Serial Reader: Classic Literature In Bite-Sized Bits

Serial Reader sends you a new short chunk of classic literature every day.

Free Books

As our attention spans grow increasingly short, it becomes harder and harder for the average person to sit down and focus on reading an entire book. Serial Reader is an inventive app that aims to solve that problem while working within the limitations of our new, digitally-hindered attention spans. The app contains a collection of classic literature, all of which has been released into the public domain. You can read Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, or even political writings like the Communist Manifesto. Each book in the Serial Reader collection is delivered in daily “issues,” or short sections of the book that typically take around ten minutes to read.

Get in the Habit of Reading Daily

You can read as many books as you want on Serial Reader, and you can also skip ahead if you don’t want to wait an entire day to get the next issue. It’s nice, though, to focus on one book and get in the routine of reading the newest issue at the same time every day. If you start too many books at once, you might not read any of them. Some of the books take a long time to read in this form, such as the aforementioned War and Peace, which would take almost an entire year if you read the new issues every day. Still, Serial Reader is well-designed, easy to use, and fun to read through even on a mobile device. If you’re easily distracted but want to read more, consider downloading the free app.

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The Best NFB Films of the 1960s

With 3000+ films that you can stream for free, picking a starting point can be tricky!

Enjoy a (subjective) list of the 10 best NFB films from the 1960s!

21-87

Part commentary on the dizzying speed of modern life, part ode to the confusing beauty of the human condition, this Oscar-nominated Arthur Lipsett short is said to have inspired George Lucas’ concept of The Force.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/21-87/

Buster Keaton Rides Again

Join legendary comic actor Buster Keaton on the set of <em><strong><a href=”http://ift.tt/2yjIqxt Railrodder</a></strong></em>, where he reminisces on a lifetime in show business between hilarious takes.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/buster_keaton_rides_again

Drylanders

Discover the NFB’s very first feature-length drama about the epic saga of a family who leaves Eastern Canada to stake their future on the Prairies.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/drylanders

Ladies and Gentleman… Mr. Leonard Cohen

Tag along a 30-year-old Leonard Cohen as he enjoys a visit to his hometown of Montreal where he reads his poetry, strolls the streets, relaxes in a 3-dollar-a-night hotel room, and even takes a bath.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/ladies_and_gentlemen_mr_leonard_cohen

Lonely Boy

Meet the real Paul Anka in this short documentary about the Canadian boy who rose from obscurity to become the idol of millions of teens in the 1950s and 60s.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/lonely_boy

Paddle to the Sea

Dive into this exciting odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea with this adaptation of the tale of a Native boy who carved a man and a canoe and sent them down river.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/paddle_to_the_sea/

Pas de Deux

Experience a master class in choreography and cinematography in this mesmerizing Oscar®-nominated short by pioneering filmmaker Norman McLaren.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/pas_de_deux_en

The Railrodder

Behold a comic genius in one of the last films of his long career. The legendary Buster Keaton crosses Canada from east to west… atop a railway track speeder.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/railrodder

Universe

This doc recreates the universe as it would appear to a voyager barreling through space. This film was among the sources used by Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/Universe/

Walking

Check out this groovy sixties short that illustrates, through various drawing and painting techniques, the many ways people get around on foot.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/walking/

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The history of Expo 67’s Labyrinth Pavilion

Expo 67 Live, a cinematic experience entirely made of archive treasures, will occupy the Place des Arts esplanade from September 18 to 30, 2017. Produced by the NFB in collaboration with Radio-Canada and Society for the Celebrations of Montréal’s 375th Anniversary, this unique installation by Karine Lanoie-Brien will make you relive the highlights of the 1967 World Exhibition.

Inspired by a Greek myth

One of the highlights of Expo 67 was certainly the creation of the Labyrinth Pavilion by the NFB. A five-storey building with two screening halls and a transition hall. Designed by producers and filmmakers Colin Low, Roman Kroitor and Hugh O’Connor, the pavilion brought to mind Daedalus’ labyrinth where Theseus killed the Minotaur. But what was inside this Labyrinth?

In the heart of the Labyrinth Pavilion

The audience was invited to a first screening in Hall I. Standing on eight balconies spread over four floors, they could see on two screens, measuring eleven-and-a-half meters by six meters each, one installed on the ground, the other set up vertically, images symbolizing the entry of man into the world, the innocence of childhood and the joie de vivre of adolescence. Two hundred and eighty-eight speakers arranged behind the screens ensured a sound experience that had been unmatched until then.

