Factual Documentaries
Cannabiz

Cannabiz

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2009
CBC
Ganja. Dope. Weed. Pot. Whatever you call it, Canada’s $20 billion marijuana industry is now at a violent crossroads between commerce and crime. Impossible to police, yet steadily gaining public acceptance, the marijuana business is now so vast and vital to Canada’s national economy that it can no longer be ignored.
Dolphin Dealer

The Dolphin Dealer

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2008
CBC
Five years in the making and featuring unprecedented footage of the shadowy world of the wild dolphin trade, The Dolphin Dealer is a haunting new documentary about the largest capture and export of wild dolphins in history, perpetrated by the world’s most notorious dolphin dealer, Canadian Christopher Porter. Set in the beautiful, yet brutal, South Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands, The Dolphin Dealer examines the issues and ethics of the billion dollar swim-with-dolphins industry.

> See video
> See awards

Swans

Mystery of the Toxic SwansMystery of the Toxic Swans

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2008
CTV
For nine winters in a row a deadly poison has been killing wild trumpeter swans of the West Coast. Forensic investigators confirm more than 21 hundred have died from eating lead shotgun pellets, but they're having trouble proving where the birds find and eat the heavy metal. Wildlife biologists mount a rescue mission, chasing swans away from a toxic trap along the Canada-US border, trying to save lives and solve a forensic mystery.

> See video
Shockwave

Shockwave: Surviving North America’s Biggest Disaster

1 x 120 Television Documentary Special, 2008
CBC
If you love a day at the beach, or if you live anywhere near the coast of California, Oregon, Washington or British Columbia – then brace yourself. What happened to Sumatra will happen here beyond any reasonable scientific doubt – the same megathrust earthquake and the same train of killer waves. This two-hour network television special (photographed in high-definition and with state of the art computer animation) takes you behind the scenes as scientists apply what they've learned from Sumatra to create new disaster survival plans for western North America.

> See video
Can't Stop Laughing

Can't Stop LaughingCan't Stop Laughing

1 x 60 Comedy Special, 2008
The Comedy Network
Irwin Barker, one of Canada’s top comedians and comedy writers was diagnosed with cancer and given one year to live. A year later, still alive and kicking, Irwin celebrates life and laughter, bringing together some of his closest friends, including Mark Critch, Shaun Majumder, Bruce Clark, Peter Kelamis and Sam Easton for a night of stand-up comedy that will go down as one of the funniest on record.
Greenpeace

Greenpeace: Making a Stand

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2006
Global
What inspires people to risk their lives for their beliefs – to sail a ship into a nuclear test zone, to get between a pod of whales and an explosive harpoon, or to block bulldozers mowing down a forest? This documentary looks at the 35 year evolution of Greenpeace from the early days of the environmentalist movement, in the 1970’s, to the front lines of a current campaign in Argentina.

Schools and Libraries may contact www.filmwest.com for further information.

> See awards
Running on a Dream: The Legacy of Terry Fox

Running on a Dream: The Legacy of Terry Fox

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2005
CTV
If Terry Fox walked into a doctor’s office today his outcome would be much different from 25 years ago, he probably wouldn’t die and he might not even lose his leg. Terry had a dream to raise money for cancer research. The new science that is his legacy has begun to deliver real results. Meet a Toronto woman who survived the same cancer as Terry and who walks today on two healthy legs; a little girl from Botswana whose life was saved by a pioneering medical procedure; and a cancer survivor in Cuba who lost his leg but still runs every year to keep the Marathon of Hope alive.
> See awards

Weird Sex and Snowshoes

1 x 60 Feature Length Documentary, 2005
The Movie Network, Mpix, Bravo, IFC
Fresh, fast-paced, and funny, Weird Sex and Snowshoes is a bilingual documentary showcasing more than 70 Canadian films. Interviews with the most prominent Canadian directors include the likes of international stars from Atom Egoyan and Denys Arcand to proven artists such as Zacharias Kunuk, Denis Villeneuve, and Lynne Stopkewich, among others. Based on the book by film critic Katherine Monk, this film brims with anecdotes and insightful commentary.

