Tuesday, July 18, 2006

National Film Board of Canada - 50 shorts

The National Film Board of Canada has put 50 classic shorts online.
The National Film Board of Canada has produced some brilliant animated short films over the years. 50 of them are now on-line for free viewing. The collection spans 60 years and includes Norman Mclaren's groundbreaking experimental films from the 1950s. The collection includes several Oscar nominated shorts, and it's a good demonstration of why the NFB has a global rep for nurturing brilliant animation.

One of the classics that is now available is The Sweater
Bestselling author Roch Carrier narrates a mortifying boyhood experience in this animated adaptation of his beloved story, "The Hockey Sweater."
In the 1940s, in the rural village of Saint Justine, Quebec, listening to the hockey game on the radio was a Saturday night tradition... and so was rooting for the Montreal Canadiens. All the boys worshipped the star player, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, and proudly wore the number 9 emblazoned on their sweaters.
The boy in the story outgrows his hockey sweater, so his mother writes to "Mr. Eaton" for a new one. But instead of the coveted red, white and blue of Les Canadiens, the company sends a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey! Imagine the young player's chagrin when he shows up at the neighbourhood rink in the blue and white colours of the arch-enemy!

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