Then they crossed Hall II, a transitional space filled with colour and music evoking the mazes of a labyrinth before reaching Hall III.

A magnificent and innovative show

It was this last hall that held the highlight of the show! A film projected simultaneously by five projectors on five large screens arranged in the shape of a cross. A sensory experience so unprecedented that it would closely match what IMAX technology would offer years later! Filmed in Ethiopia, Japan, Cambodia, the United States, Greece, India, the United Kingdom, Canada and the former USSR, which at the time was a feat, In the Labyrinth (1967) was intended as a modern interpretation of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.

A technical marvel: from multiscreen to five-camera filming

Multiscreen projection was not an entirely new experience for spectators of the time. In Czechoslovakia, in the 1930s and 1940s, theatre productions already used a multiscreen projection technique called “polyecran”. In 1958, it made its appearance at the Universal Exhibition in Brussels then it found itself in New York in 1964. But this technique only applied to the projection stage. Kroitor, Low and O’Connor’s stroke of genius was to use it at every moment while making their film. The team shot images with five cameras placed on a cruciform mount, coordinated the editing of the five films to ensure the consistency of the images, and then ensured that they were broadcast simultaneously. This new technique required the perfect synchronization of the cameras, editing equipment and projectors.

Massive queues for this huge success

The Labyrinth opened its doors in April 1967. Montrealers still remember the long lines to get in. Several million people experienced the show presented in two parts in Halls I and III of the immense five-storey structure of the Cité du Havre. While the other thematic pavilions of Man and His World showed the conquests of humans on the environment, the Labyrinth offered an inner journey where the public discovered how humans conquered their inner selves.

Want to see more of Expo 67?

EXPLORE EXPO 67 LIVE

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Watch 5 critically-acclaimed animated shorts

With the opening of the Ottawa International Animation Festival next week, we’ve got animation on the brain. So, we dug into our collection to present you with 5 of our most critically-acclaimed animated shorts – films that have garnered awards, Oscar nominations, and praise from across the country and around the world.

Take note – these films are not for children, and some of them aren’t for the very sensitive among you. They all have elements of darkness, and tell difficult stories. But they’re all exceptional films, meticulously animated, and have earned their incredible reviews.

54 Hours

This film illustrates of the story of the 132 Newfoundland sealers who were sent onto the ice in 1914 and abandoned, resulting in 78 men freezing to death. Although beautifully told, it’s is a hard film to watch. But it’s so important. It’s a privilege for us to be able to have first-person accounts of our history, and the filmmakers did an incredible job with the material they had. And, you should watch anything that Michael Crummey had a hand in.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/54_hours/

Madame Tutli-Putli

Join Madame Tutli-Putli as she boards the night train with all her baggage – both physical and psychological. True confession? This was the first time I’d watched this film, and wow, was I blown away. The animation is exquisite, and the tone is just perfection. It is not for the faint of heart – there were a few moments where I had to look away – but this is one of those films that just puts you in a trance. If you’ve never seen it, drop what you’re doing for 20 minutes and just watch.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/madame_tutli_putli_en/

How Wings are Attached to the Backs of Angels

This entire film is like a surreal dream. A really dark one. Don’t get me wrong – it’s brilliant, and I love my films dark, but be prepared – it’s heavy. Like any film of this nature, I suppose its meaning is up for interpretation, but I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s about control and the suppression of desire. I told you – heavy.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/how_wings_are_attached/

The Street

In this Oscar-nominated short by Caroline Leaf, a young boy anxiously awaits his grandmother’s impending death… but not for the reasons you’d think. Based on a story by Mordecai Richler, The Summer My Grandmother was Supposed to Die, Caroline Leaf’s film transported me back to the era of my own parents’ childhood. It’s a pure pleasure to watch, and the fluidity of the watercolour and ink animation matches so well with Richler’s style of storytelling.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/the_street/

When the Day Breaks

Full disclosure – this has long been one of my favourite NFB shorts. There’s just something about the animation style, and the way the story unfolds. Not to mention that it’s just beautiful to look at. Ruby, our protagonist, witness something horrible during an otherwise ordinary day, and needs to find a way to come back from that. It’s about finding comfort in routine, even when you think there’s none to be had. Also, it’s got Martha Wainwright.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/when_the_day_breaks/

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Travel To Asia Through NFB Films

For all of you who’ve wanted to travel internationally but just couldn’t find the time or money… did you know there’s an NFB film for that?

