National Film Board of Canada.

Every year, thousands of teenagers commit suicide. Almost a statistic himself, Patrick Bird survived his attempt and succeeded in turning his life around. Helped along by caring friends and a loving adoptive mother, Patrick moved beyond a childhood blighted by abuse, abandonment, drugs, and crime—as well as a brush with death—to begin a search for identity by reconnecting with his Cree roots and discovering his hidden talents for music and acting....

Reunions between adopted children and their birth parents are deeply emotional experiences. This documentary by Academy Award-winning director Beverly Shaffer follows adoptee Marie Klaassen's journey of self-discovery as she searches for her birthmother. Marie addresses her birthmother directly, revealing why she was compelled to embark on the search and the effect it has had on her own family. A counselor for pregnant teens, Marie conveys understanding...

This program explores the stories of six interracial people and their quest to forge their own identities. Interracial people are often asked, "Which race do you consider yourself?" The program explores the kinds of issues that are triggered by this question: issues of identity, cultural isolation, and the search for community. Through intensely personal stories, each person profiled in the program recounts how their identity is affected by the experience...

In Moncton, a historic neighborhood is obliterated by excavators. Meanwhile, the filmmaker's father succumbs to cancer. In this poetic film, illness and death parallel the demolition of a much-loved neighborhood. What survives when buildings, trees, and a loved one all vanish? In this case, photographs, conversations and the vivid memories shared by residents and by the film's director. Produced through the Tremplin competition, Voleuse de poussière...

"It's not your fault." "We can get help." "You're good kids." "We love you." These are just some of the positive, reassuring messages found in this classic program, an animated story of two children coping with molestation. Divided into six parts, the video sensitively acknowledges and validates the characters' emotions as they open up about their experiences and move forward, one day at a time, with a growing sense of hope and empowerment. This powerful...

Paper Wheat is a classic film about the play of the same name, which offers a collage of vignettes that epitomize three quarters of a century of Canadian Prairie history. This documentary describes the harsh lives of the early Saskatchewan settlers and the foundation of the co-op movement on the Prairies. With great sensitivity and ingenious staging, the 25th Street Theatre Centre troupe brings to life an era in Canadian history: the development of...

The history of mining in Canada is a story of astronomical profits made with disregard for the environment and human health. It is the story of nickel in Sudbury, silver in Cobalt, gold in Timmins, and copper in Rouyn-Noranda. In a country rich in mineral resources, mining companies historically have paid little tax while local municipalities have borne the financial burden of building and maintaining the roads they use to truck their wealth out to...

On April 20, 2001, Quebec City prepared to host the three-day Summit of the Americas. A two-mile fence was erected, which cut off the Upper Town from the rest of the city. Thirty-four heads of state from the Americas met behind closed doors to discuss agreements for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) - and those opposed to the FTAA mobilized and gathered in the streets of the city. As several thousand delegates came to participate in the People's...

This documentary profiles four young people who are living with mental illness - and also shows their loved ones who make the courageous decision to tell their own stories. Their voices are complemented by director Louiselle Noel, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as an adult and powerfully evokes the initial symptoms that emerged in her childhood. The film skirts the specialists' debates in favor of a more personal tone, moving away from the...

Glenn Herbert Gould was one of the most celebrated classical pianists in the 20th century. This world-renowned Canadian pianist is best known for his remarkable interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach's technical proficiency and polyphonic texture of music. Gould was also recognized as a writer, composer, conductor, and broadcaster. He contributed to several music journals in which he discussed music theory and philosophy. This classic documentary...