2009 marks the 70th anniversary of the National Film Board of Canada. Over seven decades, the NFB has constantly championed unique cinematic voices, pushing artistic boundaries to create a library of over 13,000 productions. Here, Darklight proudly presents a selection of classic animation and experimental works from the NFB catalogue.
NB: This screening will be introduced by Tom Perlmutter, Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada.
O Canada: National Film Board Shorts: The Program
HEN HOP (Norman Mclaren, 1942) – 3 :17 minutes
A cartoon film hand-drawn with pen and ink by Norman McLaren, with color added optically, in which a hen–sometimes as an egg with feet–dances to barn dance music.
BLINKITY BLANK (Norman McLaren, 1955) – 5:00 minutes
A Norman McLaren film experiment in the use of intermittent animation and spasmodic imagery. McLaren plays with the laws relating to persistence of vision and after-image on the retina of the eye. He engraves pictures on blank film, with percussive effects added in the same way. Film without words.
WALKING (Ryan Larkin, 1968) – 5:06 minutes
An artist’s observation of the way people walk. The springing gait of youth, the mincing step of the high-heeled female, the doddering amble of the elderly–all are registered with humor and individuality, to the accompaniment of special sound. Film without words.
SPHERES (Norman McLaren / René Jodoin, 1969) – 7:28 minutes
This is a play on motion, against a background of multi-hued sky, by animation artists Norman McLaren and René Jodoin. Spheres of translucent pearl seem to float weightlessly in the unlimited panorama of the sky, grouping, regrouping, at times colliding like some stylized burst of an atomic chain reaction. This airy dance is set to the musical cadences of Bach, played by pianist Glenn Gould.
THE WIND / LE VENT (Ron Tunis, 1972) – 9:23 minutes
A child’s first discovery of wind–the silent, invisible something that tickles his fancy, ruffles his hair, ripples the grass around him–portrayed here in winsome animated drawings. But the artist also shows the elemental force that carries all before it. Without words but with sound effects, this is a film of universal appeal.
MINDSCAPE / PINSCREEN (Jacques Drouin, 1976) – 7:31 minutes
A particularly creative example of the pinscreen animation technique, this film is about an artist who steps inside his painting and wanders about in a landscape peopled with symbols that trigger unexpected associations. Film without words.
BEADGAME / HISTOIRE DE PERLES (Ishu Patel, 1977) – 5:35 minutes
In this fascinating, innovative exercise in animation, thousands of beads are arranged and manipulated, assuming shapes of creatures both mythical and real. They continually devour, merge, and absorb one another in explosions of color. The theme is one of aggression and inevitability, but any conclusion is left to the viewer. Sound film without words.
METAMORPHOSIS OF MR. SAMSA (Caroline Leaf, 1977) – 9:42 minutes
A film based on Franz Kafka’s short story The Metamorphosis, the story is told through the animation of beach sand on a piece of glass. An imaginative sound track and innovative artwork combine to recreate a Kafkaesque world of alienation and guilt. Sound film without words.
ZEA (André Leduc / Jean-Jacques Leduc, 1981) – 5:17
A superb visual trick that will mystify its audience, this animated film transforms the commonplace into magic. The film presented a serious technical challenge because the subject was both elusive and explosive. A film to watch, enjoy and laugh about. Film without words.
THE BOX / LA BOITE (Co. Hoedeman, 1989) – 10:27 minutes
Oscar-winning animator Co Hoedeman and his newest creature come together in this enchanting and colorful fable about the joys and pains of growing up. No sooner has the paint dried, than the puppet begins to take its first few steps and, urged on by the artist, begins to discover a wider world. He experiences the joys of playtime and sharing and eventually begins to spread his social wings. The film charts the shaping of a personality, and the evolution of a sense of self-awareness until the creature is ready to leave its protective environment. Live-action, puppets and pixilation create this amazing world of fantasy. Film without words.
THE END OF THE WORLD IN FOUR SEASONS (Paul Driessen, 1995) – 12:57 minutes
Cartoon conventions are toyed with in eight interlocking stories which unfold simultaneously in eight windows on the screen, forever putting to rest such ideas as beginnings, middles and ends. Events are divided into seasonal chapters to the accompaniment of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Film without words.
FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN (Munro Ferguson, 2002) – 3:03 minutes
This animated comedy unfolds to Marlene Dietrich’s rendition of “Falling in Love Again.” It is a playful take on popular myths and clichés about love and a send-up of the glorious vertigo of… falling in love. When two cars travelling in opposite directions careen around sharp curves, screeching on two wheels, the “meeting” of their occupants promises to be explosive. The collision propels them into outer space–much to the surprise of a couple of Canada geese. Just as Marlene Dietrich defined an era with the song “Falling in Love Again,” filmmaker Munro Ferguson is helping to define a new art form halfway between drawing and sculpture.
RYAN (Chris Landreth, 2004) – 13:54
Ryan is based on the life of Ryan Larkin, a Canadian animator who, 30 years ago, produced some of the most influential animated films of his time. In the film, we hear the voices of prominent animators and artists discussing Ryan’s work, and from waitresses, mission-house caretakers and homeless people who make up Ryan’s life. These voices speak through strange, twisted, and disembodied, computer-generated characters – which combine to reflect the film’s creator, Chris Landreth. In the words of Anais Nin, “We don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are.” NB: Some strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.
NUDE CABOOSE (Guy Maddin, 2006) – 2:52 minutes
A jovial shirtless man attempts to rouse a contingent of lethargic dancers to life in Nude Caboose. His highjinks really get the deadbeats bustin’ out until something unusual catches his eye. Dance floor seduction distilled into a fateful moment!
NFB 70 YEARS / ONF 70 ANS (Jean-François Pouliot 2009) – 7:41 minutes
Jean-François Pouliot smartly deconstructs the backward-looking perception often attributed to films from the National Film Board (NFB). Even the way NFB 70 Years is made pays homage to the film-making techniques that have earned Canada’s public film producer and distributor its enviable reputation. This film confirms the essential role of the NFB within the social fabric of Canada and the world.
Visit the NFB website HERE.
