Time and Away

What is time? It is a concept that defies definition. Though it can be measured. Three researchers at the National Research Council of Canada are trying to do just that, with incredible accuracy. The cesium fountain clock they are perfecting will one day oscillate 9 billion times a second! Their obsession with ultraprecise timekeeping is equalled only by the passion of a talented Quebec watchmaker by the name of Marc Ferland, a true artist who is overcome by emotion at the idea of one day realizing his dream of making a watch--for the pure beauty of it. He goes to Switzerland, home of precision timepieces, where a like-minded team of master watchmakers warmly welcomes him. From Ottawa to the Vallée de Joux, we share the passion of these committed individuals who spare no time or effort in their pursuit of an ideal. In French with English subtitles.