“An Incomplete History of the Interactive Documentary in Canada”
A presentation and discussion with Dr. Michael Brendan Baker, Sheridan College, co-editor and co-author of the book The Interactive Documentary in Canada (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2024)
In the early 2000s, Canada made a push to become a global leader in the developing field of interactive documentaries, or i-docs. This effort was led in large measure by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), a state-funded film studio that had long been known for its commitment to three things: 1) nonfiction filmmaking and documentary representation; 2) advancing the state of the art through technical and technological sophistication; and 3) politically engaged and socially committed filmmaking. In many ways the launch of the NFB’s Digital Studio in 2008 was a continuation and an expansion of these traditions. It placed Canada at the cutting edge of the digital interactive documentary in all its many forms. This lecture will revisit this history, highlight some of its most significant projects, and discuss its contemporary relevance.
