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Doc Zone is the flagship documentary series of CBC Television. It features both independently produced and in-house productions. It is presented by author, actor and playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald.
2006
The fight for your children's money & influence. In the last 10 years, corporations have doubled what they spend marketing to your children. It's no wonder. Children influence 62% of family purchases - everything from snack food to cameras to cars. Kids under twelve are at the epicentre of consumer culture.
Until recently, easy passage across the Arctic’s frozen landscape remained the stuff of fantasy and fable. Who could afford – or risk - cutting through thousands of miles of ice to go from East to West? But, near the Canadian port of Churchill, one of the country’s top arctic scientists, David Barber, from the University of Manitoba, is finding data that may change everything. His teams have been studying the ice in the Arctic for quite a while and have just embarked on a new project on Button Bay – just north of Churchill – which they will study for the next decade.
In October 1956, the people of Hungary rose up against the Soviet empire. When the Russian army crushed the revolution, Canada opened its doors to one of the largest refugee migrations in its history.
The little-known story of the civilian adventurers who came to Britain's rescue in the darkest hours of World War II.
One Lancaster bomber. The women who built it. And the men who flew it. The story of a fateful mission over France one week after D-Day in June 1944.
GAMER REVOLUTION explores how computer games are not only a new medium for the 21st century, they are a massive form of change in our world." says Rachel Low, President, Red Apple Entertainment. "The idea of living inside a computer-generated universe is happening right now. The line between the real world and the virtual world is disappearing. Millions of people feel that they have a life inside these games." In Part One, the documentary takes viewers around the world from Asia to the heart of the Middle East in search of the most mind-bending stories from the leading edge of the game revolution. It also features interviews with gamers and game developers such as Will Wright, creator of the wildly popular life simulation game The Sims.
GAMER REVOLUTION explores how computer games are not only a new medium for the 21st century, they are a massive form of change in our world." says Rachel Low, President, Red Apple Entertainment. "The idea of living inside a computer-generated universe is happening right now. The line between the real world and the virtual world is disappearing. Millions of people feel that they have a life inside these games." Part Two focuses on the incredible worldwide growth of the virtual world. Tens of millions of people are now spending more time in the virtual world of online games than they are in the real world.
It's the oddest thing, watching them walking and talking together, if you know that Katy Hutchison was widowed eight years ago, and Ryan Aldridge is the man who killed her husband.
Louise Arbour has what her predecessor called "the job from hell." She is the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at a time when jihad and 'the war against terror' dominate world affairs and erode human rights. Arbour is a Canadian who, as UN's War Crimes Prosecutor for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, indicted Slobodan Milosevic. She served four years on Canada's Supreme Court before Kofi Annan gave her another platform for her activism and strong views of human rights.
Vincent is addicted to fast food; Greg hides behind his jokes; Kat searches for herself in beauty products; and a bullied Raya retreats to her room. All four of these Nova Scotia teenagers are profiled on Generation XXL, an hour-long documentary from filmmaker Teresa MacInnes.
Few things on Earth are spookier than viruses. Not surprisingly the word virus means "poisonous slime" in Latin.
Crazy Eights is an intimate look at the life of the Canadian soldier at war in the dusty and dangerous region of southern Afghanistan. The Royal Canadian Regiment Charles Company Eight Platoon—The Crazy Eights—have suffered more than any platoon in the war, sustaining casualties in both Operation Medusa and a friendly fire attack over Labour Day weekend.
Four years after the invasion of Iraq, American troops battle it out with insurgents on Haifa Street in downtown Baghdad … paying the price for four years of military and political miscalculations. In a last desperate gamble to save what many see as a losing war, a ‘surge' of over 25,000 extra troops are being rushed to Baghdad … Lose the Battle for Baghdad, and you lose Iraq.
Paul Decarie rolls out of bed in his tiny apartment on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Shuffling to the bathroom, he gulps down some pills, lights a cigarette, and begins an intense monologue with himself in the mirror. Paul's mental illness may have relegated him to the fringes of the city, but this is no delusional indulgence. He's rehearsing for one of the biggest nights of his life - his debut as a professional comic. When he steps up to the microphone, it will be the end of an incredible journey that began one year ago. That's when 11 courageous people signed up for a pioneering course that teaches stand up comedy to people with mental illness.
Driving Dreams is about China's new love affair with the car – how it promises freedom to travel and a better life – and how the world's automakers see it as a market as large as the rest of the worlds' combined. Driving Dreams is also about the environment and what's at stake as cars – to some degree everywhere but especially in China, pollute the skies. Part One: Jaguar has a new model, the XK. It's being presented at the London Auto Show and, for Jaguar's chief stylist Ian Callum, it's important that this beautiful, fast car stand out. Jaguar is resting its future on it.
Driving Dreams is about China's new love affair with the car – how it promises freedom to travel and a better life – and how the world's automakers see it as a market as large as the rest of the worlds' combined. Driving Dreams is also about the environment and what's at stake as cars – to some degree everywhere but especially in China, pollute the skies. Part Two: Cars are racing into China – creating jobs, making millionaires, changing lives – and fueling ambitions of world economic dominance. This episode takes us shopping for a car in Beijing with the Rens, a young couple who can't wait to own one.
