Production Line Animals

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?

A documentary about new methods of raising farm animals, made possible by the mechanization of agriculture.

A slide about new agricultural machinery. He demonstrates the latest type of beet harvester, harrow, seeding and planting machine.

A film about the work of the unified agricultural cooperative in Poběžovice, which became the winner of the JZD competition in 1950.

Documentary about the harvest of 1950 conceived as a celebration of the joint work of Czechoslovak cooperatives.

Local, organic, and sustainable are words we associate with food production today, but 40 years ago, when Fran and Tony McQuail started farming in Southwestern Ontario, they were barely spoken. Since 1973, the McQuails have been helping to build the organic farming community and support the next generation of organic farmers. This is a documentary about the McQuails that explores the very real ways their farm has contributed to the long term ecological viability of agriculture in Ontario. It is a call to action for all those who believe there is a better way to take care of our planet and feed the world.

On the Sorrento peninsula, orange and lemon groves stretch all the way to the coast. In the orange plantations, the high wooden frames are covered with mats to protect the trees from intense sunlight. The function of the artificial irrigation system is demonstrated. The oculation of trees is demonstrated in a young plantation. The oranges are cleaned on the spot, then sent to the laundry, cleaned, dried and made ready for dispatch. In a lemon plantation, many pickers stand on ladders on a tall tree and remove the fruit. The lemons are sorted, wrapped in tissue paper and packaged in home and large-scale factories. Before being exported, the goods are checked again for quality.

After a devastating fire ravages a milking parlor, a family and its community rally together. This short documentary showcases a journey of resilience, as a family farm rises from the ashes into a new era of cutting-edge robotic technology. The film explores the innovation in modern agriculture, shedding light on the strength of farming communities and the power of perseverance in the face of adversity.

The Animal Condition chronicles three and a half years of recent Australian history, when animal welfare grew from fringe issue to national focus with protests in the streets. It follows four friends who take an investigative road trip around Australia. Unafraid to ask questions they speak to all sides: industry heavyweights, federal politicians, animal welfare advocates, Indigenous Australians, immigrant factory workers, philosophers and scientists. Views on the subject change with each new encounter, leading to questions about society that go beyond the treatment of animals.