Take a cinematic trip to the gorgeous continent of Asia through 10 NFB docs!

Japan

Japan Inc: Lessons for North America?

This short doc is an absorbing study of Japanese business and industry.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/japan_inc_lessons_for_north_america/

Ako

Travel to Japan in the 1960s with this magnificent short film about adolescence, dreams and aspirations.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/ako_en/

China

Impressions of China

Follow a group of students from Hamilton, Ontario, on a rare three-week “tour” of China in 1972 with this short doc.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/impressions_of_china/

Thunderbirds in China

Join UBC’s hockey team in China as they show off their skills to new teams in the East and reflect on both the cultural differences that divide the players and the great game that unites them.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/thunderbirds_in_china/

North China Factory

Enjoy an engrossing study of Chinese life and take a walk through a factory workers’ residential, social, recreational, and educational facilities.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/north_china_factory/

Dashan – Ambassador to China’s Funny Bone

Meet Mark Rowswell a.k.a Dashan, a Canadian comedian virtually unknown in Canada who has an enormous following in mainland China.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/dashan_ambassador_to_chinas_funny_bone/

󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿Tibet󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿

Song for Tibet

Filmed both in the Indian Himalayas and Canada, this film portrays the efforts of Tibetans in exile to save their homeland and preserve their heritage.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/a_song_for_tibet/

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life

Filmed over four months in the Himalayas where the original text still yields an essential influence over people’s views of life and death.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/tibetan_book_of_the_dead_a_way_of_life/

Everest from Within

Retrace the journey of 4 Canadians who set off to climb the perilous north side of Mount Everest without the use of oxygen or sherpas.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/everest_from_within/

North Korea and South Korea

Tiger Spirit

North and South Korea are complete strangers. Very rarely, family members separated for decades have the chance to reunite. This documentary explores the deep division at the heart of contemporary Korea.

oehttps://www.nfb.ca/film/tiger_spirit/

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Mirage: A World Living On Top Of Reality

Mirage is a world built on top of reality using AR technology.

AR > VR

VR may have all of the hype in the gaming community, but AR has more potential to have a lasting impact on society. Most everyone has a phone in their pocket and is accustomed to holding it in front of them while moving around, whereas VR sets are still clunky and expensive and even cardboard phone units are cumbersome to wear. Mirage is an app that takes AR technology to a new, fun, exciting level. The app is basically a social network, letting users tinker with the world around them, sharing their creations with anyone who happens to look in the same spot. The best designs are upvoted by the user community.

Graffiti The Real World, Digitally

Mirage basically offers a way for people to graffiti the real world in a virtual setting. In order to create a mirage, you point your camera at something in the world, then take a picture of it. Mirage lets you add text, draw, and otherwise manipulate the image before saving it. Once the mirage is saved, your artistic creation appears in that location for yourself and other users. It’s a great idea for an app that, like any upstart social network, is limited only by the relative lack of people participating. Until everyone who played Pokemon Go in that game’s initial viral run downloads mirage, the app may not be as successful as it should be. Why not get a jump on the trend and check it out for yourself now?

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Space Dashboard: Everything Happening In Space Now

Space Dashboard contains everything you need to know about what humanity’s doing in space right now.

Everything About Space

There’s a lot going on in space. Several different governments and companies are involved in humanity’s exploration of the unknown. Thankfully, a front-end engineer Caleb has organized all of the important space-related information out there into one visually-appealing, constantly updating website called the Space Dashboard. As Caleb writes on the About page, he built the site because he “wanted as much space related data on the screen as possible.” He succeeded, culling maps, charts, videos, and more from NASA and other places. If you want to watch a view of earth from the International Space station with multiple angles, Space Dashboard is the easiest place to go.

NASA + More

Space Dashboard also displays the names of every human in space (there are only three, currently), as well as a regularly updated list of “Near Earth Objects.” The site also displays information about each of the satellites various countries have launched into space. Although Space Dashboard is a simple website—and probably not much more than a fun side project for Caleb to practice and improve his coding skills—it’s still a great tool. Check it out if you want to visualize everything going on with humanity’s exploration of outer space. And you can always support Caleb by buying him a coffee if you like what he’s done.

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