{{short description|2020 film by Howie Shia and Jordan Canning}} {{Use Canadian English|date=May 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = 4 North A | image = File:4_North_A_2020_film_poster.jpg | caption = | director = {{unbulleted list |Howie Shia |Jordan Canning }} | producer = Annette Clarke | writer = Jordan Canning | starring = | music = Sacha Ratcliffe | cinematography = | editing = Howie Shia | studio = National Film Board of Canada | distributor = | released = {{film date|2020|09|11|TIFF|df=yes}} | runtime = 11 minutes | country = Canada | language = English | budget = }}
'''''4 North A''''' is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Howie Shia and Jordan Canning and released in 2020.<ref name="Prince2020"/> Told without dialogue, the film portrays a woman reflecting on childhood memories as she sits in a hospital room with her dying father.<ref name="ANN-OIAF"/>
The film premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival<ref name="Prince2020"/> on 11 September.<ref name="PrimaryProduction2"/> It was nominated for Best Animated Short at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021.<ref name="Furdyk2021"/>
==Plot synopsis==
A woman spends time idly in the visitors' lounge of a hospital, then watches as a nurse changes the IV bag for her elderly father, whose hospital bed is sectioned off from others on the ward by curtains. After the nurse leaves, the woman sits beside the bed. She recalls being a girl and finding a dead songbird under a tree; her father comes along and gently lifts the animal in cupped hands.
The woman watches another woman helping a man to the next bed, the two enjoying the pleasure of each other's company despite his illness. She goes to her car to smoke a cigarette, and sees a man sobbing in another car. Returning to the hospital ward, she stands outside the curtain to her father's space, not entering until she hears the other woman humming to comfort the man in the next bed.
The woman recalls being a child and spending time happily idle with her father in a fishing boat. When he reels in a fish, he encourages her to put her hand on the animal as it expires.
She hears the man in the next bed coughing and hesitantly raises her hand to the curtain but does not make her presence known. She walks around the hospital, looking at many different things, then returns to her father's bedside. She takes a clock from the wall and removes its battery, making it quiet enough to hear her father's breathing.
The woman remembers being an older girl, being called by friends who had caught a snake with a forked stick. One of them hands her a rock. She blindly smashes the snake, then gasps when she opens her eyes. Her friends run when a dozen baby snakes slither out from the wound in the snake's abdomen. She calls for her father, but he is chopping wood and doesn't hear her, leaving her alone.
Seated at the bedside, the woman cries, holding her face in her hands. From behind the curtain, the other woman reaches out and puts a hand on her shoulder. Back to back, with a curtain between them, they quietly comfort each other.
==Production==
''4 North A'' was directed by Jordan Canning and Howie Shia. It was written by Canning, with design, storyboard and editing by Shia. Animation was by Simon Cottee, Miranda Quesnel and Duncan Major. Jennifer Krick performed colour correction and additional animation. Sacha Ratcliffe performed the music and sound design.<ref name="PrimaryCredits"/> The film was produced by Annette Clarke for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), and executive produced by Clarke and Michael Fukushima (NFB English Animation Studio).<ref name="PrimaryProduction2"/>
Canning had wanted to create a project based on a series of stories about her mother's childhood summers spent on Amherst Island (in northeastern Lake Ontario), which all seemed to have themes of animals and death. When working on an NFB project, she decided that animation was the best way to visually convey the stories. Canning connected the stories with her mother's experience at her grandfather's deathbed, examining how parents try to inform their children about death as a part of the natural cycle of life, yet how unprepared one can feel when a loved one nears death.<ref name="MitchellInterview"/><ref name="PrimaryProduction"/>