> See awards

> Purchase this production

Slammin’ Iron: Rebuilding the World

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2005
CBC, SRI, Rdi
The World Trade Center, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building were all built largely by generations of men from two tiny First Nations reservations, Akwesasne in Ontario and Kahnewake in Quebec. Every Sunday night at midnight, these men leave their families and drive seven hours to New York City to work all week hundreds of feet in the air, balancing on the beams that form the skeletons of America's skyscrapers. They built the World Trade Center, ran to the rescue when the towers collapsed and now will rebuild #7 of the World Trade Centre.

> See awards

> Purchase this production

The Disappearance of the PX-15

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2005
History Television, Historia, Discovery Science US
In July 1969, a dangerous NASA experiment was launched that has remained a virtual secret – until now. World renowned marine archeologist, James Delgado, reveals the story of the astounding PX-15 submarine by recovering the wreck and reuniting the surviving crew.

> See awards

> Purchase this production

Cantata For the King

1 x 60 Performing Arts Television, 2005
CBC, Bravo
Cantata for the King is a weird and wonderfully entertaining performance special – a post-modern Musical celebrating the music and genius of Elvis Presley. It is a night of homage, wit, irreverent fun, and sheer sonic power. The core strength of Cantata for the King is the musical invention of John Korsrud’s 21-member Hard Rubber Orchestra and the performance talents of a stellar roster of special guests.
 

Wrestling with Destiny: The Life and Times of Daniel Igali

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2004
CBC
Not your typical wrestling champion, Igali balances his explosive style on the mat with intelligence, sensitivity, and charisma. A graduate student at Simon Fraser University, he is also an esteemed motivational speaker, community leader, advocate for amateur sport. And now a political candidate. This television documentary tells the fascinating story of how the wrestler achieved his life-long dream of winning Olympic gold, and reveals his complex, intriguing character – both on and off the mat.

> See awards

Older Women/Younger Men

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2004
W Network, Discovery Health US
Older Women/Younger Men is a fun, sexy documentary that explores the allure and controversy of age-gap relationships between older women and younger men. We examine these relationships reflected through true life stories of four couples. What’s the attraction between two people in completely different stages of their lives?

> See awards

> Purchase this production

In a Sacred Way We Build

1 x 30 Television Documentary, 2004
Knowledge Network, Access
The Seabird Island First Nation Sustainable Demonstration Project is considered to be the first on-reserve housing project of its kind in the world. Built by British Columbia's Seabird Island First Nation community, in partnership with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, this environmentally sensitive project is based on Healthy Housing™ and Flex Housing™ concepts. It also utilizes a passive solar roof, wind generators and a shallow type of geo-thermal energy to supplement conventional electricity. The Seabird Island Project is being regarded as a flagship project for the future of housing.

> Purchase this production

Wild Horses of the Nemiah

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2004
CBC
To the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, the wild horses that roam British Columbia’s remote Nemiah Valley and Brittany Triangle are a powerful symbol of their own fight for freedom. This program weaves together an intricate story that encompasses the wild horses, the science behind their peculiar genetic heritage, and the remarkable symbiosis with the First Nations people.

> Purchase this production

The Man Who Would be Moose

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2002
Animal Planet
Moose protector Dr. Vince Crichton has a passion for Moose, and to discover all there’s to know about this odd looking mammal, he’s paddled down bug-infested rivers, trudged across muddy swamps and trekked his way deep into the boreal forest. While following his research we’ll discover that 1600 pounds of charging hooves and antlers is no laughing matter.
 

Creepy Crypts

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2002
Travel Channel US, Mystery Channel Canada, Global
When you’re dead and buried, your body gradually decomposes, right? Not necessarily. All over the world there are deep, dark, secret places, perfect for preserving bodies. Creepy Crypts leads you on a journey where researchers reveal amazing stories of strange characters whose remains have mysteriously been preserved.

> Purchase this production

Spidermania

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2002
Animal Planet
Viewers with arachnophobia beware, as arachnologist Rick West, the “real Spider-Man” shows what it’s really like to have spidey sense. West shares his home with 300 live tarantulas and has gone to the ends of the earth to discover everything there is to know about this striking creature, even their sex secrets. West shares some of his knowledge in this special while addressing people’s fears and myths about giant spiders.

