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The activist documentary program Challenge for Change/Société nouvelle, which ran from 1967 to 1980 and produced films in both French and English, stands out as a particularly influential and original part of the National Film Board of Canada's critically acclaimed body of work. The films produced by this program were among the first to add portable video to the tested arsenal of 16mm, and challenged audiences, subjects, and filmmakers to confront sexism, poverty, and marginalization in the hope of developing community as well as political awareness and empowerment.
Pioneering participatory, social change-oriented media, the program had a national and international impact on documentary film-making, yet this is the first comprehensive history and analysis of its work. The volume's contributors study dozens of films produced by the program, their themes, aesthetics, and politics, and evaluate their legacy and the program's place in Canadian, Québécois, and world cinema. An informative and nuanced look at a cinematic movement, Challenge for Change reemphasizes not just the importance of the NFB and its programs but also the role documentaries can play in improving the world.
Thomas Waugh is a writer, programmer, and activist who taught film studies, queer studies, and sexuality at Concordia University from 1976 to 2017. He lives in Montreal.
Michael Brendan Baker (Author)
Michael Brendan Baker is professor of film studies at Sheridan College.
Ezra Winton (Author)
Ezra Winton is a PhD candidate in the Department of Journalism and Communication Studies at Carleton University and the founder of the Cinema Politca Network.