The Cinematheque

In Person: Greg Durrell

“The untold story of the images that shaped Canada’s identity.” An extraordinary Golden Age of Canadian graphic design is explored in this inspiring and eye-pleasing new documentary, directed by Vancouver-based designer Greg Durrell. In the 1960s and ​’70s, cutting-edge Canadian graphic designers created a host of enduring symbols that helped create and define modern Canada: the CBC icon, the CN Rail logo, the Centennial maple leaf, the Roots beaver, the Canada wordmark, emblems for Montreal’s Expo ​’67 and ​’76 Olympics, and many others—including, of course, the Canadian flag! Design Canada showcases the work of, among others, Stuart Ash, Julien Hebert, Burton Kramer, Heather Cooper, Rolf Harder, and Georges Huel. A question posed by Toronto designer John Pylypczak, one of the film’s interview subjects, summarizes the intriguing central premise: ​“Did Canadians design these symbols, or did these symbols, in fact, design Canada?”