Seeing in the Rain

Vancouver: No Fixed Address(en)

There is no topic that unites all of Vancouver quite like that of housing. At every dinner party, social gathering, or chance meeting in the street, everyone has an opinion, and they want to share it. Charles Wilkinson’s new film Vancouver: No Fixed Address tackles the subject from a multiplicity of perspectives. A chorus of voices chime in — everyone from David Suzuki, to Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Seth Klein, Condo King Bob Rennie, Senator Yuen Pau Woo, and lots of regular Vancouver citizens.

NiiSoTeWak: Two Bodies, One Heart(en)

NiiSoTeWak means “walking the path together.” Tapwewin and Pawaken are 10-year-old brothers trying to make sense of the world, their family and each other. They’re already grappling with some heady questions about identity. What does it mean to be a twin? What does it mean to be Cree? How do you define yourself when you’re forever linked to someone else? The twins discuss these questions with their two elder brothers — 22-year-old actor Asivak and 20-year-old basketball player Mahiigan — and their parents, Jules and Jake.

c̓əsnaʔəm: the city before the city(en)

People often think of Vancouver as a new city, when in fact this region has been occupied for 9,000 years. This film aims to correct that with a meaningful reminder of the history and prehistory of this land and her first people.

Little Mountain: An Election from the Inside(en)

A behind-the-scenes documentary that examines the role of NDP campaign volunteers in the Vancouver riding of Little Mountain.

For Twenty Cents A Day(en)

A film documenting work shortages during the Depression of the 1930s and the attempts to deal with the unemployed, in particular young men. The film discusses the establishment of relief camps and projects, where men were paid twenty cents per day; the founding of organizations such as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), Workers' Unity League, and Relief Camp Workers' Union; general unionization and protest of the unemployed, including the On To Ottawa Trek, Regina Riot, sit-in strike from May to June 1938 at the Vancouver Main Post Office, Vancouver Art Gallery and Hotel Georgia, and the resulting Bloody Sunday of June 19.

Born to Be Wild(en)

Born to Be Wild observes various orphaned jungle animals and their day-to-day behavioural interactions with the individuals who rescue them and raise them to adulthood. The film unfurls in two separate geographic spheres. Half of it takes place in the rain forests of Borneo, where celebrated primatologist Dr. Birute Galdikas assists baby orangutans; the other half takes place on the arid savannahs of Kenya, where zoologist Dame Daphne Sheldrick works with baby elephant calves.

Carts of Darkness(en)

In the picture-postcard community of North Vancouver, filmmaker Murray Siple follows men who have turned bottle-picking, their primary source of income, into the extreme sport of shopping cart racing. Enduring hardships from everyday life on the streets of Vancouver, this sub-culture depicts street life as much more than stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media. The films takes a deep look into the lives of the men who race carts, the adversity they face, and the appeal of cart racing despite the risk.

Sarah McLachlan: A Life of Music(en)

The life of pop superstar Sarah McLachlan comes alive in this intimate documentary that has McLachlan talking about her fame, her loves, her family and her music. Learn about her relationship with her adoptive parents, when she first discovered her musical talent, and how she came up with the idea for the Lilith Fair music festival. The film also includes performances of hits "Building a Mystery," "Into the Fire" and "I Will Remember You."

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremony(en)

Opening Ceremony

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremony(en)

Closing Ceremony

Canucks Riot II(en)

The chaos on the streets of Vancouver that unfolded in the wake of the Canucks’ loss in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals is revisited from dozens of perspectives.

Clash on Keefer(en)

Chronicling the events surrounding the protests generated by the proposed redevelopment of an empty lot at 105 Keefer St., located at the heart of Vancouver's Chinatown.

Why Thee Wed(en)

This documentary profiles the eight couples who challenged marriage laws in British Columbia in court until same-sex marriage was recognized in 2003. As controversy swirls around this issue worldwide, Why Thee Wed? offers surprising and diverse perspectives on what it means for gay and lesbian couples to walk down the aisle and to fight for the right to do so under the law.

Little Sister's vs. Big Brother(en)

This documentary, filmed over a 10-year period, centers on the debate over censorship as it follows Vancouver's Little Sister's Bookstore and its 20-year struggle with Canada Customs over the seizure of books. In the face of bigotry, bombings and repeated book seizures, it wages the most important legal battle in history against Canada Customs.

Weather Report(en)

A man gives a very detailed and funny weather report.

Rain(nl)

A lyrical portrait of Amsterdam and its changing appearance during a rain-shower.

Kecia: Words to Live By(en)

The first (native) First Nations girl to come forward as HIV-positive in the early 90's. The film chronicles her travels across Canada delivering heart-felt messages and warnings to young people in aboriginal communities.

Destination Vancouver(en)

Vancouver's wealth of beauty and culture has enchanted visitors from all over the world. In this video tour of British Columbia's peerless city, you'll visit all the major attractions including selected parts of the Lower Mainland, Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium, the UBC Museum of Anthropology, Grouse Mountain, Gastown, Granville Island and many more fantastic sites.

