As with other platforms, the NFB begins the year with a small selection of titles. But it is also the only platform that offers 100% Canadian content. That has real value.

Only two new releases will appear in January. But they are two award-winning films.

We present them to you.

New releases

At the beginning of this year, two award-winning new releases—a feature-length documentary and an animated short—will be launched for free online across the country. Captivating films, between social reflection and the power of art.

• The feature-length documentary Stolen Time, by Helene Klodawsky, is an urgent call for justice for seniors in for-profit care centers;
• The animated short Samaa, by Ehsan Gharib, shows the transcendent power of music and movement to achieve freedom.

Stolen Time, by Helene Klodawsky (2023, Intuitive Pictures Inc./NFB) | Available January 22

Documentary (85 min)

Stolen Time chronicles the battle fought by charismatic elder law lawyer Melissa Miller against the for-profit nursing home industry. This case, a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of hundreds of families fighting some of the world’s most powerful long-term care companies, is the most complex of her young career to date. Her opponents are accused of neglecting the vulnerable people in their care while reaping enormous profits. The growth of the elderly population globally adds further urgency to the need to hold these companies accountable.

The film offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at a legal fray and the birth of a movement for seniors’ rights that will benefit us all. It has been selected for numerous festivals in Canada, France, and the United States, and has received several awards.

Samaa, by Ehsan Gharib (2024, NFB) | Available January 29

Animation (2 min 27 s)

A caged bird flutters and tosses in all directions in a frantic quest for freedom. It is only by surrendering to the transcendent power of music and movement that the bird finally manages to soar.

Striking hand-painted animations, visceral percussion: in Samaa, filmmaker Ehsan Gharib plunges us into an imaginary captivity. The bird’s dramatic situation raises a question: is freedom a physical state or a state of mind?

The film has been selected for several festivals in Canada and around the world, and was an award winner at the Festival du nouveau cinéma in Montreal.

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For the curious, the NFB has also prepared a top 10 of the most viewed films on their digital platforms. Discover them here.