Environment Archives - Page 2 of 8 - National Canadian Film Day

A remarkable meditation on humanity’s impact on the environment, this doc follows internationally acclaimed photographer Edward Burtynsky to China, where he documents industrial landscapes and their impact on the surrounding natural world. Exploring the surprising beauty amid the waste generated by factories and dumps, Burtynsky and documentarian Jennifer Baichwal travel across the vast landscape, capturing incredible visuals that need little commentary.

An impactful but subtle statement about humanity’s impact on the world, Manufactured Landscapes’ powerful images raise more questions than answers.

Director

Jennifer Baichwal

Baichwal and de Pencier are known for their CSA-winning docs, Manufactured Landscapes, Watermark and Anthropocene. They are frequent collaborators, with Baichwal directing and de Pencier as her cinematographer and producer. Their credits include The Holier it Gets, Act of God and Payback, and their newest film together, Into the Weeds.

Cast

Edward Burtynsky

Producers

Jennifer Baichwal, Nick de Pencier, Daniel Iron

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Environment, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

Inspired by the films of Rob Stewart, 16-year-old Julia Barnes decides to follow his example and take eco-action through filmmaking. Travelling around the world surveying the various problems that threaten ocean ecosystems, Barnes takes a deep dive into how actions by governments, businesses and ordinary people can all have a drastic impact on sustainability.

Culminating in the demonstrations leading up to the important but ultimately ineffective Paris Climate Agreement, this documentary charts a path for what comes next and how a conscious treatment of the ocean could present the answer to keeping our planet liveable and beautiful for generations to come.

Director

Julia Barnes

Writer

Julia Barnes

Cast

Julia Barnes, Rob Stewart

Producer

Julia Barnes

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Environment, Female Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

Winnipeg is home to the largest urban Indigenous population in the country, with a high percentage living in a low-income neighbourhood with the highest crime rate in the city. In the face of a staggering number of cases of missing Indigenous women and girls, the community has decided to take a stand, working on an individual level to support, protect and improve the lives of its residents.

Hosted by Gitz Crazyboy (Blackfoot, Dene) this documentary shows the brave fighters who have dedicated themselves to the cause and delves into the underlying factors and intergenerational trauma that has allowed this environment to develop in the first place.

Director

Michelle Latimer

A filmmaker and actor, Latimer’s first short, Choke, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Her credits include several documentaries and dramatic shorts, such as The Underground and Nuuca. She has directed the television series Rise, Burden of Truth and Trickster.

Cast

Sarain Carson-Fox (Anishinaabe), Gitz Crazyboy (Blackfoot/Dene)

Producer

Jarrett Martineau (nēhiyaw/Dene Sųłiné)

Genre

Documentary

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Environment, Female Filmmaker, History, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

In a playful spin on the Charles Dickens classic, the CEO of a power company must confront the impact his wasteful ways will have on the future of the planet.

Director

Les Drew

Genre

Animation

Interest

Environment

Original Language

English

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

This touching documentary, narrated by Ryan Reynolds, tells the story of a young killer whale, Luna, who gets separated from his family on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. As rambunctious and surprising as a visitor from another planet, Luna endears himself to the community with his determination to make contact, leading to many unexpected consequences.

The Whale charts the community’s struggle to deal with Luna, since whales who are separated from their pods rarely survive in the wild. Raising more questions than it can answer, the film is a truly compelling exploration of our relationship with animals.

“The issues surrounding the emotional lives of animals — and the often presumptuous assumption of humans that they comprehend them — are explored in The Whale with a quiet dignity and gorgeous images.” — Andy Webster, New York Times

Directors

Michael Parfit

Parfit co-founded the BC-based Mountainside Films with Suzanne Chisholm, which Realscreen once named among the world’s 100 most influential production companies. Their work has aired on CBC, CNN, PBS, BBC and National Geographic. Their latest film is Call of the Baby Beluga and they recently executive produced the doc Doeville.

Suzanne Chisholm

Chisholm co-founded the BC-based Mountainside Films with Michael Parfit, which Realscreen once named among the world’s 100 most influential production companies. Their work has aired on CBC, CNN, PBS, BBC and National Geographic. Their latest film is Call of the Baby Beluga and they recently executive produced the doc Doeville.

Cast

Ryan Reynolds

Producer

Suzanne Chisholm

Genres

Documentary, Family

Interests

Environment, ESL, Female Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

Jordan Gordon is thrilled to show you around his hometown, taking you through the highlights with a wonderful mix of humour and charm.

Director

Jordan Gordon (Inuk)

Writer

Jordan Gordon (Inuk)

Genres

Comedy, Documentary

Interests

Biography, BIPOC Stories, Environment, Indigenous Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

The tenacious Bobby-Yves wakes up to find himself stranded in a blizzard, and must explore the landscape to find shelter and warmth before he succumbs to the icy white abyss. A suspenseful and unexpectedly humorous tale told through a beautiful, minimalist animation style, Le givre de Bobby-Yves is an instant classic.

Directors

Bogdan Anifrani, Ranee Inez

Writers

Bogdan Anifrani, Ranee Inez

Producer

Sharon Corder

Genre

Drama

Interests

Arts and Culture, Environment, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

French

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

Under the cover of the darkness, Little Boy Lee and his family dump an old mattress in a dirty Strathcona alley. The next day, blame passes from neighbour to neighbour with no one taking responsibility for the abandoned and illegally dumped mattress. As the situation quickly escalates to all-out suburban war, Little Boy Lee has to dodge rotten eggs and Molotov cocktails to take responsibility for his actions and do the right thing.

Director

Michelle Kee

Writers

Michelle Kee, Quinn Spicker

Cast

Sean Quan, Valerie Sing-Turner, Doralynn Mui

Producers

Emma Peterson, David Kelso

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Environment, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker

Original Language

English

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

In this short animation, a polar bear must try his luck finding a job in the big city when the last of his Arctic ice environment disappears. It’s hard fitting into the human world, however, so this bear finds a more creative solution to his predicament.

Director

Carrie Mombourquette

Writer

Carrie Mombourquette

Producer

Michael Fukushima

Genres

Animation, Family

Interest

Environment

Original Languages

English, French

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

How does a predominantly white community react when an Indigenous construction team arrives to build a pipeline through their backyard?

Director

Trevor Carroll (Ojibway)

Writer

Trevor Carroll (Ojibway)

Cast

Lorne Cardinal (Cree)

Producer

Ben Mallin

Genre

Comedy

Interests

BIPOC Stories, Environment, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics

Original Language

English

Back to the Canadian Film Collection

Interest: Environment

Manufactured Landscapes

Ratings by Province

Sea of Life

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Rise: The Urban Rez

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The Energy Carol

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The Whale

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Jordan Gordon’s Guide to Kuujjuaq

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Le givre de Bobby-Yves

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Mattress

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Meltdown

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No Reservations

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