The Back-breaking Leaf

Smoke and Mirrors: A History of Denial

1999

In the early 20th Century, tobacco merchants were unaware of the danger of their increasingly popular product. Smoke & Mirrors documents the rise of the cigarette, and the tobacco industry's subsequent attempts to conceal its emerging link with cancer and other smoking-related illnesses. Throughout the 1940's, the scientific case against the cigarette was building. However, despite the evidence that tobacco was a major cause of disease and death among smokers, tobacco companies began conducting successful campaigns of misinformation designed to weave cigarettes into the social fabric of America by emphasizing the "glamorous" and "sophisticated" side of smoking. Today fifty years of documented denial is finally coming back to haunt the industry. Smoke & Mirrors examines this sordid past, and illuminates the issues that threaten tobacco's future.This video is divided into two parts for your viewing convenience.

Holstein

1978

A portrait of a small Ontario town, this film introduces its audience to the people of Holstein by filming them in the old-fashioned general store, the blacksmith's shop and the town granary. Old-time residents reminisce, while old-fashioned sleighs travel down the main road bordered by beautiful old frame houses.

The Circle

1967

Produced in 1967, this black and white film is an inmate's view of Daytop, a drug treatment centre on Staten Island, New York, where addicts learn to get along without drugs. Uncompromising, often brutal group therapy sessions are designed to shake loose the excuses a victim makes for himself. The people and situations shown are authentic; only one actor was employed. The results obtained at Daytop are regarded by some psychiatrists as a breakthrough.

Running Wild: The Cats of Cornwall

2020

Cats might be cute but they are decimating the environment just like other invasive species. As ecologists and activists try to control outdoor cat populations, not everyone is on board. Especially in Cornwall, Ontario, where advocates are fighting for humane solutions. Finding a fix won't be easy in this small city with a big cat problem.

Ontario: 'Land of Lakes'

1949

This Traveltalk series short visit to the province of Ontario begins in Ottawa, Canada's capital, then proceeds to Algonquin Park, Toronto, and Niagara Falls.

Heavy Horse Pull

1977

This short documentary offers a humorous look at horse-pulling contests in Ontario and the people who prepare for them. We travel from the farm to the contest, where excitement runs high and the quips do not lack in local colour. Which of these magnificent creatures will be able to pull the heaviest load and win the prize?

The Gleaners and I

2000

Varda focuses her eye on gleaners: those who scour already-reaped fields for the odd potato or turnip. Her investigation leads from forgotten corners of the French countryside to off-hours at the green markets of Paris, following those who insist on finding a use for that which society has cast off, whether out of necessity or activism.

Raccolta del pistacchio di Bronte D.O.P.

2021