2008
The bombing of Air India. Recounts the days and hours leading up to the most lethal act of terrorism Canada has ever experienced.
They are young teenagers dreaming of a trip to New Zealand in the fall of 2008. But only a handful of them will be chosen to represent Canada at the FIFA Under 17 World Cup. To make the team they've endured a year of gruelling training camps, countless tournaments and exhibition games. It all comes down to a fateful call from their coach to learn if they've made the cut.
On a sunny morning in September 2001, more than twenty seven hundred people died violently in events of unimaginable horror. Another killer was unleashed that day. A slow silent poison that now threatens thousands of lives. The toxic dust and gases created by the disintegrating towers. An enormous compression wave pushed through the streets and into buildings with the force of a hurricane.
Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum needs a facelift, and its director William Thorsell is thinking big - a bold public building that will revitalize the whole city. Enter Daniel Libeskind, the celebrity architect linked to the Ground Zero reconstruction and other prestigious projects. The Museum charts their audacious scheme in an entertaining tale of steel beams, flamboyant personalities and public art.
Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum needs a facelift, and its director William Thorsell is thinking big - a bold public building that will revitalize the whole city. Enter Daniel Libeskind, the celebrity architect linked to the Ground Zero reconstruction and other prestigious projects. The Museum charts their audacious scheme in an entertaining tale of steel beams, flamboyant personalities and public art.
Samuel de Champlain—sailor, explorer, adventurer, military man and mapmaker. He’s one of Canada’s mythic founders and remains a man of mystery to many Canadians.
Canadian Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr goes to trial this fall. Will he get a fair trial?
A haunting film about the largest capture and export of wild dolphins in history, perpetrated by the world's most notorious dolphin dealer, Canadian Christopher Porter.
Terence McKenna's Gemini award winning retrospective of President George W. Bush, arguably one of the most controversial public figures of recent memory.
A journey through the past and into our present while asking difficult questions - are we more uncivil, where did we go wrong, did we go wrong, and is it possible to change?
CBC filmmaker, David Ridgen, and Thomas James Moore investigate a 40 year-old case to confront the Klansmen who murdered Moore's brother and his friend and to seek justice long denied.
An investigation into the worldwide decline in the male birthrate and the toxic threat to the male reproductive system. The cause? Chemicals used in everyday plastics, from drinking bottles to soft toys for infants.
Can the aviation industry overcome crises of higher fuel prices, congested airports, expanding markets and pollution or will it be grounded?
Web Warriors is a one-hour documentary that offers an unprecedented glimpse into the world's newest and most vulnerable frontier: cyberspace. We enter the world of hackers like Mafia Boy - a 15 year old high school student who rose to infamy in 2000 by causing millions of dollars in damage after single-handedly shutting down internet giants - including Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Dell, eTrade, and CNN.
Parents, governments and courts now all recognize how high conflict divorce damages children. Our cameras follow divorcing couples as they employ positive alternatives - from do-it-yourself kits and mediation to the groundbreaking approach known as collaborative divorce. And we get feedback from the kids themselves.
Durable, high-tech, sexy and see through...we just can't seem to resist its glossy appeal. Over the years plastics have quietly permeated all parts of our lives. But what do we do with something that doesn't go away when we throw it way?
From Frank Sinatra's refrain to the Apollo mission, from the rituals of the ancients to sci-fi dreams of colonization, we explore the complex and lyrical relationship between man and moon.
The battle for the Arctic with its rich reserves of oil and gas is the new Cold War. But is it a battle Canada can win?
The truth is...we are all liars. Scientists say that by the age of four we have all learned to lie. We lie to protect ourselves and others, and to get what we want and need. Most of us fib in one of every four conversations that last more than ten minutes. Featuring the latest science, psychology, and technology, this entertaining documentary tells us how lying is a part of our everyday lives and is integral to our survival.
Couples reunite with their first loves after decades of separation, with exhilarating but at times damaging results.
A man born of artificial insemination searches for his biological father - and takes a look at the brave new world to come.
Surviving the next big quake/tsunami predicted to hit Canada's west coast.
At a Colorado prison, hard-core criminals are taught the training methods of 'horse whisperers' and given ninety days to break and train mustang horses. Can two wild creatures tame each another?
Our grand love affair with food. We'll show you how and why diners in the Western world have gone from "Yuk! I'm not eating that!" to "Guess what I ate last night!"
Last year alone, a staggering 18,000 new products were developed for North-American supermarket shelves. Nine out of ten didn't make it. The fierce competition to tempt your taste buds and win your loyalty.
A fast and furious slice of organized chaos as one of the biggest cities on earth feeds its citizens.
What will we be eating in the next five years? From the assembly lines of the world's biggest food company to the kitchen of a Vancouver chef,serving jellyfish to his upscale diners.
Dramatic stories from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake - tales of endurance and hope, sorrow and rage, of life extinguished and life reborn
Porndemic puts faces and personalities to the extraordinarily profitable business of pornography today.
