Our Collection

Once the documentary filmmaking revolution began at the NFB in the 1950s, it could barely be contained. During the 50s, a small group of filmmakers banded together under the inspired guidance of executive producer Tom Daly, to form Unit B. Unit B was the driving force behind The Candid Eye - a series of documentaries that would capture the reality of people's ordinary lives. This "candid" way of filming would later be known as cinema verite. This episode includes interviews with all of the major players in Unit B--and also documents how they continued to explore new possibilities of filmmaking once The Candid Eye folded. Also includes interview with eminent US filmmaker Al Maysels about the influence of Unit B films on his work, and documents the enduring legacy of Unit B as documentary filmmaking enters the digital age.

2004, 55 min 25 s