Beauty explores the lives of five gender-creative kids, each uniquely engaged in shaping their own sense of what it means to be fully human. Whether it’s dealing with bullies, explaining themselves to their parents, or navigating the uncharted waters of relationships, Bex, Lili, Fox, Tru, and Milo talk about their experiences and struggle to live in authenticity.
A group of civilians embark on 12 weeks of intensive training that will see them gradually transformed into soldiers of the Canadian Armed Forces. For the third installment in his documentary series about the different stages of life, Jean-François Caissy offers a compelling portrait of the military experience, charting the paths of young adults who have made this singular career choice.
In Kenya, one in three girls will experience sexual violence before the age of 18, yet police investigations are rare. But 160 girls, including Alice, banded together with a multinational legal team led by Canadian lawyer Fiona Sampson and Kenyan social worker Mercy Chidi Baidoo to make legal history.
In 1963, Lena Wandering Spirit became one of the more than 150,000 Indigenous children who were removed from their families and sent to residential school. Jay Cardinal Villeneuve’s short documentary Holy Angels powerfully recaptures Canada’s colonialist history through impressionistic images and the fragmented language of a child. Villeneuve met Lena through his work as a videographer with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The Road Forward, a musical documentary by Marie Clements, connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history - the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s - with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. The Road Forward’s stunningly shot musical sequences, performed by an ensemble of some of Canada’s finest vocalists and musicians, seamlessly connect past and present with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats. A rousing tribute to the fighters for First Nations rights, a soul-resounding historical experience, and a visceral call to action.
This feature documentary presents a thoughtful and vivid portrait of a community facing imposed relocation. At the centre of the story is a remarkably astute and luminous 12-year-old black girl whose poignant observations about life, the soul, and the power of art give voice to those rarely heard in society. Unarmed Verses is a cinematic rendering of our universal need for self-expression and belonging.
Raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank while her mother was in prison, Walaa dreams of becoming a policewoman in the Palestinian Security Forces (PSF). Despite discouragement from her family, even her beloved brother Mohammed, Walaa applies and gets in. But her own rebellious behaviour, and complicated relationship with her mother are challenging, as are the circumstances under which she lives.
19 Days reveals the human side of the refugee resettlement process. A unique look at the global migration crisis and one particular stage of asylum, it lays plain the realities faced on the difficult road towards integration.
Antarctica: the harshest and coldest place on the planet. There are no bustling cities here, only endless snowfields surrounded by giant glaciers. Antarctica: The Journey to the End of the Earth follows in the footsteps of the continent's earliest explorers, from the era of great discoveries and first voyages around the world to the present day. Visit the most remote places in Antarctica and find out how research conducted here has influenced modern society and science.
In 2013 a statue of Apollo is found in the waters off Gaza, only to vanish under mysterious circumstances. Before long, rumours swirl around this much-coveted treasure. This investigative documentary immerses the viewer in the little-known everyday realities of a land where life goes on defiantly, despite a protracted regional conflict. Bringing a hint of light to the Gaza sky, the statue and its inspiring history restore a measure of dignity to an entire people.
Scott Jones is a young musician who was left paralyzed from the waist down by a homophobic attack in small-town Canada. Filmed by Scott’s best friend, the documentary offers a rare and intimate window into the journey of healing, bearing witness to the transformation of a young man’s life, and creating meaningful dialogue around queer experience and hate crime.
Singer Pauline Julien was an icon of a new cultural and political movement in Quebec. Despite her outspoken views, she was adored in both Europe and English Canada. After suffering from degenerative aphasia for years, she took her own life in 1998. Today, her legacy is gradually fading from memory.
What does it mean to be disabled and desirable? In Picture This, a new documentary by Jari Osborne, we meet Andrew Gurza, a self-described “queer cripple” who has made it his mission to make sex and disability part of the public discourse.
A young Canadian woman visits the Vimy Memorial, bringing with her a notebook of sketches and diary entries that her great-grandfather made during months of preparation to take back Vimy Ridge. These sketches transform into colourized archival live-action footage, transporting us back in time to witness the daily lives of soldiers in the Canadian Corps, bringing to life the long and detailed preparations that led to this legendary battle.
Snow Warrior is a love letter to the splendour of winter. It captures the beauty of a northern city through the eyes of a bicycle courier named Mariah. We see her ready herself and her bike for a grueling day’s work of racing through the snow and traffic to get her deliveries into the hands of her customers.
That Higher Level follows 100 talented young musicians over the course of two intensive months of touring. Embedded with the orchestra throughout, filmmaker John Bolton captures their riveting performances, and provides an insider’s view of these elite young players as they train with top musicians.
Wall is a feature-length animated film written by and starring Oscar®-nominated screenwriter (The Hours, The Reader) and preeminent British playwright David Hare. The 80-minute film follows Hare on a trip to the Middle East, where he explores the impact the wall that separates Israel and Palestine has had on the people of the region.
When Mona Guerrette died of breast cancer, she left behind her husband and two little girls. How does a child overcome this heartbreaking loss of a parent? Punctuated by home-video footage and interviews, Marie-France Guerrette’s documentary about her family offers us an intimate glimpse into her grieving process.
