A collection of Canadian archival films, this is a website for anyone with an interest in history. For educators, these are innovative, accessible sources of history and tools for teaching. These century-old films cover a wide range of subjects and were highly popular in the era they were made. Both documentaries and narrative films are featured on this site. The former provides details about work and workplaces or important societal changes. Narrative films feature moral lessons that tell us much about attitudes and social values.
Sample titles:
Old Logging Mills 1930 (8:34)
Miners in the Making 1922 (9:49)
Life in a Mining Camp 1921 (3:35)
Read more: Canada’s Early Industrial Films are Useful to Labor and Social Historians
Category Archives: Occupation/Type of Work
THE MOVING PAST
SHAME AND MONEY
2026; 2h 9m
Director: Visar Morina
Writers: Doruntina BashaVisar Morina
Stars: Astrit Kabashi, Flonja Kodheli, Fiona Gllavica
A proud family man struggles to provide as financial pressures mount. Though his mother and brother-in-law offer help, accepting support wounds his dignity. As stability slips away, he faces tough choices about pride versus survival.
“After losing their livelihood in a village, a Kosovar family is forced to move to the capital in pursuit of a place in a hypercapitalist society. Shame and Money is a finely crafted portrait of hardworking people striving for a decent life while navigating relentless pressures and chronic instability. Shaban, a traditional head of the household, wants to be the provider, yet his mother’s savings keep the family afloat, and accepting help from a wealthy brother-in-law comes with additional challenges. With his pride steadily bruised and dignity slipping out of reach, Shaban drifts closer to an unseen edge — raising the question of how much more he can possibly endure.”
TUNER
2025; 1h 49m
Director: Daniel Roher
Writers: Robert Ramsey, Daniel Roher
Stars: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu
A talented piano tuner’s meticulous skills for tuning pianos lead him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
AMERICAN DOCTOR
United States/State of Palestine/Malaysia/Qatar 2026 93 min English, Arabic
Director: Poh Si Teng
Stars: Thaer AhmadMark PerlmutterFeroze Sidhwa
“When three American doctors — Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian — enter Gaza to save lives, they find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth. From Gaza hospitals to the halls of American power, director Poh Si Teng unflinchingly depicts a terrible reality and also shows a path forward to engage on such a difficult issue with humanity and collective action.”
SEEDS
2025; 2h 3m
A look into the lives of Black generational farmers, unveiling the challenges of maintaining legacy and the value of land ownership.
Director: Brittany Shyne
MADE IN EU
2025; 1h 42m
A factory worker in rural Bulgaria becomes her town’s first Covid case, unleashing a wave of blame and social ostracism. As the virus spreads, she faces mounting persecution from employers, coworkers, family, and neighbors.
Director: Stephan Komandarev
Writers: Stephan Komandarev; Simeon Ventsislavov
Stars: Ivan Barnev; Francesco Frattini; Gerasim Georgiev
LOGAN LUCKY
2017; PG-13; 1h 58m
Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Jules Asner
Stars: Channing Tatum; Adam Driver; Daniel Craig
FAR FROM HOME (Dar Ghorbat)
1975; 1h 31m
This drama explores the grim lives of Turkish “guest workers” living in Germany.
Director: Sohrab Shahid Saless
Writers: Helga Houzer; Sohrab Shahid Saless
Stars: Parviz Sayyad; Cihan Anasai; Muhammet Temizkan
THE LABOR FILM DATABASE 