Film Categories: Childhood

  • Ophelia and The Cat Lady

    Two films on one reel. With Liz Reiner (OPHELIA) and Carla Liss (THE CAT LADY). On one level the films are portraits; on another level the first is inspired by reading about the painting of John Millais’ “Ophelia,” and “The Cat Lady” is an homage to the horror films of the filmmaker’s childhood movie going.

  • Opus 1 No 1

    This film, in Sonata form, traces the development and final performance of a Beethoven chamber piece by a trio of very gifted young musicians.

  • Opus 2

    “Opus 2” is an intimate and exciting film portrait of three very gifted young musicians – violinist Barry Shiffman, 15, pianist Yuval Fichman, 17, and cellist Wendy Morton, 18 – who form a chamber music trio under the guidance of noted teacher and music coach, Mildred Kenton. The film is a sequel to “Opus 1 No 1” and follows the three musicians on a rigourous journey through the prestigious Canadian Music Competitions, as they progress from the regional preliminaries to the gruelling national finals. Along the way, the film explores their very specialized world, offering insights into its many pressures,…

  • Our Hero: The True Story of Virgil Huffenmeister

    “Our Hero” is a mockudrama chronicling the life and times of Virgil Huffenmeister. The film traces his story from young orphan to international superstar and his eventual downfall. This short comedy touches on such subjects as the death penalty, instant celebrity, and Elvis Presley.

  • Avocado Vegetarian Turtle, The

    A scientific report about a bizarre, new creature and its life cycle, told from a child’s point of view. On one level it is amusing, on another, the new creature can be seen as a symbol of healing the fragmentation of living with and within different worlds.

  • Personal Effects

    “Personal Effects” is a film about Alison, a sixteen-year-old, who moves into an all-male rooming house. When she realizes that her recurring dream of someone appearing in her room at night is not, in fact, a dream, and that her underwear has been gradually disappearing, she undertakes to find out what’s going on. The unexpected results of her investigation reverberate and come full circle years later, challenging a simple explanation of the events in the house along gender lines and showing, in retrospect, the consequences of Alison’s impulse to forgive.

  • Nimer (Family)

    Nimer—meaning “family” in the Even language—follows the life of a nomadic family in Yakutia as they navigate the delicate balance between tradition and modernity. Against the backdrop of harsh northern landscapes, the film captures their resilience, the strength of ancestral bonds, and the challenges of sustaining a way of life under pressure from social and cultural change. At its heart is the mother, who embodies both continuity and adaptation, teaching her children along their seasonal migrations while preserving the customs passed down through generations. Offering an intimate portrayal of everyday survival, devotion, and hope, Nimer invites audiences into a world…

  • The Years

    THE YEARS is a poetry film exploring life stages through various ages as experienced by different actors in a non-chronological order and time frame. Historical Super 8mm film footage mixes with digital recordings as the poem is voiced by the filmmaker/author. Questions of impermanence and the instability of time frame the histories indicated by the filmed images gathered by the artist over years of recorded witnessing.

  • Broca

    Using poetry, interviews with psychologists and survivors, and corporeal imagery, Broca is an experimental documentary hybrid that explores how the mind-body connection is altered after trauma. The Broca’s Area in the brain is involved primarily in speech production. During a traumatic event or when trying to recall a traumatic event, this area shuts down. This makes it harder for a survivor to talk about what’s happened. Our project offers a platform for survivors to tell their stories both verbally and non-verbally.

  • My Grandpa Ivan

    As Danny grieves the loss of his Grandpa and begins his transition into professional soccer, he feels pulled back to the cherished memories of his summers in the small town of Teteven, Bulgaria. Reflecting on his youth with his grandpa, Danny recalls timeless lessons and a friendship that left a lasting impression on everyone in the town. When Ivan gifts Danny a vibrant orange soccer ball the trajectory of his life changes forever igniting an irrepressible passion for the sport. Under Ivan’s mentorship, Danny becomes a skilled player, dazzling defenders in club games. However, as Danny grows older, Ivan’s health…