While Canning was writing the script, she was caring for an ill loved one and spending time in hospitals. She at times felt very alone while surrounded by people, feeling isolated and disconnected. She imagined that she and her mother could have crossed paths while going through similarly difficult experiences, "[as] if strangers in the same ward" and somehow reached out to each other to provide a comforting connection.<ref name="MitchellInterview"/><ref name="PrimaryProduction"/>
Canning sent the script to Clarke, and they discussed potential animation styles and partners. Another NFB producer suggested Shia, whose evocative work impressed Canning. Shia was inspired by the script and agreed to join the project. Collaboration was done remotely as the production team were based in different cities: Montreal, St. John's and Toronto.<ref name="MitchellInterview"/>
According to Shia, they collaborated in directing the project using a mix of styles from their different backgrounds. For example, using subtle pushes, pulls and shifts based in live-action camera movement; schematic-like graphics of repeating patterns in the hospital; and "expressionistic jump-cutting" in the flashbacks. A great deal of time was taken to contemplate the design of the film. Shia stated that he was inspired by an exhibition of Egon Schiele drawings, where the sensual and smudgy portraits contrasted against the stark architecture of the gallery.<ref name="MitchellInterview"/>
Once they had established styles, an animatic, and transitions, Shia set up shots in ''TVPaint Animation'' which were sent to the production's animators, Miranda Quesnel, Simon Cottee, and Duncan Major. The emotional arc was stressed to the animators, and multiple rough takes were made for key shots.<ref name="MitchellInterview"/>
The short film is 11 minutes.<ref name="PlaybackOnline"/>
==Themes==
Death is the central theme, referenced in every sequence of the film. Film critic Audrey Fox noted that, through the flashbacks, the woman had always "looked to her father to make sense of the incomprehensible" but as her father's life fades she must make sense of death on her own.<ref name="FoxReview"/> Film critic Gary Kramer also notes the loss building in the central character, with her "vivid flashbacks" juxtaposed against the stark sterility of the hospital ward.<ref name="Kramer2020"/> <!--In the ward, she is always shown separated from other characters, until the emotional breakthrough of her grief in the final scene.{{cn|date=May 2026}}-->
==Release==
The film premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), on 11 September.<ref name="PrimaryProduction2"/> The festival took place primarily online due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.<ref name="Prince2020"/>
The film was screened at a dozen film festivals in 2020–2021, including Black Nights (Estonia),<ref name="POFF"/> Brooklyn (New York),<ref name="BFF"/> <!--Chicago,{{cn|date=May 2026}}--> Etiuda&Anima (Poland),<ref name="E&A"/> FIN (Nova Scotia),<ref name="FIN"/> Ottawa,<ref name="OIAF"/><ref name="ANN-OIAF"/> Sommets du cinéma d'animation (Montreal),<ref name="SCA"/> and Valladolid (Spain).<ref name="Valladolid"/> <!-- The film premiered online on 28 October 2021, International Animation Day.<ref name="PlaybackOnline"/> --> ==Reception== ===Critical response===
Kramer wrote that "''4 North A'' was a highlight" of its program at TIFF, and that the film evoked a deep sense of sadness and loss.<ref name="Kramer2020"/> Fox found that the film's animation techniques conveyed loss in a way which was "visually dynamic and unbelievably heartbreaking".<ref name="FoxReview"/> Daniel Reynolds praised Shia's evocative animation, particularly the transitions into the flashbacks, and Canning's appreciation for stillness and developing a fresh treatment of a universal theme.<ref name="ReynoldsReview"/>
''Seventh Row'' included the short on its list of the best films at TIFF 2020, with film critic Orla Smith describing it as a great achievement in evoking "both the gut punches of sadness and the heavy mundane day-to-day reality of grief."<ref name="7RowReview"/>
