Between 1918 and 1929, two entities – the Ontario Motion Picture Bureau and the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau, the first state-sponsored film organizations in the world – produced over a thousand silent films. These films took on a variety of subjects, among which were showcases of scenic attractions, celebration of industrial technology and educational material intended for farmers and factory workers.

Today, they provide a unique insight into how the state promoted views on labour, gender and indigenous peoples over a century ago, and provoke an interesting contrast – or the lack of it – with how those views are promoted today.

A selection of those films has been restored (with added period music) and compiled by David Sobel, through The Moving Past project, where the final products can be viewed at no cost. Additionally, an event was held earlier this summer in partnership with the Leo Panitch School for Socialist Education where a few of them were shown, with additional commentary by the curator.

More restorations are in progress and should be available on the website soon. Stay tuned as well for a second event with some of these new films later this year. See the YouTube trailer.

Note: this event is not scheduled yet, and as such the dates at the bottom do not apply.