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NFB’s WALL opens in Canadian theatres in August. Animated feature written by British playwright David Hare and directed by Calgary’s Cam Christiansen explores the reality of the wall separating Israel and Palestine as no film has before.

PRESS RELEASE
25/07/2018

July 25, 2018 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

WALL, a National Film Board of Canada (NFB) feature-length animated film written by David Hare, the renowned British playwright, screenwriter (BBC Two/Netflix series Collateral) and two-time Oscar nominee (The Hours; The Reader), and directed by award-winning Calgary filmmaker Cam Christiansen, opens theatrically across Canada starting August 13 in Montreal—followed by dates in Calgary and Vancouver, with more cities to be announced soon.

Best known for his works that explore socio-political issues both at home and abroad, Hare travels to the Middle East in WALL to examine the impact that the wall separating Israel and Palestine has had on the people of the region.

Using advanced animation tools and 3D motion-capture footage, director Cam Christiansen employs a distinctive handcrafted approach that conveys the reality of the 708-kilometre barrier as no film has before. Rich with rhythmic, raw imagery, WALL takes an in-depth look at the “fence” that has forever united, divided and changed communities—while brilliantly capturing the emotions surrounding this massive reminder of unrest.

Revealing and passionate insights from renowned Israeli novelist David Grossman, Professor Neill Lochery of London University, Professor Sari Nusseibeh of Al-Quds University and Ramallah-based attorney Raja Shehadeh are all framed by Hare’s probing, restlessly curious mind, attuned to the incongruities and contradictions of life in the shadow of the wall.

Hailed as “a fascinating study of the Israeli-Palestinian divide… compelling” by The Hollywood Reporter when the film was presented in official competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, WALL has been selected to film festivals around the world since its premiere at the Calgary International Film Festival last fall. Up next: confirmed festival dates at Rio de Janeiro’s Anima Mundi (July 21–August 5), Animix Tel Aviv (August 7–11) and the Palm Springs International Animation Festival (August 22–26).

WALL is produced by the NFB’s David Christensen and Bonnie Thompson. North West Studio head David Christensen is the executive producer.

Schedule

August 13, 6:30 p.m., Cinéma du Parc, Montreal
Screening in English for Cinemagique members, with director Q&A via Skype

Opens August 17
Cinéma du Parc, Montreal (English)

Opens August 17
Cinémathèque québécoise, Montreal (French)

Opens August 17
Globe Cinema, Calgary, with director Q&A

Opens August 17
Vancity Theatre, Vancouver

About the filmmaker

Cam Christiansen is an award-winning director, animator and innovator in the world of 3D animation and digital filmmaking whose films have screened at the Sundance Film Festival and TIFF, and made the latter’s Top Ten list of Canadian short films twice (with I Have Seen the Future and 5 Hole: Tales of Hockey Erotica). WALL is his first feature-length film and the second project he’s directed with the NFB. His first NFB film was the 2009 short, The Real Place.

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Related Products

Electronic Press Kit | Images, trailers, synopsis: Wall

Associated Links

Cinéma du Parc
Cinémathèque québécoise
Globe Cinema
Vancity Theatre

Media Relations

  • Jennifer Mair
    NFB Publicist – Toronto
    C.: 416-436-0105
    j.mair@nfb.ca | @NFB_Jennifer

  • Judith Dubeau
    IXION Communications for the NFB
    514-495-8176
    judith.dubeau@ixioncommunications.com

     

    Lily Robert
    Director, Communications, Partnerships and Public Affairs
    Phone: 514-283-3838
    Cell: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

  • Katja De Bock
    NFB Publicist – Vancouver
    C.: 778-628-4890
    k.debock@nfb.ca@NFB_Katja

  • Lily Robert
    Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
    C.: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

  • 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.