===Nominations and awards===
In addition to being selected by over a dozen international film festivals, ''4 North A'' received a nomination for Best Animated Short at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards<ref name="Furdyk2021"/> and won for Best Animation at the Yorkton Film Festival.<ref name="YFF"/> It also won the {{proper name|Animasian}} Award at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (all in 2021).<ref name="ReelAsian"/>
{| class="wikitable" |- ! style="text-align:center;" | Ceremony ! style="text-align:center;" | Category ! style="text-align:center;" | Recipients ! style="text-align:center;" | Result ! style="text-align:center;" | {{Abbreviation|Ref.|References}} |- | 9th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Animated Short | Jordan Canning, Annette Clarke, Howie Shia | {{nom}} | <ref name="Furdyk2021"/><ref name="CSAwards"/> |- | rowspan="2" | 2021 Yorkton Film Festival | Best Animation | ''4 North A'' | {{won}} | rowspan="2" | <ref name="YFF"/> |- | Best Director – Fiction | Jordan Canning, Howie Shia | {{nom}} |- | 25th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival | Michael Fukushima {{proper name|Animasian}} Award | ''4 North A'' | {{won}} | <ref name="ReelAsian"/><ref name="POVreel"/> |}
==References== <references>
<ref name="PrimaryProduction">{{cite press release |title=4 North A : Media Space Press Kit |publisher=National Film Board of Canada (NFB) |url=https://mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/4-north-a |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="PrimaryProduction2">{{cite press release |title=NFB short filmmaking featured at TIFF 2020. World premiere of 4 North A, by acclaimed Toronto-based filmmakers Jordan Canning and Howie Shia, at the Toronto International Film Festival. |date=25 August 2020 |publisher=Government of Canada |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/national-film-board/news/2020/08/nfb-short-filmmaking-featured-at-tiff-2020-world-premiere-of-4-north-a-by-acclaimed-toronto-based-filmmakers-jordan-canning-and-howie-shia-at-the-t.html }}</ref>
<ref name="PrimaryCredits">{{cite web |title=4 North A |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |url=https://www.nfb.ca/film/4-north-a/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="PlaybackOnline">{{cite magazine |first=Nick |last=Krewen |title=NFB sets premieres for International Animation Day |date=27 October 2021 |magazine=Playback |publisher=Brunico Communications |location=Toronto, Ontario |url=https://playbackonline.ca/2021/10/27/nfb-set-premieres-for-international-animation-day/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="BFF">{{cite web |title=4 North A by Jordan Canning, Howie Shia |website=brooklynfilmfestival.org |url=https://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/film-detail?fid=2377 |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="SCA">{{cite news |title=Canada: The NFB at the Sommets du cinéma d'animation, December 1 to 6, 2020 |date=23 November 2020 |work=Asia News Monitor |location=Bangkok |id={{ProQuest|2462781589}} }}</ref>
<ref name="OIAF">{{cite news |title=Canada: Ten National Film Board of Canada shorts and VR projects. World premieres of Robin McKenna's Thanadoula and Daniel Gray's HIDE at the 2020 Ottawa International Animation Festival |date=14 September 2020 |work=Asia News Monitor |location=Bangkok |id={{ProQuest|2441597676}} }}</ref>
<ref name="FIN">{{cite news |title=Canada: Six National Film Board of Canada works featured on Atlantic International Film Festival's FIN Stream. World premiere of Ann Marie Fleming's new short, Old Dog, along with acclaimed documentary and animation. |date=25 September 2020 |work=Asia News Monitor |location=Bangkok |id={{ProQuest|2445542355}} }}</ref>
