Shameless Propaganda: Part 1 (Educational Version)

Some have called the documentary Canada’s national art form. If it is, the foundations of that art were laid by the National Film Board of Canada in the first six years of its existence, 1939–45, under the inspired vision and watchful eye of John Grierson, its first Commissioner. Released in the year of the NFB’s 75th birthday, Shameless Propaganda is filmmaker Robert Lower’s take on the greatest and most compelling propaganda effort in our history. Lower has watched the films produced by the NFB up until 1945—all 500 of them—and distilled the essence of their message to Canadians. Using only these films and still photos from that era, Lower recreates the picture of Canada they gave us and looks in it for the Canada we know today. What he finds is by turns enlightening, entertaining, and unexpectedly disturbing. Part 1 of a 2 episode Educational series.