Sons and Daughters

16mm black & white filim, 28 minutes, 1994

Sons and Daughters is a sensitive exploration of childhood in the fullness of its imagination, fierceness and wonder. This unconventional documentary consists of a series of precise observations in Canada, Mexico, England, France, Spain, Cyprus, and Israel. With fluid slow-motion cinematography and an evocative soundtrack the film creates a lyrical and emotional impression of the joys and frustrations of childhood.

Funded by the Canada Council, SaskFilm, the Saskatchewan Filmpool Co-operative and the National Film Board of Canada.

Steve Murray, Film Critic in The Atlanta Journal:

A hypnotic view of children, shot slow-mo in lustrous black and white.

Joe Birdsong, in Creative Loafing:

A unique documentary that celebrates the beauty and awe of childhood.

Toronto International Film Festival program:

Sons and Daughters is an entrancing study of people in motion…. Schlaht’s camera captures everyday gestures, turning them into unforgettable compositions of shadow and light.

Selected Festival Screenings and Premiere Broadcasts:

Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival, Yorkton, Canada, 1995

Winner Best Experimental Film award

Winner Best of Saskatchewan award

Winner Best Cinematography award

Winner Best Original Music award

Atlanta Film and Video Festival, Atlanta, Georgia, 1995

Winner Best Experimental Film award

South-by Southwest Film Festival, Austin, Texas, 1995

Finalist in the Best Documentary Short category

Saskatchewan Film and Video Showcase, 1994

Winner Best of Showcase award for best overall production

Winner Best Experimental Film award

  • Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, Paris, France, 1999
  • New Styles, Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers, Calgary, Canada, 1996
  • Ann Arbor Film Festival, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1995
  • Documentary Inversions, the Winnipeg Cinemathèque, Manitoba, 1995
  • One World Film Festival, Calgary, Canada, 1995
  • Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, 1994

Sons and Daughters has been acquired by such broadcasters as SCN and Canal 22 (Mexico City).

 CREDITS
Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor Robin Schlaht
Music by Jeff Frank
Sound Design by Pat Butler