer.

Imagine a beautiful day at sea, the magnificent waters allowing you to feel weightless and serene. And then you see it - the infamous single fin moving slowly in your direction. You panic...why? Man has always lived in fear of the shark because these predators represent for most, the epitome of evil and voraciousness. Ease your fears and join John Stoneman as he sets out to dispel many of the myths that surround the shark. But, don't get to comfortable. As John Stoneman will point out, there are certain species that must be feared.

Queen Victoria decides to grant Canada responsible government after the crushing of the Rebellions of 1837.

Four out lesbian mothers from Vancouver candidly discuss their experiences of being young mothers in the queer community.

A third of Estonia's people are Russian, most of them put there by Stalin. For Estonians it is like having a dragon's egg laid in your nest: you wait in fear for it to hatch. The Russians in Klooga, an abandoned Soviet Army base, are struggling to build a community with their new Estonian neighbours. Estonians would rather not give Russians citizenship, residence or jobs: they wish they would go home. But for Russians, Klooga is home. A group of American scholars exploring ethnic reconciliation and democratic practice, led by Nobel Peace Prize nominee Vamik Volkan, offers $50,000 to any group of Estonians and Russians who can work together for a common goal. Twenty Russians and Estonians in Klooga form a committee and seize the challenge to build a better life for their children.

He's a hick; she's from the big city. He loves his car and loud music; she's possessed by the spirit of Martha Stewart. He wants to go fishing; she wants to bring her hair dryer. He likes to dance; she was born with spina bifida. Nadia DeFranco and Dennis Sweet find each other through the Internet, meet, and fall in love. As they prepare for their wedding, they negotiate that obstacle course of fantasy, pragmatism, tradition and frivolity that is the first proving ground of a couple's future compatability. Just a Wedding honours the profoundly serious nature of love and commitment with a light and playful touch. Nadia--who captivated audiences with her guts and good humour in the Academy award-winning I'll Find a Way--and Dennis, making his screen debut, deliver direct, engaging performances... as themselves. The stark contrasts of their realities create a story of contemporary marriage that is witty, moving--and true

When Dr. Ruth Whitehead meets graduate student Carmelita Robertson, who had come to do research at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, the women realize both their ancestors come from South Carolina, and that their names sound shudderingly familiar. Embarking on a journey to Charleston in search of their connection, Ruth and Carmelita encounter a modern South where the Klan is on trial for burning black churches and where they must come to terms with the thunderous cruelty of the past.

Amazon Rainforest midwives advocate for state recognition in Brazil.

This was the video that was played in the background during live Skinny Puppy shows on the Too Dark Park tour. Was circulated on both VHS and DVD.

In April 1994, the international community sat by and watched while a million Tutsi men, women and children were massacred in the central African nation of Rwanda. Hand of God, Hand of the Devil, the second volume in the three-part Rwanda series, explores Canada's role in the development of the genocidal ideology that took root in Rwanda, which was considered the "jewel" of Canadian aid in Africa. This video focuses on the murder of two Canadian missionaries, killed for having protested against corruption and human rights violations. Brother François Cardinal, who worked at the controversial Rwandan college, funded by Canadian aid money to the Rwandan president's advisors. Like countless others in Rwanda, his killers were never found. Hand of God, Hand of the Devil raises disturbing questions about Canada's role in Rwanda. Having assisted the former regime, will Canadian aid now sow the seeds for a new crop of killers?

A fantasy of freedom, a stroll in the park gives rise to an opening up of unstable sexual codes, shifting identities and the empowering game of come and go.

In this video, Noam Chomsky concentrates on the contemporary institutions and powers which have set limits on human progress and offers us some concrete ways of challenging them; in effect, he presents a vision of a future society. Chomsky's work is directed at developing intellectual self-defense for "ordinary people" who are often isolated in their struggles. States are seen to be violent through such strategies as the near-genocide of aboriginal peoples. Ultimately, Chomsky feels we must move beyond the myths of modern industrial civilization and the privileged elites who dominate mass communication, and instead foster the interests of a truly global community.

A history of mankind's interactions with Niagara Falls, from initial awe, to harnessing of the Falls' power, which leads to the destruction of nearby areas like Love Canal.

This documentary features Black women active in politics as well as community, labour and feminist organizing. They share their insights and personal testimonies on the double legacy of racism and sexism, linking their personal struggles with the ongoing battle to end systemic discrimination and violence against women and people of colour.

In three easy lessons, you’ll learn many Cantonese phrases that are useful in a gay bar, a cruising park, and a bathhouse. These three self-contained episodes can be viewed as a single video or as a recurring serial in a program of shorts.

A group of young, working children are terrorized and robbed by their stepfather.

Sixteen Candles is a recording of a constructed candle chandelier which is suspended by a cord, wound up and allowed to wind down for recording in continuous edited time. The sixteen birthday candles while burning down and finally going out, create a moody atmospheric video having the capacity to colour a space.

The British Columbia painter discovers the artistic muse that will drive her life's work.

A visual trajectory denoting the abstraction of sexual experiences which leads the viewer/voyeur to question her construction/appropriation of eroticism.

The daily life of a group of women in an old age home.

An impressionistic series of images inspired by "Tales From the Gimli Hospital".

Between the city, the suburbs and the theft of an automobile.

Over the course of one year, Henricks periodically shot footage from front window of his third floor apartment. This material became the basis of Window, a video about knowing. How do we come to know a place or a person? Our knowledge comes from more than one unique experience. It is the sum of repetition and variations. Window shows how a whole can be more than merely the sum of the parts. It is the first in a series of works that explores one of the principle metaphors of video: the window.

In this short fiction film, the observation satellite Zenon has, on its own, left its assigned orbit and is refusing to send back vital data concerning the Earth's water reserves. Those in charge of the Research Center that sent the satellite up are threatening to destroy this free and intelligent "spirit" if Estelle, the scientist controlling it, cannot make her "friend" see reason. A follow-up to the film "The Aquanaut".

A brief glimpse of life with friends from the ZI atelier.