Norman McLaren Movies

  • 1972
    Ballet Adagio

    Ballet Adagio

    Ballet Adagio

    7.11972HD

    A slow-motion study by Norman McLaren of the pas-de-deux adagio, one of the most exacting and difficult dances of classical ballet. A ballet...

    Ballet Adagio
  • 1965
    Mosaic

    Mosaic

    Mosaic

    5.51965HD

    A man sets a ping-pong ball into motion and it becomes fruitful and multiplies.

    Mosaic
  • 1973
    Pinscreen

    Pinscreen

    Pinscreen

    6.21973HD

    Pinscreen animation makes use of a screen filled with movable pins, which can be moved in or out by pressing an object onto the screen. The screen is...

    Pinscreen
  • 1973
    Grierson

    Grierson

    Grierson

    7.31973HD

    A portrait of John Grierson, the first Canadian Government Film Commissioner and founder of the National Film Board in 1939. Interweaving archival...

    Grierson
  • 1958
    Blackbird

    Blackbird

    Blackbird

    6.31958HD

    To the tune of a classic French-Canadian nonsense song, surreal blackbird made of lines loses body parts and gets them back threefold.

    Blackbird
  • 1950
    The Corridor

    The Corridor

    The Corridor

    01950HD

    This uncompleted film uses a technique invented by McLaren in the 1930s; the travelling zoom. McLaren's intention was to make the corridor gradually...

    The Corridor
  • 1969
    Opening Speech

    Opening Speech

    Opening Speech

    71969HD

    Norman McLaren attempts to give the opening speech for the first Montreal International Film Festival, but his microphone won't cooperate.

    Opening Speech
  • 1941
    Mail Early

    Mail Early

    Mail Early

    5.41941HD

    This publicity clip for Canada Post is Norman McLaren's first film for the NFB. For this animated short, McLaren drew symbols by pen onto clear 35 mm...

    Mail Early
  • 2009
    Jacques Drouin: In Relief

    Jacques Drouin: In Relief

    Jacques Drouin: In Relief

    02009HD

    This documentary is a portrait of the animator of Le Paysagiste, from his childhood in Eastern Quebec to his career at the NFB. Trained at the...

    Jacques Drouin: In Relief
  • 2006
    Evelyn Lambart

    Evelyn Lambart

    Evelyn Lambart

    02006HD

    The fifth thematic mini documentary about revolutionary filmmaker Norman McLaren; this time with a focus on his collaborator Evelyn Lambart.

    Evelyn Lambart
  • 1971
    Synchromy

    Synchromy

    Synchromy

    6.81971HD

    The film's soundtrack is an original musical composition produced with synthetic sound - through photographing unusual geometric shapes and running...

    Synchromy
  • 1964
    Canon

    Canon

    Canon

    6.31964HD

    Perhaps the only film whose content is totally based on the musical form known as canon. The first sequence is a simple demonstration of the canon...

    Canon
  • 1943
    Dollar Dance

    Dollar Dance

    Dollar Dance

    5.21943HD

    This wartime publicity trailer by Norman McLaren focuses on wartime inflation and the role of price control. Single-frame animation is used with pen...

    Dollar Dance
  • 1967
    Korean Alphabet

    Korean Alphabet

    Korean Alphabet

    7.51967HD

    The Korean alphabet, illustrated with animation, spoken, and accompanied by music.

    Korean Alphabet
  • 1935
    Polychrome Fantasy

    Polychrome Fantasy

    Polychrome Fantasy

    5.71935HD

    In this early film Norman McLaren shot crystal formations through a low-power microscope, using polarized light with the lower part of the picture...

    Polychrome Fantasy
  • 2006
    Blurr Test

    Blurr Test

    Blurr Test

    02006HD

    Compilation of McLaren's Blurr technique.

    Blurr Test
  • 1943
    Chants populaires nº 5

    Chants populaires nº 5

    Chants populaires nº 5

    71943HD

    Alexandre Alexeïeff illustrated the song "Et moi je m'enfouiyais" (En passant) using the pinscreen technique. Norman McLaren illustrated "C'est...

    Chants populaires nº 5
  • 1937
    Book Bargain

    Book Bargain

    Book Bargain

    5.31937HD

    Shows the production of the London telephone directory.

    Book Bargain
  • 1936
    McLaren Homemovie

    McLaren Homemovie

    McLaren Homemovie

    01936HD

    Amateur footage, probably filmed by Norman McLaren, of a group of his friends on a visit to his parents' home in Stirling.

    McLaren Homemovie
  • 1950
    The Seasons

    The Seasons

    The Seasons

    01950HD

    An animated short film about The Four Seasons by Norman McLaren.

    The Seasons