Rubin Hurricane Carter, takes on the justice system for how it treated Ronald Dalton, a 30-year-old banker, in Gander, Nfld., who went to prison for strangling his wife-a crime he didn't commit.
An array of charismatic characters introduces you to the world's newest superpower. Experience the rich tapestry of India's ancient myths played out against the modern might of this sprawling, diverse democracy.
Through the prism of Bollywood, Manufacturing Dreams pulls back the curtain on the new India, revealing a cast of diverse characters caught in a world of bright spectacle... and stark divisions.
Capture the excitement of cities pulsating with new wealth from a surging economy. Experience the despair of a countryside rife with loss and longing. The Indian giant has awakened.
Tradition and modernity collide and merge in a spicy and delicious episode about the land of a thousand dishes during a time of unparalleled change.
What do Al Gore, the Tower of Babel, science fiction, gothic cathedrals, artichokes and roller coasters have in common? All come together in one of North America's most popular suburban institutions - the enclosed shopping center.
A jukebox full of Canadian classics from Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" to Troopers "Raise a Little Hell".
A jukebox full of Canadian classics from Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" to Troopers "Raise a Little Hell".
The untold story of German spies who landed on our shores during WWII, and of a mysterious submarine landing that remained secret for more than 35 years.
An epic recreation of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, a dramatic and defining event that determined the fate of Canada and the continent.
Big hair, bigger shoulder pads mark the 1980s Canadian music scene - a time documents when Canadian music explodes internationally.
Big hair, bigger shoulder pads mark the 1980s Canadian music scene - a time documents when Canadian music explodes internationally.
From bicycle-mad Paris to rush-hour New York and the back alleys of Toronto, Pedal Power takes a ride through the changing world of bike culture.
Dubai is home to the biggest, the richest, the best, but will it be crushed by its own excess?
2009
First Flight illustrates how flight has changed individuals and revolutionized a country. It captures the passion of a group of aviation devotees as they painstakingly stitch the canvas wings and hammer together a replica of the Silver Dart, hoping to experience the thrill of flying the same way the early pilots did.
From the beginning, air flight in Canada presented dizzying possibilities. But there were formidable hurdles to overcome. Canadian pilots and their flying machines would have to adapt to a landscape that looked untamable.
This episode explores how the airplane has become an indispensable tool - literally a lifeline - to those living in isolation or danger. Lifelines shows how Canadian pilots, and the expert teams and equipment they carry, are saving lives and offering hope at home and abroad.
Why do some people seek thrills and adventure in the sky? This episode explores the extraordinary deeds of men and women that defy imagination.
A celebration of the historical moment that changed the world's political landscape forever.
The future of the British monarchy is imperilled by the controversial Prince Charles, his reluctant son Prince William and Royal bad boy Prince Harry.
Post 9/11 there are more walls and political barriers than ever. But do they work?
The carbon trading market is worth billions but what does a carbon credit actually buy? And can carbon hunting save the planet?
A look at the rise in retail crime and how the consumers' quest for the lowest discount price fuels the market for stolen merchandise.
Notorious for closing ranks, the RCMP opens up to documentary cameras - revealing a painfully flawed organization, fighting for its life.
Investigates the secret economy of Canada's biggest cash crop - marijuana.
Kids today are the most overprotected, overindulged, and overscheduled in history. Is all of this attention giving the next generation a competitive edge, or creating new problems that will last a lifetime?
A behind-the-scenes look at Google to reveal how a search engine turned itself into a money making powerhouse and why it now wants to take us all into the brave new world of 'cloud computing'.
400 people in North America have died after tasering - 27 of them in Canada. Do taser's risks outweigh its benefits?
2010
Greed and recklessness by the titans of Wall Street triggers the largest financial crash since the Great Depression. It's left to US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, himself a former Wall Street banker, to try and avert further disaster.
2007
CBC cameras follow actress Mia Farrow on an emotionally harrowing journey through the desolate refugee camps along the Chad/ Darfur border.
The meltdown's devastation ripples around the world from California to Iceland and China. Facing economic ruin, desperate world leaders are at each other's throats.
See Her Majesty as you have never seen her before. Featuring spectacular 3D footage of the Queen's coronation in 1953 and her recent tour to Canada, look back at her special relationship with Canadians over her almost sixty year reign.
The victims of the meltdown fight back. In Iceland, protestors force a government to fall. In Canada, ripped off autoworkers occupy their plant. And in France, furious union members kidnap their bosses.
Investigators begin to sift through the meltdown's rubble. Shaken world leaders question the very foundations of modern capitalism while asking: could it all happen again?
A dazzling four-part documentary series that captures the vibrancy of Africa's diverse people and rich cultures. We'll meet men and women, many of them young, who embody the amazing changes occurring on a daily basis across 53 countries.
A year in the life of the Hogan twins, a set of craniopagus twins who live in Canada. Throughout the year, the girls' family worries that they may not survive, yet alone thrive.
