Montreal – For the 19th year in a row, the National Film Board of Canada is taking part in the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF), the theme of which this year is the joy of discovery. And the NFB is sure to spark joy in audiences, because throughout this epic celebration of francophone culture in Canada, presented from March 1 to 31, five documentary and animation programs for all ages will be available in person and online, free of charge, for francophone communities and francophiles across the country. There will be screenings from coast to coast to coast, offering great opportunities to discover and share stories, culture and worldviews from communities in Canada’s Francophonie!
This year’s programming includes two high-profile new offerings. The documentary Travailler autrement (Work Different), by Vancouver-based director Julien Capraro, will make its streaming debut on March 1 following its world premiere screening at the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma (RVQC) in Montreal on February 28. Meanwhile, the documentary series Maisonneuve, by Jean-Martin Gagnon, is in its first week of streaming on nfb.ca, after taking its big-screen bow at the same festival.
The NFB at the 2024 RVF: five programs in venues or online
Take a journey of discovery with the NFB! You’ll find full details of our five programs here, but below is a brief overview:
- Program 1 features the documentary series Étoile du Nord (North Star), directed by Patrick Bossé, which was among the most-watched titles in French on ca in 2023—with Episode 1 ranking first overall! The series chronicles the extraordinary daily life of Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, a young Quebec-born Innu astrophysicist who is leading a massive research project at the prestigious Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.
- Program 2 presents Jean-Martin-Gagnon’s documentary series Maisonneuve. Filmed in the years following an event that shook Collège de Maisonneuve in 2015—the arrest of students preparing to leave for Syria to join the Islamic State—the series highlights the importance, as well as the fragility, of living together in harmony in Quebec.
- In Program 3, Julien Capraro’s documentary Travailler autrement (Work Different) explores how working remotely, which is far from new, reshaped the workplace and our lives. The film takes a thorough look at a complex topic, reframing a host of social issues with humour and intelligence as it talks to various experts across Canada and beyond.
- Aimed at young viewers 12 and up, Program 4 presents a compilation of seven documentary and animated shorts that take a humorous, imaginative look at the turmoil of discovering one’s identity and independence. It includes Janice Nadeau’s moving animated film HARVEY, a luminous, poetic exploration of a young boy’s experience of grief that has won awards all over the world.
- Program 5, a fun lineup for kids aged 8 and older, puts the accent on whimsy and the imagination. These six animated shorts will take viewers on a colourful journey, beginning with the joyful and heartwarming La fille au béret rouge (The Girl with the Red Beret) by Janet Perlman, inspired by the hit song “Complainte pour Ste-Catherine” by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.
The screening schedule—in venues and online—can be found on the NFB Events page and at RVF.ca in the Calendar section. Search by city to find a screening near you.