Documentary Channel

Toughest Place to be a ...

2012-02-09T20:41:26Z

Three British workers that are experienced, qualified and looking for a challenge are on a quest to find out what it would be like to do their job under some of the toughest conditions on the planet.

Pure Intentions

2012-02-08T21:19:28Z

Toronto restauranteur Peter Oliver travels to his native South Africa where he engages with local educators to push positive change on the local school system. This is a touching and beautiful film with engaging characters and surprising plot twists.

Woody Allen: A Documentary

2012-02-08T19:22:27Z

Iconic writer, director, actor, comedian, and musician Woody Allen allowed his life and creative process to be documented on-camera for the first time. With this unprecedented access, Emmy®-winning, Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Robert Weide followed the notoriously private film legend over a year and a half to create the ultimate film biography.

Beginning with Allen's childhood and his first professional gigs as a teen -- furnishing jokes for comics and publicists -- Woody Allen: A Documentary chronicles the trajectory and longevity of Allen's career: from his work in the 1950s-60s as a TV scribe for Sid Caesar, standup comedian and frequent TV talk show guest, to a writer-director averaging one film-per-year for more than 40 years.

Under Fire: Journalists in Combat

2012-02-08T17:09:52Z

Only two journalists were killed in World War I. Iraq has so far claimed 120. The recent Libyan uprising has already claimed the lives of four and global conflict looks set to continue.

War journalism has become an increasingly lethal endeavor. Not only are correspondents viewed as targets, they are often subject to kidnappings, torture and even beheadings.

Under Fire weaves together portraits of these journalists and photographers; those who have survived physically, but have succumbed emotionally to what they have witnessed.

Inspired by the work of Dr. Anthony Feinstein, the psychiatrist who has been on retainer to many of the world's major news networks and publications, Under Fire looks at the psychological cost of war as seen through the eyes of combat journalists whose stories make up this powerful and unique film.

Transgender Kids

2012-02-08T15:18:24Z

What would you do if your young son was desperate to become a girl - or if your daughter wanted to be a boy? This shocking yet touching documentary offers a rare, intimate look into the world of children who believe they were born the wrong sex. Diagnosed with gender identity disorder, their childhoods include puberty blockers, hormone injections, cross-dressing and a struggle for social acceptance. How far are they willing to go to change their gender? How young is too young? And how should parents respond?

Transgender Kids follows the lives of four transgender children and the parents who have chosen to support them as they transition to the opposite sex.

Gordon Sheppard or the Art of Dying Well

2012-02-07T21:38:02Z

An unflinching look at the last days of a man's life. Gordon Sheppard was a multi-faceted Montreal artist, writer, photographer and filmmaker who died in February 2006 after a 10-year struggle with cancer. Inspiring, courageous and harrowing, this examination of an artist's life by looking at a close up of his death is directed by Montreal-based filmmaker Francine Pelletier.

Desert Riders

2012-01-06T20:02:35Z

Camel racing is a popular sport in the Middle East. In past years, thousands of young boys have been trafficked from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mauritania and other countries to work as jockeys in the UAE under excruciating conditions. Over the last 10 years, some governments have tried to put an end to the use of child jockeys. Desert Riders examines the situation before and since these government policies were enacted, as well as the difficult journey to retrieve and recuperate these children.

We Were Here

2012-01-06T19:42:23Z

The first documentary to take a deep and reflective look back at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco. It explores how the city's inhabitants were affected by, and how they responded to, that calamitous epidemic. Though a San Francisco-based story, We Were Here extends beyond San Francisco and beyond AIDS itself — it speaks to our capacity as individuals to rise to the occasion, and to the incredible power of a community coming together with love, compassion, and determination.

The Sound of Mumbai

2012-01-06T19:18:51Z

The Sound of Music, with its imagery of mountains and edelweiss, may not seem like a natural fit for India's Maximum City, but the Bombay Chamber Orchestra begs to differ. Recruiting kids from the slums - home to half the city's population - the Orchestra sets out to stage a choral performance of the Rogers & Hammerstein score. In capturing the process, The Sound of Mumbai: A Musical overflows with emotion. It doesn't matter whether you've previously embraced or resisted The Sound of Music, after this rendition your association will never be the same.

At Night, They Dance

2012-01-06T19:09:17Z

An award-winning director duo sweeps us into the chaotic world of a family of voluptuous female belly dancers in working class Cairo as they struggle to practice an art in danger of extinction. The film centers on Reda, a charismatic widow and ex-dancer with seven children and one on the way, her wise confidante, and three of her daughters, who now dance at raucous all-male celebrations for a living.

Race and Intelligence

2012-01-06T18:23:58Z

In 2007, Nobel Prize winning U.S. scientist James Watson was quoted referring to research suggesting that black people were less intelligent than other races. His comments caused a storm of controversy, Watson was condemned.

Although he apologized for the offense he caused, his public engagements were cancelled and he left his British speaking tour in disgrace.

Meanwhile, right-wing websites hailed him as the new Galileo - a martyr to political correctness that was concealing the fact that there is indeed evidence that shows different races score differently in IQ tests. But are the tests biased? Is race really a scientific category at all?

In this documentary, Rageh Omaar sets out to find out the truth, meeting scientists who believe the research supports the view that races can be differentiated as well as those who vehemently oppose this view. By daring to ask the difficult questions, Omaar is able to explode the myths about race and IQ, and reveal what he thinks are important lessons for society.

The Cove

2012-01-06T18:15:12Z

Academy Award® Winner for Best Documentary of 2009, The Cove follows an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Taiji, Japan, shining a light on a dark and deadly secret. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery, adding up to an unforgettable story that has inspired audiences worldwide to action.

Addicted in Afghanistan

2012-01-04T22:39:35Z

Afghanistan is a country devastated by the horrors of war, crime, violence and poverty. It is also a country blighted with the cultivation and supply of opium. Although it is estimated that 95% of all heroin on the streets of the UK & Europe comes from Afghanistan, few talk of the drugs that stay within the country and the devastating effects it is having on its children - the youth & future of Afghanistan. After the so-called "War on Terror"and the fall of the Taliban, what future is there for the next generation? Jabar and Zahir are two 15 year old friends, whose own sisters, mothers and fathers are also addicted to heroin and opium.

Canada Reads 2012

2012-01-02T20:35:21Z

In 2012, Canada Reads turns to non-fiction for the first time ever. Canada Reads: True Stories is about finding the memoir, biography or work of literary non-fiction for the entire country to read. Hosted by CBC's Jian Ghomeshi.

Dragon Slayer

2012-01-02T20:20:07Z

An intimate vérité portrait of the life and times of Josh "Skreech" Sandoval, a 23-year-old skate legend from the stagnant suburbs of Fullerton, California, Dragonslayer takes the viewer through a golden SoCal haze of lost youth, broken homes and abandoned swimming pools. The doc is set to a soundtrack of bands from indie-rock labels Mexican Summer and Kemado Records, including Best Coast, Bipolar Bear, Children, Dungen, Jacuzzi Boys, Little Girls and The Soft Pack--as well as Death, The Germs and Thee Oh Sees.