A dazzling four-part documentary series that captures the vibrancy of Africa's diverse people and rich cultures. We'll meet men and women, many of them young, who embody the amazing changes occurring on a daily basis across 53 countries.
Today's visions of the future both utopian and apocalyptic. From scientists striving to create the world of tomorrow to corporations thriving on the status quo, and the citizens and consumers in between, we ask a simple and profound question: Can our high-tech civilization survive the 21st century?
A dazzling four-part documentary series that captures the vibrancy of Africa's diverse people and rich cultures. We'll meet men and women, many of them young, who embody the amazing changes occurring on a daily basis across 53 countries.
For Canadians, memory loss is our second greatest health fear - after cancer. Are we all doomed to lose our minds? Or are there ways to keep our memories - and even make them better?
A dazzling four-part documentary series that captures the vibrancy of Africa's diverse people and rich cultures. We'll meet men and women, many of them young, who embody the amazing changes occurring on a daily basis across 53 countries.
Big pharma is promoting mood altering drugs for pets. Is it a sign of our compassion, or evidence of an overly indulgent society chasing its tail?
We've filmed with families and friends of fallen soldiers from all across Canada. In this two-hour documentary you'll see these soldiers as civilians, and you'll see them in the uniforms they were proud to wear. And you'll learn how they lived—and how they died: some in brutal firefights, some in roadside explosions and some in tragic friendly fire incidents.
One thing is certain about human nature...we're born talkers. Twelve billion text messages are sent worldwide, every day. Thirteen million Canadians use Facebook. But is all that access to technology making us happy?
Scientists are experimenting with radical schemes to cool the planet. Will these experiments save us or be a form of technological suicide?
We probe the science behind the prediction of mass extinction, meet the survivalists and explore why doomsday prophesies hold such powerful sway.
Blowout explores the aftermath of the Gulf oil disaster and builds a disturbing picture of how a comparable spill would impact Canada's East coast.
Cat Crazed celebrates our love affair with cats and encourages a new relationship with our most popular pet – one where all cats are loved and none are abandoned.
We explore how marriage has evolved in the twenty first century, from couples "living apart together" to open marriage and gay unions.
In the early 21st century men's roles are in a profound state of flux, as the worst recession in since the 1930's has destroyed millions of male jobs. Men are facing an uncertain future and a starker choice: adapt or perish.
The Sinking of the SV Concordia is the dramatic story of how 48 Canadian high school students survived a terrifying ordeal at sea.
Billions of dollars are driving an unnoticed shift to Robots in the military that has revolutionized how war is fought, the rules of war, and creating new technologies that will soon change our world.
Explores why younger women are rejecting Feminism, the "F word"... even while women's rights are eroding.
The poignant story of two young children who grew up in pre-WWII Czechoslovakia and the terrible events that they endured just because they happened to be born Jewish.
Every March 17, Canadians celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with parades, whiskey and songs. But for the millions of Canadians of Irish descent, there is a story of unspeakable sadness lying at the heart of Canada’s Irish experience. It is a story seldom mentioned, even today. Some call it the Irish potato famine. Others call it the Great Starvation. And others do not shrink from calling it a great crime. The saga has a million stories. In Famine and Shipwreck, an Irish Odyssey, we discover a story that’s one in a million. In the Spring of 1849, a coffin-ship called the Hannah, carrying 180 Irish emigrants fleeing Ireland’s potato famine, hits an ice reef in the strait near Cape Ray, off the coast of Newfoundland. The captain, a 23 year-old Englishman, takes flight in the only lifeboat, leaving his passengers to either drown or freeze to death. Seventeen hours later, the survivors are rescued by another famine ship, the Nicaragua. Famine and Shipwreck, an Irish Odyssey tells this extraordinary tale of horror and survival. The documentary combines drama, treated with visual effects, to recreate the shipwreck and heroic survival of some of the passengers, with powerful documentary scenes, involving descendants of the passengers from both sides of the ocean, historians’ testimonies and impressive archives of letters, photographs, documents, newspaper articles and art. Through the film, we follow Canadian descendant Tom Murphy and his mother Jane on their emotional quest to discover how their Irish ancestors, Bridget and John Murphy, managed to survive both starvation and shipwreck to finally build a new life in the green fields of Canada. They head to Ireland where they meet fourth generation cousins, Sharon Donnelly and her husband Padraig. They retrace the story of the famine and the horrible conditions their Murphy ancestors endured before boarding the Hannah, and during the crossing. They set sail to the place where the ship sank, and briefly experience the wintry conditions in which the Hannah survivors waited for rescue. At least one million famine victims are buried in mass graves all over Ireland. Another million, probably more, left the country forever. Twenty-five per cent of Canadians boast Irish blood, in Ontario, it’s 50%, in Quebec, it’s one out of three. Most came during "The Great Starvation", the Irish potato famine. Between 1845 and 1850, the potato blight struck Northwest Europe. Ireland was hit worse than other countries. The poor depended on their potato crops to survive. When other European governments took measures to calm the crisis, the British parliament left the fate of Ireland in the hands of her 10,000 landlords. At the height of the catastrophe they did nothing to prevent starvation and continued to ship thousands of livestock and tons of grain to England. "No landlords starved during the Great Famine, it’s the poor who starved", says Irish historian Peter Gray in the film. Some call it an act of extermination. In order to survive, the poor were forced to abandon all their property and take refuge in Dickensian workhouses or board coffin-ships bound for Canada and the United States. But that was another famine nightmare and many never made it alive. The film was shot in Ireland, Quebec, Ontario and off the coast of Prince Edward Island, in 2010. It never would have been possible without the incredible efforts of Paddy Murphy from Ontario who traced his genealogy back to his Irish roots in South Armagh, Ireland. As the descendants of those who survived the shipwreck and of those who stayed behind in Ireland discover their shared past, Canada and Ireland will discover through them how inextricably they are bound. Famine and Shipwreck, an Irish Odyssey is a Galafilm production, produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Radio-Canada, with the financial participation of the Canadian Media Fund, the Quebec tax credit and the Federal tax credit, and developed with the financial participation of the SODEC.