2020(en)

Short for his website, kickthemachine.

Wild in the City(en)

This short documentary films some of the wild animal species that have adapted to the city of Vancouver, from the familiar pigeons and starlings to the less familiar herons nesting in Stanley Park and a coyote in a farmer's field.

People of the Cumberland(en)

The film takes place in rural Tennessee, where communities have experienced economic and environmental devastation created by the coal mining industry. The introduction of the Highlander Folk School in 1931 by educator Myles Horton and the movement to bring labor union representation to the region are shown as means of empowering the population. Efforts are made to stop the union activities with the murder of a local organizer, but eventually the union movement is able to take root with the local workforce.

Views on Trial(en)

The demonic Nicholas Diabolus is put on trial accused of interfering with people's lives.

All About Mahmoud Darwish(ar)

Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet and author who was regarded as the Palestinian national poet. He won numerous awards for his works. Darwish used Palestine as a metaphor for the loss of Eden, birth and resurrection, and the anguish of dispossession and exile.

Night and Jail Bars(ar)

The wife of a prison warden falls in love with one of his prisoners.

Dharmaveer 2(mr)

Explores Anand Dighe's life, tracing his political journey and capturing the essence of his impactful legacy as a prominent figure.

Skin of a Mandarin(et)

The film delicately follows 25-year-old Anna, whose mother has died suddenly. She wants to send her Orthodox mother on her last journey according to customs, but she runs into bureaucratic rules that do not allow Anna to dress her departed mother herself. This conflict brings her together with Maria, a 45-year-old funeral home worker, who in this story represents the hidden fears of death and grief on a deep emotional level.

Six Hours: Surviving Typhoon Yolanda(en)

In the middle of a broadcast about Typhoon Yolanda's initial impact, reporter Jiggy Manicad was faced with the reality that he no longer had communication with his station. They were, for all intents and purposes, stranded in Tacloban. With little option, and his crew started the six hour walk to Alto, where the closest broadcast antenna was to be found. Letting the world know what was happening to was a priority, but they were driven by the need to let their families and friends know they were all still alive. Along the way, they encountered residents and victims of the massive typhoon, and with each step it became increasingly clear just how devastating this storm was. This was a storm that was going to change lives.

The Dachshund(de)

They’re small, clever, and incredibly strong-willed: dachshunds. Their soulful gaze wins hearts and fuels their lasting popularity. Once royal hunting dogs, they now take on unusual jobs—like Strolchi, a miniature dachshund who sniffs out woodworm in historic buildings. The bond between humans and dachshunds goes back to Celtic times. Archaeologists have even found joint burials of people and dachshund-like dogs. Versatile and charming, they thrive as city pets, hunting companions, and even racers—like those at the annual Wiener Race in Kirchheimbolanden. Beloved far beyond Germany, dachshunds have fans in France too, with events like Paris’s “Sausage Walk.”

The Johnstown Flood(en)

Re-enactment of the famous May 31, 1889 Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood where the dam broke and flooded out an entire town! In this version, the town is occupied by mice and dogs. But Mighty Mouse comes to the rescue after drinking a bottle of "Atomic Energy." He reverses the flood waters and puts everything back where it was. And in this cartoon, he uses magic lightning bolts coming off his hands like Merlin the Magician!

From Meir, to Meir(ar)

The filmmaker goes to discover Meir the village where her great-grandparents were born, the place her grandparents left, but continued to love. When she goes, she discovers a village that people are trying to leave.

El Asesino del Zodiaco(es)

Girl(en)

Ever since the 2011 revolution in Egypt, dozens of women have come forward about their experience with sexual harassment on the streets. Since then, a number of individuals and organizations have begun to monitor and help combat the situation. In this short film, Sondos Shabayek offers an animated reflection on how she believes Cairo society perceives women. In her signature style, Sondos uses a variety of characters and expressions to light-heartedly explore this serious issue. The audience is taken on a girl's experience of walking down a street – simultaneously sharing her journey and her responses.

13(ja)

The film is a continuous time-lapse with multiple exposures of the sunset from the same angle and position on 16mm film. The shoot was done in a span of 5 years. The title 13 is because the time-lapse has a 13-second interval per frame.

Krokiga vägen till Lyckliga gatan(sv)

A film about dreams and opportunities, not about problems.

The Flag of Iron(zh)

Loyal gang member Iron Panther takes the heat for his boss after a dustup with their rivals, only to end up betrayed in this vintage kung fu yarn.

Leopard(en)

Rocky, a born-and-bred London teenager, begins to question the strict routine set by her father – as well as deeper feelings about her own identity – after meeting a free-spirited girl in a local launderette.

Artist of Fasting(ja)

A wordless man stages an unexplained hunger strike and the people surrounding him exploit his silence to further their own cause...