Online cinema
In the Shadow of Gold Mountain
Karen Cho
Filmmaker Karen Cho travels from Montreal to Vancouver to uncover stories from the last survivors of the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, a set of laws imposed to single out the Chinese as unwanted immigrants to Canada from 1885 to 1947. Through a combination of history, poetry and raw emotion, this documentary sheds light on an era that shaped the identity of generations.
L’écart silencieux
Flavie Payette-Renouf
Why do girls do better in school than boys? Member of Parliament, citizen, and mother Marwah Rizqy sets out to find answers. A nonpartisan initiative brings together elected officials, experts, and citizens to understand and take action together to address an issue that has been ignored for too long.
Marie s’en va-t-en ville
Marquise Lepage
Thirteen-year-old Marie was assaulted by her older brother Serge. Disturbed by the incident, she doesn’t dare tell her family about it. She decides to set off on an adventure to Montreal, where she doesn’t know anyone. Marie finds herself alone in the chaos of the big city, where she has the opportunity to help a stranger. The stranger is a prostitute named Sarah, who has something to hide.
We Can’t Make The Same Mistake Twice
Alanis Obomsawin
The rights of First Nations children take centre stage in this monumental documentary. Following a historic court case filed by the Assembly of First Nations and the Child and Family Caring Society of Canada against the federal government, Alanis Obomsawin exposes generations of injustices endured by First Nations children living on reserves and their families. Through passionate testimony and unwavering conviction, frontline childcare workers and experts including Cindy Blackstock take part in a decade-long court battle to ensure these children receive the same level of care as other Canadian children. Their case against Canada is a stark reminder of the disparities that persist in First Nations communities and the urgent need for justice to be served.
Dans la forêt
Pascale Ferland
In the Forest is a documentary essay that explores the deep connections between humans, animals, and the forest. Through fragments of lives that intersect, echo, or contradict one another, the film gradually weaves the portrait of a rich, complex, and sometimes unsettling world where the desire to protect coexists with the drive to exploit. Moving between realism, political engagement, and dreamlike imagery, it reveals a forest that – in the face of multiplying climate upheavals and an accelerating sixth mass extinction – whispers, to those who know how to listen, the urgent need to safeguard the fragile balance between humanity, fauna, and flora.
Celles qui luttent
Sarah Baril Gaudet
Sisters of Wrestling is a feature-length documentary that explores the experiences of three women in the Quebec pro wrestling scene. As Loue finds balance between her wrestling career and her life as a new mom, Azaelle enjoys her last moments in the ring before taking an indefinite break. Meanwhile, LuFisto aims to reach new heights at the age of 42. The film paints an intimate portrait of these warriors for whom wrestling is both a passion and an escape from everyday life.
Sewâtsiwin: They Are Sacred
Kim O’Bomsawin
Within Indigenous cultures, differences were not traditionally seen as a handicap, but rather as a strength that could benefit the entire community. Such is the case with autistic people, considered to have unique gifts and connections to the spirit world. While our people are currently reclaiming our traditional knowledge and philosophies, we are also facing a severe lack of resources adapted to our new reality. Through intimate encounters with Anders, Sewâtsiwin: They Are Sacred gives viewers unique access to the world of an autistic child, and to follow his father’s journey to bring back traditional First Nations perspectives in our contemporary worl.
Où vont les âmes
Brigitte Poupart
Anna, 18, requests medical assistance in dying. The date she sets for herself leaves only fifteen days to fulfill her wish of seeing her half-sisters again before she passes away. Separated by events connected to their shared father, Ève and Éléonore are compelled to reconnect with Anna. Each sister’s strength is revealed throughout this epic journey, which forces them to confront their fears and limitations. By opening themselves to the complexity of one another’s lives, they discover sisterhood beyond their disagreements with their father, who has been convicted of rape.
Les furies
Mélanie Charbonneau
With its intense and imperfect heroines, Les furies (The Furies) is Quebec’s first female-led sports comedy. Waterloo will now have its own semi-pro men’s hockey team, effectively kicking the amateur women’s leagues out of the arena. To avenge their lost ice time, an impulsive hockey player and a ruthless octogenarian – a former derby champion – have a plan: recruit the city’s misfits and start an underground roller derby team. With the help of the Cercle de fermières (Circle of Women Farmers), they will prove that women’s sports can also thrill crowds and that sisterhood is the ultimate act of resistance.
IA : l’angle mort
Arianna Bardesono
Artificial intelligence is no longer a promise for the future: it is already reshaping our lives, often without regulation or oversight. As Quebec opens the door to public administration and GAFAM reigns unopposed, unfair automated decisions threaten equality and social justice. AI: The Blind Spot (IA : l’angle mort) is the first French-language documentary to expose this invisible danger. It gives a voice to victims, questions those responsible, and asks the real question: who does AI serve, and at what cost to our rights and our democracy?
Au-delà du regard
Arianna Bardesono
Beyond the Gaze (Au-delà du regard) tells the story of Carlos, a blind young man who refuses to be shackled by social constraints. Endowed with an indomitable spirit and a passion for the arts, Carlos finds his place in a world that was not created in his image.
Silvana
Arianna Bardesono
After their father’s death, three sisters try everything they can to restore their mother’s zest for life. This short film is based on personal archives and those of the National Film Board of Canada.