The Gangster Next Door is the harrowing story behind the headlines of the country’s bloodiest gang war - shockingly led by young men raised in the most middle-class of families. And yet they’ve stooped to new lows to win increasingly brazen gang battles, targeting previously off-limits gangster girlfriends and wives and shattering the lives of true innocents, like the four-year-old left alive in the backseat of a Cadillac, his mother shot dead at the wheel. At stake: billions in illicit drug money.
As boomers become seniors, products that offer them a chance to retain the appearance of youth line store shelves and dominate late-night TV infomercials. But do these products perform the almost miraculous cures they claim? Or are they just the latest incarnation of “snake oil”, hustled by promoters such as P.T. Barnum with his travelling medicine shows so many years ago? Back then, fraud and deception were the aim, and innocent audiences were duped with pseudo-scientific terms intended to confuse rather than inform.
A look at children of those born during the baby boom generation and why they continue to reside with their parents as young adults.
IN THE SHADOW OF FEAR: The conclusion of WWII marks the end of the alliance with the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Cold War. Soon citizens living on both sides of what will be known as the Iron Curtain find themselves living in fear of a nuclear holocaust - A fear that will last more than forty years.
TURNING UP THE HEAT: When it is clear there are enough weapons to blow the planet to smithereens it's time to move the Cold War to a different front - our daily lives.
Social networking is a great way to stay in touch and share information. But it's also a great way to break up a marriage, lose a job or wind up in jail.
CRACKS IN THE WALL: On both sides of the Iron Curtain the messages are being pumped out, but what happens when your side's propaganda no longer rings true?
WAR OF WORDS: Early 80's the Cold War has reached a peak. Something has to give, but who will blink first?
Following the journey of the families and orphans of the Haiti earthquake. A glimpse of the will to survive, the passion to help and ultimately, the cost of life and love.
A series of deeply personal accounts by people who were directly affected by devastating terror attacks.
Life is a Highway covers the boom years in Canada's record business during the 1990s, a time when Canadian music, in all its ragged glory, truly comes of age.
Life is a Highway covers the boom years in Canada's record business during the 1990s, a time when Canadian music, in all its ragged glory, truly comes of age.
The G Spot - object of so many fantasies and of so much controversy. But does it really exist?
We all count on experts to tell us how to vote, raise our kids, invest our money and fix our homes - but should we trust them?
A look at the marketing frenzy surrounding the royal family
Doc Zone goes behind the curtain and under the stage to reveal how it's all done. The incredible logistics behind the Cirque du Soleil - the biggest road show in history.
On any ordinary day in Canada, extraordinary things happen. Canadians have remarkable stories to tell.
We are in a customer service crisis; ineffective representatives, long wait times, overseas call centers and a dysfunctional relationship have left customers angry, frustrated and confused. Are the good old days long gone, or have we gotten what we asked for?
There are two things you can say for sure about hurricanes. One, they are Nature’s most destructive force, and two, another big one will soon be on its way.
The average consumer is exposed to 6,000 marketing messages on any given day. - Joe Jaffe, New Marketing Guru It's a bizarre new world of persuasion. The Selling Game takes a High Definition tour from New York to Silicon Valley, to a tiny cheese factory in England, to get to the bottom of it all... Give us an hour of attention, and we'll see that you never look at ads the same way again. Satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back. Honest.
On August 29, 2005, Frank Stronach watched on his TV as water and chaos raged in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Shocked to see abandoned victims fend for themselves while FEMA fumbled over red tape, he decided to command a private rescue operation. Stronach, chairman of the $20-billion-plus Canadian Magna International auto-parts empire, began by whisking hundreds of New Orleans residents to safety. Then, with the purchase of an 800-acre plot of land in sleepy Louisiana bayou country, he laid the foundations for a bold social experiment. With five years free rent and the aim to produce the “best organic food in America,” Stronach would give evacuees a fresh start and a chance to escape the vicious cycle of poverty that controlled their lives long before Katrina hit. Affectionately, the evacuees called the community Canadaville for the effort, commitment and volunteer work that Canadians contributed.
