The Physics of Sorrow

Lili misses her grandma, her Baba, who lives near the Black Sea. On the seashore, Lili once found a tzaritza, a magic shell that grants one wish. The little girl soon hatches a clever plan to bring her grandma to Montreal and make her father a happy man... Theodore Ushev combines warmth, humour, magic and reality as he explores Bulgaria through the eyes of a six-year-old girl. The lively, luminous images are complemented by the music of Normand Roger. A fantastic journey set in motion by a magic shell. This second set of films from the NFB collection Talespinners is being created for children aged 5 to 9. Talespinners 2 continues to use vibrant animation to bring stories from a range of cultural communities to the screen. The productions include four original stories and three based on storybook tales.

Physique de la tristesse retrace la vie d'un inconnu naviguant à travers ses souvenirs de jeunesse en Bulgarie, lesquels le ramènent à la mélancolie et au déracinement croissants qui plombent son existence d'adulte au Canada.

Growing up in the small Lebanese town of Abey, Pierre Sidaoui had a carefree childhood. But civil war forced him and his family to flee their hometown in 1982, the first in a series of moves that would ultimately separate him from his parents, brother and sisters. He arrived in Montreal at the age of 30 and has made the city his home. A decade later, Sidaoui pauses to reflect. His precious family photos, carefully kept in a shoebox, bring forth a flood of memories--of family, landscapes, music and war. Sidaoui's father, who found refuge in Mexico, remains a constant inspiration. Through his father's journals, poems and letters, Pierre rediscovers the joyful and profound nature of the man who raised him. A Scent of Mint is a touching meditation on the pursuit of happiness and the immigrant experience. Shot in Montreal, the film's images draw an unlikely parallel between a Lebanese village and a Canadian metropolis. The relationship between the two places reminds us that no matter what happens, our true home lives within ourselves.