Denis Gillson

Movies

Who Were the Ones?
Producer
This short film was created by a group of Indigenous filmmakers at the NFB in 1972 and is essentially a song by Willie Dunn sung by Bob Charlie and illustrated by John Fadden: "Who were the ones who bid you welcome and took you by the hand, inviting you here by our campfires, as brothers we might stand?" The song expresses bitter memories of the past, of trust repaid by treachery, and of friendship debased by exploitation upon the arrival of European colonists.
Waiting for Caroline
Director of Photography
An indecisive young woman with an abnormal devotion to her father can't decide on which of her two boyfriends she should end her relationship with.
Universe
Camera Operator
A triumph of film art, creating on the screen a vast, awe-inspiring picture of the universe as it would appear to a voyager through space, this film was among the sources of inspiration used by Stanley Kubrick for his 2001: A Space Odyssey. Realistic animation takes you into far regions of space, beyond the reach of the strongest telescope, past Moon, Sun, and Milky Way, into galaxies yet unfathomed.
Varley
Director of Photography
A short glimpse into the world of painter Frederick Varley.
L'abatis
Camera Operator
Opera School
Camera Operator
A BAFTA award nominated documentary following the achievements of a young girl at the Toronto Opera School.
The Longhouse People
Camera Operator
Get an up-close look at daily life among the Longhouse People with this short documentary from 1951. It depicts the rites and rituals of this Indigenous community, including a rain dance, a healing ceremony, and the celebration of a newly chosen chief.
The Feeling of Hostility
Cinematography
Dramatizes the factors producing resentment and hostility in personal relationships.
Robert Baldwin: A Matter Of Principle
Cinematography
This film is a reconstruction of Robert Baldwin’s involvement in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. Though bound to the cause of constitutional reform by principle, Baldwin’s heart was with the rebels and in the midst of armed revolt, he withdrew to fight a lonely battle with himself.