You've heard about China's Cultural Revolution and its sizzling Economic Revolution. But you haven't heard about its other great social upheaval - the Chinese Sexual Revolution - and like everything in that country it's happening at warp speed.
There are twenty million websites that depict sex with children - and tens of thousands of children abused by people they know and once trusted - neighbours... school teachers... even family members. This is the story of the men and women who are working around the clock in a desperate race against odds to save these kids from their lives of unimaginable horror.
DUBAI: MIRACLE OR MIRAGE? is a one-hour documentary that examines one the world’s most fascinating and fastest developing city-states.
We are drowning in celebrity culture and certainly no tabloid topic has been as big as Paris Hilton. Her incarceration– and subsequent release, then re-incarceration and her ultimate release once again–left us submerged knee-deep in the twists and turns of her life. But to truly get at this world the documentary begins and ends with Paris…Hilton that is. Famous for doing nothing, she is the ultimate manifestation of our obsession with celebrity culture and the massive profits that it wields. As long as we are willing to watch and read, who can resist feeding our habit?
What if it could be proven that Jesus never existed? What if there was evidence that every word of the New Testament – the cornerstone of Christianity – is based on myth and metaphor? Based on Tom Harpur’s national bestseller, The Pagan Christ examines these very questions.
Question: How did the polar bear become the rock star of the animal kingdom? The answer may be that around the world millions of otherwise ordinary people have developed a serious case of polar bear fever. It afflicts photographers, environmentalists, eco-tourists and ordinary citizens who can’t bear the thought that this magnificent solitary creature may be in trouble.
As Canadians, we loved to brag about our efficient and universal health care system that was the envy of the world. But the system is broken, and nearly 5 million Canadians are now without a family doctor. Last year alone, 2 million Canadians went in search of a doctor and came up empty-handed. They discovered firsthand that Canada is in the middle of a critical doctor shortage. The family doctor that Canadians know and love is at risk of extinction.
Do we really know what we're feeding our pets? In the Spring of 2007, pet owners across North America were devastated when upwards of 50,000 of their beloved pet dogs and cats fell seriously ill after eating tainted pet food. Many of the animals died. Menu Foods of Toronto, the manufacturer, initiated the biggest recall of pet food in North American history.
It's hard to imagine life in the 21st century without them. Plastic bags only got a handle on the mainstream about 25 years ago but in that time they have become ubiquitous, not only here in Canada but around the globe.
How many times have you thought: "I just want to be happy"? Since the time of Aristotle humans have been trying to find the key to happiness, and how we can be happier. More than 35,000 books have been published on the topic, and it's been the subject of numerous TV shows, movies and motivational seminars.
After ruling Cuba for close to fifty years, Fidel Castro has stepped down. From his childhood in rural Cuba through his fight in the Sierra Maestra to winning the revolution and transforming the country, Fidel Castro: A Life of Revolution presents an account of his life and times that has rarely been heard – the account of Castro himself, taken largely from private letters, correspondence, speeches and interviews.
Contests! We've all filled out a form, mailed in a ballot, or rolled up a rim. The temptation is irresistible: after all, who doesn't like to win something? But for some people, the lure of big prizes turns into a marathon dance with Lady Luck. These dedicated - some might call obsessed - individuals are known as "contestors".
Tar Sands: The Selling of Alberta captures the intersecting storylines of a remarkable cast of characters eager to cash in on the oil boom in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Washington lobbyists, pipefitters from Newfoundland, Chinese investors and Norwegian industrialists descend on tar-soaked "Fort McMoney", a modern-day Eldorado, where rents are sky rocketing and cocaine abuse is four times the provincial average. Up for grabs - a stake in a $100 billion energy bonanza and Canada's economic sovereignty.
On October 5th, 1982, Laurie Skreslet scaled more than twenty-nine thousand feet to become the first Canadian on Mount Everest. For Canadians, it was moment of unadulterated pride. For Skreslet and his fellow climbers, it was a triumph littered with bitterness, broken relationships and the bodies of four dead men. The Climb takes Skreslet and fellow summiter Pat Morrow back to Base Camp, reliving the traumatic and triumphant events of 1982. But this is no stroll back to the mountain. Pat Morrow faces the challenge of a mystery illness that might prevent his return to the mountain. And Laurie Skreslet has brought his nineteen year old daughter, Natasha – a young woman who has hardly seen her father in ten years.
One little gadget, 3.3 billion subscribers -- half the population of the planet! It may fit in the palm of your hand, but the cell phone packs a powerful punch. By the year 2010, an estimated 90% of the world will have cell phone coverage. So what does that mean to all of us who are the foot soldiers in the mobile revolution?
Security experts the world over agree about one thing in the so-called War on Terror: If we do not try to decipher jihadi and terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and how they communicate with operatives, potential converts and the disaffected Muslim masses worldwide, then we will never be able to counter the growing global jihadist movement. Global Jihad does not only consist of terrorist attacks or military actions. The global war waged by Muslim fundamentalists is also a war of images.
