A two-hour documentary which recreates for the viewer one of the greatest battles in Canadian military history. The film was made to show that Canadian character at its best, forging an identity for a country that before the First World War had been seen only as a British colony – an identity and a character that became recognized and respected throughout Europe.
Subjects: History
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The Last 100 Days
Canadian military accomplishments in the last hundred days of World War I, when the German Army was destroyed, surpassed those of any other army. The Canadian success was, in no small measure, due to Arthur Currie, whom a recent British historian describes as “the most successful Allied General and one of the least well known.”
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Far From Home: Canada and The Great War
This stirring account of Canada’s heroic effort in World War I is told through the words of ordinary soldiers, leaders and civilians. The series contains three films – narrated by Paul Gross – on the First World War, and is the first series that tells the complete story of Canada’s achievements in WWI.
Sam’s Army – The story of Sam Hughes, the bigoted, ignorant, self-obsessed Minister of Militia, whose enthusiasm for war created Canada’s first Expeditionary Force.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge – A recreation of one of the greatest battles in Canadian military history.
The Last 100 Days – The story of Canada’s outstanding military achievements in the last hundred days of World War I.
DVD Bonus Features:
– Interactive Menus
– Chronology of Events
– Scene SelectionDVD ROM Features:
– Chronology of events, including dates and images
– Facts & Figures
– Photo Gallery
– Interactive Quiz – Canadian Medals -
A Witness to History
A message of tolerance and respect from a Holocaust Survivor. From his personal experience of prejudice, persecution and loss under Nazi occupation, Walter Absil offers an inspiring, powerful message to today’s youth: tolerance and respect for those different from ourselves. In illuminating the consequences of this own encounter with evil, Absil’s narrative serves as a cautionary tale about what can befall even the most elevated culture when crucial, social qualities are purged from daily life. Delivered with disarming candour and wit, Walter Absil’s message addresses the challenge of achieving a more humane and compassionate future.
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History of Educational Television in Canada: A Personal Reflection
Dr. Ron Keast tells the compelling story of how educational broadcasters faced diverse challenges and have come to play an integral role in the Canadian broadcasting system, with their “distinctly different” programming services for learners of all ages.
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David Macaulay: Roman City
The glories of Ancient Rome are explored in ROMAN CITY, based on David Macaulay’s acclaimed book. This animated and live-action video recounts life in Verbonia, a fictional city in Gaul. A well-planned town with all modern conveniences, it is threatened by conflict between conquerors and conquered. Macaulay also visits Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ostia, Nimes, Orange, and Rome, to view actual Roman architecture and engineering greatness.
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David Macaulay: Cathedral
Author David Macaulay hosts CATHEDRAL, based on his award-winning book. Using a combination of spectacular location sequences and cinema-quality animation, the program surveys France’s most famous churches. Travel back to 1214 to explore the design of Notre Dame de Beaulieu, a representative Gothic cathedral. The program tells period tales revealing fascinating stories of life and death, faith and despair, prosperity, and intrigue.
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David Macaulay: Castle
CASTLE combines colorful animation with live-action documentary sequences to tell the story of a 13th-century Welsh castle. Author David Macaulay, who wrote and illustrated the best-selling book of the same title, leads viewers on a castle tour, explaining its cultural and sociological significance and its architectural design. Detailed animation dramatizes the building of the castle and portrays the lifestyle of the early inhabitants.
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David Macaulay: Pyramid
How did ancient Egyptians build the Great Pyramid at Giza, joining two million blocks of heavy stone with amazing precision? Who were the leaders who built these enormous structures, and what did these tombs signify? Host David Macaulay explores the history, mythology, and religions of Egypt’s people, combining live footage and animation. Take a rare look at the mummy of Ramses II and buried treasure in the sacred Valley of the Kings.
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Death or Canada: Fleeing the Famine
It’s been called the most traumatic event in Toronto’s history. In the summer of 1847, nearly 40,000 Irish famine refugees flooded the city, threatening to overwhelm the local population of only 20,000. A typhus epidemic followed and by the fall, more than 1,000 had died. It remains the single largest loss of life in the city’s history and the bodies of those who died are buried anonymously under a school playground in Toronto’s downtown east end. The two-hour docudrama begins in Ireland and finishes in Canada. It follows the journey of the Willis family, a family of six who left Ireland in the worst year of the famine and came to the new world in search of a better life.