<ref name="Valladolid">{{cite web |title=New directors make a clean sweep of the Meeting Point program |date=2 October 2020 |publisher=SEMINCI – Valladolid International Film Festival |url=https://www.seminci.com/en/2020/meeting-point/new-directors-make-a-clean-sweep-of-the-meeting-point-programming/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="POFF">{{cite web |title=Shorts Animation Competition 1 / 2020 |publisher=Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival |url=https://poff.ee/en/film/shorts-animation-competition-1-2020/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="E&A">{{cite web |title=Konkurs Anima: wyniki selekcji - 27. Międzynarodowy Festiwal Filmowy Etiuda&Anima |lang=pl |trans-title=Animation Competition: Selection Results – 27th International Film Festival Etiuda&Anima |publisher=Etiuda&Anima International Film Festival |url=https://etiudaandanima.pl/konkurs-anima-wyniki-selekcji-27-mff-etiudaandanima/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="Kramer2020">{{cite web |first=Gary M. |last=Kramer |title=TIFF 2020: Short Cuts |date=17 September 2020 |website=Filmint |url=http://filmint.nu/tiff-2020-short-cuts-gary-m-kramer/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="Prince2020">{{cite web |first=C. J. |last=Prince |title=10 Must-See Short Films at TIFF 2020 |website=The Film Stage |date=9 September 2020 |url=https://thefilmstage.com/10-must-see-short-films-at-tiff-2020/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="ANN-OIAF">{{cite web |author=<!--staff writers--> |title=The National Film Board Takes Center Stage at OIAF 2020 |website=Animation World Network |date=22 September 2020 |url=https://www.awn.com/news/national-film-board-takes-center-stage-oiaf-2020 |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="Furdyk2021">{{cite web |first=Brent |last=Furdyk |title=Canadian Screen Awards Announces 2021 Film Nominations |website=ET Canada |date=30 March 2021 |url=https://etcanada.com/news/762082/canadian-screen-awards-announces-2021-film-nominations/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330161247/https://etcanada.com/news/762082/canadian-screen-awards-announces-2021-film-nominations/ |archive-date=30 March 2021 }}</ref>
<ref name="CSAwards">{{cite web |title=4 North A |publisher=Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television |access-date=17 April 2026 |url=https://www.academy.ca/2021/4-north-a/ }}</ref>
<ref name="YFF">{{cite web |title=2021 Winners and Nominees |publisher=Yorkton Film Festival |location=Yorkton, Saskatchewan |url=https://yorktonfilm.com/2021-winners-and-nominees-1 |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="ReelAsian">{{cite web |title=Awards 2021 |publisher=Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival |url=https://www.reelasian.com/awards-2021/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="MitchellInterview">{{cite magazine |first=Ben |last=Mitchell |title=Interview: Jordan Canning & Howie Shia discuss NFB collaboration ''4 North A'' |date=30 September 2020 |magazine=Skwigly |url=https://www.skwigly.co.uk/4-north-a/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="POVreel">{{cite magazine |first=Pat |last=Mullen |title=''This Stained Dawn'' Tops Reel Asian Winners |date=13 November 2021 |magazine=POV |publisher=Documentary Organization of Canada |url=https://povmagazine.com/this-stained-dawn-tops-reel-asian-winners/ }}</ref>
<ref name="FoxReview">{{cite web |first=Audrey |last=Fox |title=TIFF 2020 Reviwe: 'Short Cuts Programme 1' Highlights What Makes Us Human |date=11 September 2020 |website=We Live Entertainment |url=https://weliveentertainment.com/welivefilm/tiff-2020-review-short-cuts-programme-1-highlights-what-makes-us-human/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="ReynoldsReview">{{cite web |first=Daniel |last=Reynolds |title=''4 North A'' Review |date=11 September 2020 |website=BriefTake |url=https://brieftake.com/4-north-a-review/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
<ref name="7RowReview">{{cite web |title=The 16 best films of TIFF '20 |date=23 September 2020 |website=Seventh Row |url=https://seventh-row.com/2020/09/23/best-films-tiff-2020/ |access-date=17 April 2026 }}</ref>
</references>
==External links== * {{IMDb title|12974790}} * {{NFB film|4-north-a}}
Category:2020 films Category:2020 animated short films Category:Canadian animated short films Category:Films directed by Howie Shia Category:Films directed by Jordan Canning Category:National Film Board of Canada animated short films Category:2020 English-language films Category:2020s Canadian animated films Category:English-language short films Category:2020 Canadian films