Streaming availability information not available
Ann-Marie MacDonald
Herself - Host
2013
Zoo Revolution takes the viewer deep inside the increasingly controversial debate about the value of zoos in the 21st century.
Deadly By Design explores the lucrative business of illegal synthetic drugs in Canada.
Julie Bouvier who was nearly stabbed to death by a man in a psychotic frenzy because "the devil told him to kill the prettiest girl in the mall" is shocked to find he is released from the mental hospital and terrified that he will come after her.
A look at one of the most radical and consequential social movements of our time – the global trend toward living alone. In Canada, there are now more one person households than couple households with kids. Why is this happening and why does it matter?
We embrace our superstitions even though we live in the most scientifically advanced time in all of history. Is superstition the tonic we need to face a more frightening world?
Doc Zone burrows into the world of these miniature night crawlers and reveals the oversized impact they’re having on our daily lives. We nearly eradicated them in the 20th century, so why are they now staging a major comeback?
Look at the forces at play behind the fastest moving condo market in North America, Toronto, and discover that the glittering glass hides a sea of troubles.
HOW WE GOT GAY tells the incredible story of how gay men and women went from being the ultimate outsiders to occupying the halls of power.
A celebration of the life of Nelson Mandela.
Smoking, overeating, shopping, nail-biting… we all have a habit that we would like to get rid of, but where the brain is willing, the body is often weak. We take an in-depth look at habits and the new science on the interaction between brain chemistry and self-control.
Whether you’re an unemployed single mom or a Fortune 500 CEO with a new baby, women today are experiencing a motherload like never before. Women still lag behind men in income, full-time employment and senior management positions. Doc Zone investigates why we are not yet living in a 50--50 world.
As more urban adventurers seek recreational thrills than ever before, search and rescue teams are pushed to the limit trying to save them. Doc Zone follows dramatic searches as they unfold, and finds a rescue system patched together with volunteers who risk their own lives to save others.
No doors. No walls. And coming soon to an office near you. Open concept design is becoming ubiquitous in workspaces. Advocates say it encourages better interaction amongst employees. Critics say it's noisy and distracting. So what's driving this?
A behind-the-scenes look at justice and democracy with 3 unforgettable people - the man President Putin may fear the most; the maverick fighting Moscow for control of his city; and his romantic partner, a journalist battling political persecution – all risking everything to make change in Russia.
An exploration of female sex tourism in Cuba and the story of 3 Canadian women and their Cuban lovers. Who is exploiting whom?
Angry Kids & Stressed Out Parents demonstrates how to stop crime - before potential criminals graduate grade one.
The asteroid threat is real. So are the heroes that can stop it.
Modern sleuthing solves the century-old intrigue shrouding the stolen Bell of Batoche.
The Secret World of Gold is a documentary exploring the power and politics of gold, a precious metal with more allure and fascination than any other. Valued for its permanence, beauty and scarcity, people will lie, cheat, steal and kill in the name of gold.
2011
An investigation into the controversial world of scientific sexology.
A look at the marketing frenzy surrounding the royal family
On any ordinary day in Canada, extraordinary things happen. Canadians have remarkable stories to tell.
IN THE SHADOW OF FEAR: The conclusion of WWII marks the end of the alliance with the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Cold War. Soon citizens living on both sides of what will be known as the Iron Curtain find themselves living in fear of a nuclear holocaust - A fear that will last more than forty years.
TURNING UP THE HEAT: When it is clear there are enough weapons to blow the planet to smithereens it's time to move the Cold War to a different front - our daily lives.
CRACKS IN THE WALL: On both sides of the Iron Curtain the messages are being pumped out, but what happens when your side's propaganda no longer rings true?
WAR OF WORDS: Early 80's the Cold War has reached a peak. Something has to give, but who will blink first?
Meet the rich kaleidoscope of Aboriginal people who are fast joining the country's urban middle class and bringing their culture with them.
Memorable people and stories from across the country illustrate why there's an economic, demographic and moral imperative to fix Canada's troubled 500-year relationship with Aboriginals.
An evocative look at the role that land plays in the conflicted relationship with Aboriginal peoples and the rest of Canada.
How the Aboriginal community's feisty and self-confident youth; the "Seventh Generation" who are taking new pride in their heritage and pointing the way forward to a new relationship.
We shatter the postcard image of Canada as a nation of hearty winter warriors, and explore how we can regain our winter edge.
From Tiger Woods and Bill Clinton to John Edwards, we peel back the layers on the billion dollar business of the public apology.
The powder keg that is porn culture has exploded in the lives of North American children. A look at how our hyper-sexualized culture has hijacked childhood and what parents and educators are doing to fight back.
The overpopulation of cats is fast becoming a crisis.
The moon landings were faked. 9/11 was an inside job. Conspiracy theories are everywhere but how and why do we believe them?
The effect of the medical and pharmaceutical industries on how anxiety is defined, and thus, how and how often diagnoses are made... and treatments prescribed.
The scandal that rocked media baron Rupert Murdoch's empire
2014
Crime rates in Canada are plummeting, so why are we spending Hundreds of millions on new prisons?
