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This December, even more new titles from the NFB will be available online, free of charge. Visit NFB.ca to view the latest works added to The Curve, our collection of projects exploring the pandemic, as well as compelling documentaries including Kevin McMahon’s Borealis and Jean-Daniel Lafond’s The End of Certainties, both world premieres.

PRESS RELEASE
01/12/2020

December 1, 2020 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada

There are some exciting discoveries in store for December on NFB.ca. Our curated selection of content produced by NFB studios across the country, streaming for free, includes the very latest works from The Curve, the timely and topical collection of projects exploring the pandemic, and documentaries that delve into fascinating subjects, including the world premieres of Borealis by Kevin McMahon and The End of Certainties by Jean-Daniel Lafond. These not-to-be-missed new offerings join the extensive catalogue of more than 4,000 titles already available at NFB.ca, not to mention our collection of some one hundred interactive works, almost all of which can be viewed online at no charge.

Available now

Welcome to Pine Point by The Goggles (2010, English Program Digital Studio)
Interactive documentary
Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/welcome-to-pine-point

An interactive documentary about what happens when you lose your job, when everyone you know loses their job, when your entire town is out of work, is shut down and dismantled, and completely disappears. Part book, part film, part family photo album, Welcome to Pine Point uncovers a place frozen in time and discovers what happens when an entire community is erased from the map. Still topical today, 10 years after its production, this multiple-award-winning landmark work by the internationally renowned Vancouver-based creative duo of Paul Shoebridge and Michael Simons (a.k.a. The Goggles) has been rebuilt to make it accessible on mobile and desktop devices.

Starting December 7

  • Daughter of the Crater by Nadine Beaudet and Danic Champoux (2019, Les vues du fleuve/French Program Documentary Studio)
    Feature-length documentary (75 min 43 s)
    Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/daughter-of-the-crater

    This documentary is a touching account of Yolande Simard Perrault’s quest for identity and her influence on the oeuvre of Pierre Perrault, her partner and great love. This grande dame is the “daughter of the crater” created by the impact of a meteor millions of years ago in Quebec’s Charlevoix region, where she was born. Bold, strong-willed Yolande discusses the area and its imprint on our collective memory.
  • As the Crow Flies by Tess Girard (2016, Ontario Studio)
    Feature-length documentary (83 min 54 s)
    Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/as-the-crow-fliesEvery summer, the Royal Canadian Air Cadets offers its top cadets the chance to participate in an elite flight-training camp. Casting an especially affectionate and empathetic eye on her female subjects, the filmmaker creates a unique and intimate portrait of an extraordinary, yet also very recognizable, group of 17-year-olds as they come of age.

Starting December 14

  • The End of Certainties by Jean-Daniel Lafond (2020, Majda Films International/NFB) – WORLD PREMIERE
    Documentary (45 min 22 s)
    Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/the-end-of-certaintiesMore than a decade after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007–08, what does globalization mean today? Filmmaker-philosopher Jean-Daniel Lafond takes us behind the scenes of the International Economic Forum of the Americas, a massive annual gathering at which economists, financiers and politicians hold forth on the key issues of the day. Featuring first-hand testimonials by nearly two dozen influential men and women, this observational documentary offers a cogent assessment of globalization—and its ideals, disillusionment, fears and hopes—and the quest for a new humanism, characterized by greater inclusiveness and fairness.
  • The Curve is the pulse of our nation, beating in its own time during this unprecedented time. Our creators, with their talent and insight, are bringing to life the voices of Canadians touched by COVID-19, both near and far. New titles are constantly being added to this collection of thematically linked works in documentary, animation and digital storytelling formats, closely following ongoing developments of this COVID-19 era. Coming December 14:Theme:

    And Beyond… 

    Made in the Beyond the Curve creative lab, organized by the French Program Documentary Studio, these seven short films capture their creators’ perspectives on the pandemic’s multifaceted impacts in Quebec.As Night Descends by Nadine Gomez
    Road’s End Chronicle by Nicolas Paquet
    Sometimes I Wish I Was on a Desert Island by Eli Jean Tahchi
    Jules’ Impossible Summer by Marie-Julie Dallaire
    The Vigil by Christine Chevarie-Lessard
    “Contact” – Requiem for a Word by Olivier D. Asselin
    Sòl by Valérie Bah and Tatiana Zinga Botao

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

Starting December 15 at 9 p.m. (EST)

The NFB and TVO present the world premiere of Borealis. The film will be broadcast on TVO on December 15 at 9 p.m. EST and simultaneously launched for free streaming on NFB.ca and TVO.org.

  • Borealis by Kevin McMahon (2020, Primitive Entertainment/NFB Ontario Studio, in association with ZDF/ARTE and NHK)
    Feature-length documentary (93 min 18 s)
    Press kit (synopsis, biographies, images and credits): mediaspace.nfb.ca/borealisAcclaimed director Kevin McMahon (Waterlife) travels deep into the heart of the boreal forest to explore the chorus of life in Canada’s iconic wilderness. How do trees move, communicate and survive the destructive forces of fire, insects, and human encroachment? Borealis offers an immersive portrait of the lifecycles of the forest from the perspective of the plants and animals that live there.

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Related Products

Promotional clip from The Curve available only in French: Bundle 7

Associated Links

Les vues du fleuve
Primitive Entertainment
ZDF
ARTE
NHK

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.