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As mid-winter arrives, even more new content is available for free at NFB.ca. Mark Black History Month with two essential documentaries: Will Prosper’s Kenbe la, Until We Win and Cheryl Foggo’s John Ware Reclaimed.

PRESS RELEASE
20/01/2021

January 20, 2021 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada

As the month of January comes to an end, new free-streaming content is being added to the NFB.ca catalogue, with more to follow in February. Heading the selection of works from NFB studios across the country are two award-winning and profoundly human feature-length documentaries in celebration of Black History Month: Kenbe la, Until We Win by Will Prosper and John Ware Reclaimed by Cheryl Foggo. The slate of new offerings also includes the moving short doc Martha, directed by Daniel Schubert, having its world premiere on International Holocaust Remembrance Day; the fascinating interactive story Far Away From Far Away by Bruce Alcock and Jeremy Mendes; and works from The Curve, a timely collection of projects exploring the pandemic. These must-see new films join more than 4,000 titles already available on NFB.ca, along with our collection of some one hundred interactive works, almost all of which are available for free online viewing.

Starting January 27 – in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day

  • Martha by Daniel Schubert (2020, BC & Yukon Studio) – WORLD PREMIERE
    Short documentary (20 min)
    Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/martha

Filmmaker Daniel Schubert visits his grandmother, Martha, in this warm, intimate portrait of an unrelenting Auschwitz survivor. For her, however, the emphasis is on a tough but rewarding postwar life in Winnipeg, which she fondly recalls.

Marking Black History Month

In tribute to the contributions of Canada’s Black communities, and to help amplify inspiring voices and stories that aren’t heard enough, the NFB is launching two feature docs online that have been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, and showcasing a selection of films from its extensive catalogue.

  • Starting February 1: Kenbe la, Until We Win by Will Prosper (2019, French Program Documentary Studio)
    Feature-length documentary (83 min)
    Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/kenbe-la-until-we-win

Ranging from the lush Haitian countryside to the icy landscapes of Canada, this sensitive film chronicles the journey of the late artist, philosopher and activist Alain Philoctète, whose dreams remain universal, resonating across generations and continuing to inspire us. The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), winning the People’s Choice Award, and had successful theatrical screenings in Montreal as well as on a tour of Eastern Quebec.

  • Starting February 8: John Ware Reclaimed by Cheryl Foggo (2020, North West Studio)
    Feature-length documentary (71 min)
    Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/john-ware-reclaimed

The filmmaker re-examines the story of John Ware, the Black cowboy who settled in Alberta prior to the turn of the 20th century. Foggo’s research uncovers who this iconic figure might have been, and what his legacy means in terms of anti-Black racism, both past and present. The film had its world-premiere screening at the Calgary International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Choice Award for an Alberta Feature.

  • Selection of works exploring Canada’s Black communities

In these times more than ever, stories of Black communities in Canada deserve to be seen and heard. Explore our collection of films by award-winning Black filmmakers, creators, and allies of Black communities, detailing a rich history to better understand the present.

Starting February 8

  • Far Away From Far Away by Bruce Alcock and Jeremy Mendes (2020, Quebec and Atlantic Studio/English Program Digital Studio)
    Interactive story for mobile (25 min)
    Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/faraway

Far Away From Far Away is an interactive story inspired by the early life of visionary Zita Cobb. Written by Michael Crummey, it’s about a young girl growing up on Fogo Island with her father during the 1960s and ’70s. More than a historical retelling, it interprets its time and place, painting a vivid portrait of rural island life. Designed exclusively for mobile devices, it uses simple, intuitive navigation to take us into rich, long-form storytelling. The work had its world premiere in 2019 at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) DocLab competition.

The Curve

Always accessible online, The Curve collection offers stories from creators all over the country. Thematically linked, these works in documentary, animation and digital storytelling formats closely follow the ongoing developments of this COVID-19 era.

January 27 at 7 p.m. EST, a Facebook Live event hosted by Festival Pleins écrans and the NFB (in French)  

A screening of the seven short films produced as part of the Beyond the Curve documentary lab, set up by the French Program Documentary Studio, followed by a discussion with the films’ eight creators, moderated by Studio producer Pierre-Mathieu Fortin.

Follow #TheCurveNFB #LaCourbeONF to learn more about The Curve’s creators and get news and sneak peeks of upcoming works.

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Related Links

Black History Month
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Festival Pleins écrans

French version here | Version française ici.

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.