Some they love to pet and pamper, others they love to shoot - the contradictory relationship between royals and animals.
Summer snowstorms. Disastrous flooding. Devastating wind and ice storms. Rampaging wildfires. Ruinous drought. Our weather has taken a turn for the extreme. And it’s going to get worse. As intense and unpredictable weather becomes the new normal, how can we adapt and survive?
The remains of eight Canadian WW1 soldiers are found in a French garden, nearly 100 years after they died in the Battle of Amiens.
An investigation of internet scams which cost Canadian victims upwards of $20 million a year.
The Psychopath Next Door provides a chilling and provocative examination of those in our midst who act without conscience. And we’ll hear from those whose hope is to one day discover a treatment for the psychopath – a term coined in the 1880’s whose literal meaning is “suffering soul”.
A look into the relationships between people and their exotic pets and examines the issues that come with keeping undomesticated animals. Does love for a pet outweigh concern for public safety, endangered species, and habitats at risk?
Comedic actor Peter Keleghan take us on a trip through a wild new world of robotics.
In the online age, the death of television has been widely predicted. But guess what? TV is going through a renaissance and Canadians at home and abroad are in the thick of it. From HBO to Netflix, TV has never been more popular.
An astonishingly frank exploration of what turns Canadian women on and why. A generation ago a woman who liked sex went to great lengths to hide it. Now she brags about it on national TV. Canadian women tell shocking truths about female desire.
There’s a revolution happening and it’s overhead. The drones are coming. From Amazon to Google, the government and your neighbours, everyone is embracing the drone. The big question is: who gets to use them, and how?
The era of transgendered enfranchisement is upon us. Through personal stories we pull back the curtain on what it means to be — fundamentally and in your deepest core — in conflict with the gender you were assigned at birth.
For better or worse, we’re bombarded with information in today’s digital age. Is this flood of data a blessing or a curse? A new way to understand our lives – or just a way to miss out on living them? Can we learn to control our data, before it controls us?
On the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, we look at Canada's role in America's war in Vietnam and how this country was changed by the experience.
Going overseas with good intentions, does not guarantee good will be done. A look at 'voluntourism' - the fastest growing and most controversial travel sector.
2012
Exposes the complex and controversial world of today's organic food industry.
You are what you eat. But what if when you eat, how you eat, who you eat with and who cooked your meal is just as important as what is on your plate?
Peter Keleghan hosts a modern look at a 200 year old war.
Doc Zone goes across the country to meet those Americans who have lost so much, and find out who they blame. Behind the scenes with leaders of the Tea Party movement, and Occupy who are fighting for their vision of America. In this US election year a portrait of Anger in America.
As the most expensive election campaign in history comes down to the wire in a bitterly-divided America, Doc Zone looks at the media, the money and the political manoeuvring behind the Anger in America.
Counterfeit Culture is a one-hour documentary that explores the dangerous and sometimes deadly world of fake, fraudulent, and faux products. The imitation industry has a long history of peddled knock-off designer handbags, watches, and shoes but during the last 25 years, it has mushroomed into a global phenomenon.
Britain's Royal Family is always in the public eye, but the legions of loyal helpers who toil in their palaces and castles are rarely seen or heard from. Now, a new film by Montreal documentary maker John Curtin tells some of their stories. SERVING THE ROYALS: INSIDE THE FIRM, takes us behind the scenes, where 1200 men and women cater to royalty's every whim. They iron the Queen's bed sheets, polish Philip's riding boots, squeeze Charles's toothpaste onto his toothbrush and walk the royal corgis. Privy to the monarchy's most intimate secrets, they are its biggest asset and greatest liability.
There was a time when a University degree assured you a of good job, good pay and a comfortable life. Not any more. Today, the unemployment rate for young people in this country is close to 15% – double that of the general population. But the real crisis is the increasing number of university and college grads who are underemployed – scraping by on low-paid, part-time jobs that don't require a degree. Although there are no official statistics in Canada, it's estimated that after graduating, one in three 25 to 29 year olds with a college or university degree ends up in a low-skilled job. And to make things worse, 60% graduate with an average debt of $27,000. Mired in debt, and working in dead end jobs, their launch into adulthood is being curtailed. Some call them "the lost generation". But, it's not only young people who may be lost. If the next generation fails to gain a toehold into the economy, who'll buy boomer's houses?
Shot over the course of 2013, Twin Life: Sharing Mind and Body is character and science driven and structured around key events in the twins' year. These include a medical trip to Vancouver, a first ever trip to the waterslides in Vernon, BC, the beginning of grade two, Halloween, and Tatiana and Krista’s seventh birthday party. Ann-Marie MacDonald navigates us seamlessly through difficult and joyful times that feature beautiful cinematography. The program uses select CGI (based on Tatiana and Krista’s Functional MRI’s) when dealing with the science of the twins’ medical condition. As Twin Life: Sharing Mind and Body reveals, Tatiana and Krista’s unusual connection has the potential to reveal fascinating aspects regarding consciousness, character, and empathy.