Cinema Canada (Jun-Jul 1974)

tion read on the University of Miami’s tribute to the National Film Board. Veteran producer Tom Daly accepted. The NFB has also taken the special jury prize at Cannes for “La Faim/Hunger” by Peter Foldes, which was voted best short film. Artist is Hungarian from Paris, who spent some time at the animation department of the Film Board working with computer animation, according to Rene Jodoin, head of French animation. Film Board has won Cannes prizes before, with Bretislav Pojar’s Balablok, Laurent Coderre’s Zikkaron, and Norman McLaren’s Blinkity Blank. La Faim presents a stark picture of affluent over indulgence in a world where many people starve, or more literally, a computer-animated figure who eats himself to his death, which is hastened somewhat by the arrival of the hungry hordes. A work of deeply felt urgency and ingenious in its ability to stir our innermost terrors about the future. Not recommended close to a large meal. Oberhausen also singled out two recent Film Board productions: two prizes went to The Other Side of the Ledger: An Indian View of the Hudson’s Bay Company, by Martin Defalco and Willie Dunn, and Paul Bochner’s Icarus got near enough to the top — third prize in animation — to soften its mythical wings. Ledger is a most honest look at this country’s history and present condition as reflected in the exploitation of our native peoples. More about this film in our next issue. It should be on the curriculum of every school in the land, and the general public should be exposed to it via the CBC as soon as possible. An excellent film by the remarkable Defalco and the talented Dunn, both of whom have worked on Cold Journey, a feature about the misfortunes of an Indian boy due out later this year. Donald Winkler’s In Praise of Hands, also a Film Board production, received its world premiere at the First World Crafts Exhibition held for five days starting June 10th at the Ontario Science Centre. The film shows dignity of human creativenness and the excellence of craftsmen from all parts of the world. The NFB camera crew (Don Winkler on camera, Claude Hazanavicius, sound, Maurice De Ernsted, unit manager) travelled more than 30,000 miles and shot in over 50 locations, such as Canada, Mexico, Finland, Poland, Nigeria, India and Japan. Without commentary and enhanced with a soundtrack of native dialogue and music, the film was intended by Winkler “to get as close as possible to the experience of craft-making and show from a humanistic point of view how craftmaking universalizes all cultures.”’ Colin Low was 12 Cinema Canada executive producer for Tom Daly and Albert Kish edited the immense amount of footage. Chris Wilson of St. Lawrence College in Cornwall, Ontario sent us ari “alternative to a mindless summer” as their Bergman Immersion 1974 programme is described. ‘“‘The concept stems from the expressed desires of many film enthusiasts to see as many of these films consecutively as the psyche can endure... it is also a belief that many people like to keep their intellects active during the summer, especailly those spending it at home after a stint at University. At least twenty six films by the renowned Swedish film director (those currently available in Canada) will be shown in the order in which they were made.” For regular academic credit, or to receive a special “Mind Survival Certificate’ attesting that anyone who sat through all the films appears to remain in fit health and still has a sane mind. Cheap hostel or residence and meal arrangements for weekend sessioners: five nights a week July 31 — August 29, plus four weekend sessions on August 3, 10, 17 and 24. How did that telegram from Linda Lovelace in Cannes to Ingmar Bergman in Sweden go? “My Virgin Spring awaits your Wild Strawberries?” Put a seventh seal on that joke and silence that woman. Or send her to Cornwall. The Canadian Film Institute 1973 Poster Exhibit will also be at St. Lawrence College. The CFI continues its excellent showings at the National Film Theatre in Ottawa. Alex Grant, Exhibitions Co-ordinator, brought over a comprehensive look at recent Hungarian cinema in early spring. This year the Canadian Film Archives received 110 feature films and 579 short films, “‘the majority of which were deposited for conservation by Canadian filmmakers, producers and distributors.” (Probably not the majority of the features, but the shorts. ) The Institute also publishes an impressive array of reference books and studies on Canadian and international film history. These include Paul Almond by Janet Edsworth, Joyce Wieland, Don Owen and Canadian Women Filmmakers: An Interim Filmography, all three by Alison Reid, Canadian Feature Films, Parts I and II by Peter Morris, which covers all (except for film politics) between the years 1913-1969, The National Film Board of Canada: The War Years, also by Morris, and Allan King. An Interview with Bruce Martin and a Filmography, revised in 1971 by Alison Reid. Plus Film Canadiana, a generally useful reference tool to all available domestic titles, where to get them, plus a mountain of other data such as bibliographies, associations, statistics, Canadian participation in festivals, awards, and company addresses, all under one cover. The monumental task was accomplished by Louis Valenzuela, Piers Handling and Maynard Collins. Gordon F. Noble is executive director of the CFI and any further information on the above may be gained by writing the Canadian Film Institute, 1762 Carling, Ottawa K2A 2H7. Film archivists from some forty countries arrived in Ottawa on May 19th for the 30th Congress of the International Federation of Film Archives. The opening ceremonies included the premiere of Dreamland, developed and produced by Kirwan Cox (assisted by the CFI’s Peter Morris and the NFB) and directed by Don Brittain. This film is a visual history of Canadian films, between 1913 and °39, those wonderful years when the American monopolies gobbled up everything independent in sight. The narration hits hard on a political level. The CBC will show Dreamland in a ninety-minute spot sometime in the fall. All interested in our survival are urged to keep an eye out for it. The Congress of Film Archivists was organized by the CFI jointly with the Cinématheque québécoise, and it was supported by a grant from the Film Division of Secretary of State. The main sessions were held in Ottawa in the Government Conference Centre, but the delegates also met in Montreal and visited the National Film Board. In addition to usual Federation business, two special symposia focussed on recently developed techniques of film presentation and the methodology of film history. The Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film (FIAF) publishes an annual International Index to Film Periodicals, available in easy to handle filecard form to interested institutions for $325 per year. Cinema Canada is one of the 68 titles indexed regularly along with Sight and Sound, Cahiers du Cinema, etc. Available from FIAF Secretariat, 74 Galerie Ravenstein, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgique. The last weekend in April a score of Québec films were shown in Tours, France under the auspices of the Centre Socio-educatif du Beffroi, la Fédération Francaise des Ciné-Clubs, and the Conseil québécois pour la diffusion du cinéma. Works of Jaques Leduc, Gilles Groulx, Jean-Claude Labrecque, Claude Jutra and Denys Arcand were shown. During the month of May, the first international festival of sociological films was held at Nancy, also in France. The Conseil québécoise . participated with the following films: La Richesse des Autres, Chez nous, c’est chez nous, Le Mépris N’aura Qu’un Temps, On a raison de se revolter, and Quatre Jeunes