Case Study | Historica Canada Bora Laskin

HERITAGE MINUTE BORA LASKIN

Historica Canada

A PART OF OUR HERITAGE

• Copywriting • Commercial Production • Art Direction & Set Design • Casting & Talent Management • Location Scouting • Cinematography & Crew • Offline Editing • Visual FX & Compositing • Colour Correction • Online Editing • Audio Mixing • Broadcast Delivery

The law is not a fixed thing. It should change with the times.” Capturing the life of Bora Laskin, Canada’s first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, in a single minute was impossible but every word, frame, and cut was chosen to carry weight.

The project was not a biography. It was an invitation to look closer, to explore Laskin’s roots in Fort William, the barriers he faced, and the quiet courage that defined his moral and legal legacy. The script, developed with Historica Canada and Laskin’s family, traced memory and history, distilling decades into a precise narrative that interwove his childhood, early career, and landmark Supreme Court dissent in Murdoch v. Murdoch.

Directing required working within the familiar Heritage Minute format while making the story feel fresh, intimate, and human. Moments like a son watching his mother gather donations, rejecting an antisemitic flyer, and delivering a calm, principled dissent were elevated through meticulous performance, framing, and rhythm. Securing Victor Garber to portray Laskin brought quiet gravity and restraint to the role, while collaboration with the DP, editor, and Historica Canada ensured tone, subtext, and emotional clarity were consistent across every frame.

Editing shaped the piece’s emotional architecture, connecting three eras through careful pacing, visual parallels, and subtle performances. Micro-reactions, breath pauses, and the evolving score allowed the story to breathe, letting the narrative’s moral weight land without feeling rushed. The final minute is precise, restrained, and quietly powerful, mirroring Laskin’s own approach to law and life.

The Heritage Minute has resonated widely, garnering over 1.76 million views, featuring in CBC, Policy Magazine, and Canadian Jewish News, and being shared extensively during Jewish Heritage Month as both a historical portrait and a call to reflection.