Film Categories: Childhood

  • Jimmy Brown the Newsboy

    This visual poem for children utilizes silhouette paper doll cut-outs and characters to follow a young boy and his pet frog on an early morning paper route. The characters dance in time to the music, a traditional American folk tune, from which the film takes its title.

  • Leaving the Poisons Behind

    Animal, fish and bird pictographs struggle to escape the filmic and musical presence of environmental poisons. Primarily an environmental picture, “Leaving the Poisons Behind” can also be seen as a forum for meditation on the idea of leaving behind personal poisons – smoking, drugs, drinking, abusive relationships, and so on. The film may also be of interest to those who are studying aboriginals and their environmental connections, and to those interested in petroglyphs and other figures from neolithic artists. It is a beautiful film as well as an innovative type of music video in film format, making it accessible to…

  • Linear Dreams

    “The sound of a heartbeat pumps life into ‘Linear Dreams’, a scratch animation film that moves from the simple lines of the unconscious to representational realism.” – Toronto International Film Festival, 1997 The word “Linear” is composed of two words: “line,” as in drawing and “ear,” as in hearing. The film was produced by drawing both sound and picture directly onto 35mm motion picture film.

  • Mary

    Mary is a kind of everygirl, living with her parents’ constant battling, but able only to deal with the kid stuff – the boy who picks on her at school, the embarrassment her best friend causes. I liked the kitschy ‘70s setting. It kind of reminded me, because I lived through that era, of the stuff I had to deal with when I was little. (VR)

  • As We Are

    A documentary about autistic children and the difficult and often trying process of their education. While attending special art classes in a small well-equipped studio, several children are seen during the delicate and inspired moments of learning self-discovery. Here the teachers meet, with great inventiveness and sensitivity, some of the special challenges posed by autistic children and achieve some moving breakthroughs.

  • My Quills Click When I Walk

    The porcupine and the wolf converse in a forest underwood where light literally strobes through the trees. The porcupine delights in the clicks of her quills when she walks. When the wolf attempts to compete, she cleverly works him into a duet and all is well until the two are perturbed by a bee. An animated film which takes a subtle look at sources of aggression.

  • No Mime Game

    An effective mime-skit showing the perils of drinking and driving. A mixture of mime, camera work, and special effects prepares us to expect the inevitable crash. An excellent film for use in driver and health education or dramatic arts classes.

  • Nukie’s Lullaby

    Imagine… a nuclear bomb called Nukie appears on your TV screen and gives a speech to your children. Nukie is such a nice guy… the problem is he keeps putting his foot in his mouth. Completed when the “Star Wars” plan was announced, Nukie’s message becomes a well-timed reminder of the threat to our existence, both present and future, that the nuclear arms race holds over all of us on this globe. The film utilizes a unique animation technique involving coloured sand.

  • Oh Dad 1&2

    Oh Dad! Using a unique animation technique, “Oh Dad!” is a boy’s account of a heated confrontation with his father over the issues of the nuclear arms race and various forms of pollution. The boy tells of his mistrust of adults and his frustration with the world that grown-ups are leaving his generation. Oh Dad II In this continuation of “Oh Dad!,” a young boy expresses his deep concern about environmental issues in his diary. Arguing with his father, the boy tries to convince him that although he is younger, he has serious opinions. He talks about national security, militarization,…

  • Oh Dad II

    In this continuation of “Oh Dad!,” a young boy expresses his deep concern about environmental issues in his diary. Arguing with his father, the boy tries to convince him that although he is younger, he has serious opinions. He talks about national security, militarization, and acid rain. The boy grapples with what he sees as the collective responsibility of the adult world as a whole, and the responsibility of his own father, a scientist, for the damaged environment and the resulting disease, hunger and pollution. Despite the seriousness of the issues addressed, “Oh Dad II” is as warmly humorous as…