> See awards

Firestorm, The Fire Suppression Paradox

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2001
CBC
With the advent of technology, fire fighters have gained the upper hand in the battle to control nature. But there’s a catch: by suppressing wildfires that would have cleared the underbrush, we have created a powder keg of unburned fuel. And it’s a powder keg that’s ready to explode in firestorms that no amount of human effort and technology can control.
 

Beachcombers – True Stories

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 2000
CTV
Beachcombers follows eccentric salvagers as they scrape a living off the waste of the forest industry. Beachcombers may not get a lot of respect as they salvage logs but as longtime salvager Shirley Weishuhn says, “They call us scavengers, but eagles are scavengers too”.

> Purchase this production

Singing Our Stories

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 1998
Vision, WTN, Knowledge Network, SCN, NFB
This is a visionary journey through the landscape of Native North American song with the "First Ladies" of indigenous music. Singing Our Stories is an extraordinary cross-cultural documentary that explores the lives and historical musical roots of Aboriginal women from across North America. Features performances by Rita Coolidge, Ulali, Walela, Monk-Sanders Family Singers (from the same lineage of the great jazz composer Thelonious Monk), 'Namgis Traditional Singers, and more.

> See awards

The Living Coast

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 1997
Discovery Canada, Knowledge Network
Chronicling a three-month kayak journey from Alaska to Vancouver, The Living Coast explores a pristine ecosystem undergoing critical change. We look beyond isolated issues and explore British Columbia’s Inside Passage as a microcosm of environmental issues faced worldwide.

> See awards

> Purchase this production

Mystics, Mechanics & Mind Bombs

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 1996
CBC
Two former Greenpeace presidents agree to disagree about the fate of the planet: Bob Hunter thinks we’re living on borrowed time if not entirely doomed, while Patrick Moore has gone so far as to write a coffee table book in defense of clear-cut logging. Once sailing the seas to save whales and scrambling to protect baby seals, how is it that two warriors in the great Green Crusade could stray so far apart?

> See awards

> Purchase this production

Mysteries of the River Giant

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 1995
Discovery Canada
Biologists explore the world of the elusive white sturgeon – the longest living fresh water fish on the planet.

> Purchase this production

Keepers of the Fire

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 1995
Access, Vision, SCN, ASN, TVNC, NFB
For half of a millennium, First Nations women have been at the forefront of aboriginal peoples' resistance to cultural assimilation. Today, Native women are still fighting for the survival of their cultures and their peoples--in the rain forest and the city, in the courts and the legislatures, in the Longhouse and the media. Keepers of the Fire profiles Canada's Native "warrior women" who are protecting and defending their land, their culture and their people in the time-honored tradition of their foremothers.

> Purchase this production

Visions of Carmanah

1 x 30 Television Documentary, 1993
Knowledge Network, Access, SCN, NFB
Over one hundred of some of Canada’s most renowned artists immersed themselves in the timeless world of an old-growth forest. We watch as they wander awe-struck among the trees, some of which are five centuries old, 300 feet tall! It is also an inspiring reminder that some great artists have taken up the struggle to preserve this Vancouver Island rainforest.

> Purchase this production

Touch the Wilderness

1 x 30 Television Documentary, 1991
CBC
Shot in the remote Yukon, this heart warming and humorous film chronicles the remarkable life of a truly courageous individual. Brian Lendrum graduated with a Master's degree in languages. On his way to a successful career, he suddenly changed directions and moved into the wilderness to raise goats. The story is truly incredible when you consider that Brian has been totally blind since the age of two…

> Purchase this production

Killer Whales in the Wild

1 x 60 Television Documentary, 1991
Global
Follow researcher Alexandra Morton and filmmaker Robin Morton on their quest to understand the mysterious Orcinus Orca – or the Killer Whale. For ten years, they lived on the picturesque straits and inlets along Canada’s pacific coast, studying the elusive mammal within its own environment. In the process, they developed a rare family-like relationship with the whales.

> See awards

> Purchase this production

Gwaii Haanas

1991
Knowledge Network
Journey to the amazing archipelago of South Moresby and explore its intimate connection with the advanced culture and art of the Haida.