Nicholas Balla

Adventures

This short live-action film tells the story of a little raccoon who encounters many adventures when he strays from home to explore the world.

Magic Molecule

This short documentary introduces us to the colorful and versatile world of plastics. Transmuted from coal, oil or wood, synthetic substances can make thousands of new products, from silk threads to furniture.

Age of the Buffalo

A vivid recollection of the free west of the North American Indigenous Peoples and the vast herds of buffalo that once thundered across the plains. From paintings of the mid-1800s, the animation camera creates a most convincing picture of the buffalo hunt, both as the Indigenous People and, disastrously, the white hunters practiced it.

The Water Dwellers

This short documentary introduces us to a town where no one pays rent: Simoom Sound in central British Columbia, where loggers live on sturdy river craft. Every week there are visitors: the general storekeeper, the flying postman and most importantly, the forest ranger, who is ever alert to the threat of fire.

Ballerina

A film about Canadian ballet dancer Margaret Mercier. Prima ballerina of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, graduate of Sadler's Wells Ballet, and student of the Bolshoi Ballet, Miss Mercier talks about her art. The film follows her through rehearsal and a scene from Cinderella.

Yukon Old, Yukon New

The old spirit of the Yukon returns as Dawson City prepares for its Discovery Day celebrations. Witness a round of nostalgic scenes: a main street parade, refurbished saloons, the can-can. Time recedes as the film explores the hazardous mountain passes and the golden creek of Eldorado.

Angkor - The Lost City

A look at the ruins of the ancient city of Angkor. The largest collection of sculptures the world has ever seen - an entire metropolis of palaces and temples recovered from the jungle.

The Good, Bright Days (1919-1927)

The young nation of Canada comes of age after the worst conflict in human history. In the years that follow the First World War, visits from movie star Rudolf Valentino and the future King Edward VIII grab the headlines, while former prime minister Sir Wilfried Laurier is laid to rest. Political shifts, an economic boom, female emancipation, air travel and risqué dances signal a new era.

Twilight of an Era (1934-1939)

This documentary examines some of the important events in Canada during the Depression years: the Moose River mine disaster, the great drought on the prairies and the introduction of a transatlantic air service between Canada and Europe. The film also looks at the major world events that influenced Canada: the abdication of the king of England; civil war in Spain; Hitler's rise to power and Canada's declaration of war on Germany. Part of the Between Two Wars series.

The Atom - Servant of Man

The focus of this film is on Canada's nuclear research centre at Chalk River, Ontario. Key to atomic progress are the radioactive isotopes. The insertion and handling of these isotopes in the deadly interior of the reactor are shown in detail. Also shown are the applications of radioactive isotopes in various fields of endeavor, particularly medicine, agriculture, and manufacturing industries. Co-produced by the NFB and Crawley Films Ltd. with the assistance of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.

High Arctic

This film records the struggle for life within the Arctic Circle. It reveals flowers of startling beauty, whose entire life cycles last less than thirty days, and strange animals like the shaggy musk-ox, the shy lemming, and migrant water birds that survive in a land of vast deserts and almost perpetual cold.

The Quest

This short film is a re-enactment of the critical year in Dr. Frederick Banting's life when he discovered insulin for the treatment of diabetes at the University of Toronto. It depicts the odds against which he and his assistant, Charles Best, worked; the scepticism of other doctors and the final victory that gave thousands of diabetics hope for a healthier life.

What Do You Think About... Being Different

This short film from the late 1950s looks at peer pressure among adolescents, using the example of a 13-year-old boy who collects butterflies. While the boy adores his passion, his friends laugh at him, making him question whether he should pursue his interest or conform to fit in with the crowd.

The Pony

This short film tells the heart-warming Christmas story of two Saskatchewan farm children and a pony named Pancho. There’s no real place for a horse on a fully mechanized wheat farm, but with will and heart they prove that one can be found.

Eye Witness No. 42 - Armed Forces Abroad: The 27th Brigade in Germany

West German soil resounds again to the tread of marching feet and the rumble of armored vehicles--but this time for the preservation of peace. The film presents an eye-witness account of training activities of the Royal Canadian 27th Infantry Brigade stationed at Hanover--Canada's forceful contribution to NATO ground forces for the defense of Western Europe. A sight-seeing tour of German countryside, an intense mock ground attack, and a military parade on Hanover's public square are the main features. Everywhere in the background is the mute eloquence of the last defeated aggression.