February 28, 2019 – Ottawa – National Film Board of Canada

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is taking part in the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF) for the 14th consecutive year. This year’s event runs March 1 to 31 and tackles the theme of cultures in dialogue. The RVF is also marking the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act—under which the NFB, as a public institution, has been deeply committed to the growth and impact of francophone culture across the country. This year’s RVF will see the NFB bringing nearly 310 free screenings to 82 cities, from the East Coast to the West Coast and from the Great Lakes to the Arctic. The NFB is offering francophone communities and francophiles four programs, featuring documentaries and animation for all audiences.

The programs are: Identities in Dialogue, which includes Luc Bourdon’s documentary La part du diable (The Devil’s Share), available for the first time on the big screen in most Canadian cities; Powerful Animated Voices, featuring recent and award-winning documentaries that have been seen around the globe at some of the world’s most prestigious festivals; Tales from Here for Tots, inspired by Indigenous stories and legends; and Animals Who (Almost) Always Get the Last Word, in which animals teach us some important life lessons. A special selection of films will also be available online at ONF.ca for the entire duration of the RVF.

The NFB at the 2019 RVF: Four accessible programs at a venue near you

• Program 1 (110 min) – Audience: ages 13+
  Identities in Dialogue
  In bringing together two documentaries—the feature-length La part du diable (The Devil’s Share) by Luc Bourdon, which draws on almost 200 NFB films to offer a fresh new look at the turbulent 1960s and ’70s, and the short film Au beau milieu de la plaine – Les Fransaskois (The Grasslands Project – Les Fransaskois) by Scott Parker—this program embraces bilingualism beyond duality, highlighting peaceful co-existence and the exchange of ideas.

• Program 2 (71 min) – Audience: ages 12+
  Powerful Animated Voices
  These eight animated shorts have been screened at prestigious festivals around the world. They offer unique auteur perspectives and a variety of creative techniques, exploring a diverse array of cultures. The program includes Trois mille (Three Thousand) by Assinajaq, which recasts the past, present and future of the Inuit, and Le sujet (The Subject) by Patrick Bouchard, the only Canadian film to screen at Cannes in 2018.

• Program 3 (42 min) – Audience: ages 4+
  Tales from Here for Tots
  A program of seven short films inspired by Indigenous stories and legends, with five of the films directed by Indigenous filmmakers representing several regions of Canada—including Phyllis Grant of the Pabineau First Nation, who draws on her Mi’kmaq culture for Waseteg and Maq et l’esprit de la forêt (Maq and the Spirit of the Woods).

• Program 4 (46 min) – Audience: ages 6+
  Animals Who (Almost) Always Get the Last Word
  Listening to and understanding each other is never easy. In this fun program of four animated shorts and one fiction, animals almost always have the last word. They succeed in negotiating, understanding each other, finding solutions, and reconciling with one another. This program includes Le merle, a classic by the great Norman McLaren.

Online RVF programming at ONF.ca

We’ll have a special selection of films drawn from the NFB’s rich collection available online throughout the RVF. These films—personal and timely documentaries, along with award-winning animation—demonstrate the vitality and diversity of Canada’s francophonie. Enjoy them at your leisure. Happy viewing!

Detailed screening schedule

The detailed screening schedule can be found at RVF.ca, on the Calendar page.

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Related Products

Electronic Press Kit | Images, trailers, synopsis: The Devil’s Share | The Grasslands Project | The Subject | Three Thousand

Associated Links

Rendez-vous de la Francophonie
Program details of the NFB at the RVF