Face2Face with David Peck

Rithy Panh and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his fascinating and engaging new film Graves Without A Name, Cambodia, trauma and memory, dignity and the story of life, possibilities, intangible grief and why it’s difficult to understand the soul.

Trailer

Image: Vann Channarong, Bophana Center

Synopsis

In Rithy Panh's (The Missing Picture) latest exploration of the lasting effects of the Cambodian genocide, a 13-year-old boy who loses most of his family begins a search for their graves.

Cambodian-born, France-based filmmaker Rithy Panh has dedicated much of his career to investigating the campaign of genocide undertaken by the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian Civil War and memorializing its victims. Panh's ingenious non-fiction films — such as The Missing Picture, which was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes — find inventive cinematic means to contend with pieces of history for which little archival material exists.

Driven by Panh's own desire to know where the remains of his many murdered loved ones lie, Graves Without a Name continues this project, focusing less on the atrocities committed and more on the spiritual well-being of those affected — whether living or dead. The film alternates between a poetic voiceover, written by Panh and Agnès Sénémaud, featuring excerpts from texts by Paul Éluard and Jean Cayrol, and testimonies from survivors, all of themsuperb storytellers.

As these voices are heard, we are treated to haunting and very beautiful images, of the construction of sacrificial materials, of a landscape whose soil is saturated with blood, of the faces of the dead appearing on the rippling surface of a stream.

The crimes of the Khmer Rouge are woefully under-documented, which is itself a crime, both against history and against those who seek some resolution to their grief. Graves Without a Name makes a small but significant step toward rectifying this lack, petitioning not for vengeance but, rather, for healing. (With thanks to Giovanna Fulvi)

Biography

Rithy Panh was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on the 18th april 1964. He is today one of the most acclaimed documentary filmmakers and the most famous Cambodian filmmaker worldwide. After 1975 his family died through the genocidal Khmer Rouge government (1975-1979) while he could escape in 1979 to Thailand. Panh arrived a year later in Paris, France as an orphan and stayed. Rithy Panh later studied at 'La Fémis', the French National Cinema School.

In 1989, Site 2 (1989), his first documentary about Cambodian refugees, won several international awards. Since then Panh created a unique body of work consisting of documentaries and feature films that mostly deal with the modern Cambodia and the traumatic legacy of the Khmer Rouge regime. His most famous documentary is probabaly S21: The Khmer Rouge Death Machine about the infamous torture prison of the Khmer Rouge.

Later his avant-garde documentary The Missing Picture became the first Cambodian film nominated for an Academy Award as 'Best Foreign Language Film'. Rithy Panh, along with director Ieu Pannakar, has developed 'Bophana: Audio Visual Resource Center - Cambodia', with an aim towards preserving the country's film, photographic and audio history.

Rithy Panh received an honorary doctorate in 2011 by the University of Paris-VIII and published in 2012 his acclaimed autobiography "L'Élimination". In 2014 he received the 'Preservation and Scholarship' Award of the International Documentary Association. (With thanks to IMDB)

Image Copyright: Rithy Panh. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

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Brock Cahill Z and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Sharkwater Extinction, Rob Stewarts news film, enemies of sharks and activism, drift net fishing, policy changes and why sometime sit’s easier to like animals more than people.

Trailer

Synopsis

Sharkwater Extinction is a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Sharkwater, Stewart’s first film, which brought the devastating issue of shark finning to the world stage. Sharkwater Extinction is a thrilling and inspiring action-packed journey. Stewart continues his courageous crusade through the oceans and across four continents to investigate the corruption behind a multibillion-dollar pirate fishing trade and massive illegal shark fin industry.

From West Africa, Spain, Panama, Costa Rica, France, and even North America, Stewart exposes the shocking truth that is leading to the extinction of our oldest remaining predator and ultimately to the destruction of our planet. Both Sharkwater and Stewart’s second film Revolution (2012) had world premieres at TIFF before going on to international acclaim. Sharkwater and Revolution are still to this day the number 1 and 3 Canadian documentaries of the last 15 years. They have been awarded more than 70 international awards and viewed by over 125 million people. In January 2017, while shooting Sharkwater Extinction, Rob Stewart tragically passed away during a dive off the Florida Keys. The world was stunned by the loss of one of the most influential activists of our time. Rob risked everything in a tireless effort to educate, preserve and defend the oceans.

His impact and sacrifice are beyond measure and the producers along with a talented group of filmmakers, editors and loyal Sharkwater supporters felt compelled to continue his work and ensure the film was completed. Award-winning editor Nick Hector was given the daunting task of sifting through Rob’s copious hours of footage and reams of detailed notes to create a final cut of Sharkwater Extinction. His efforts were supported by award-winning documentary filmmaker Sturla Gunnarsson who acted as a consultant to the team. “Rob spent his life defending the oceans and sharks - determined to change the world. We believe his work will continue to do so,” said Brian and Sandy Stewart. “Rob had a magical way of connecting with audiences and this film is one more step in his mission to inspire action in the important fight to protect this planet for generations to come. We are pleased that Sharkwater Extinction, like Rob’s previous films, will launch at TIFF before rolling out to audiences around the world.”

Biography

Rob was a biologist, conservationist, activist, and filmmaker. Sharkwater Extinction follows his two internationally award-winning films, Sharkwater (2006) and Revolution (2012). Sharkwater brought the devastating issue of shark finning to the world stage. Revolution was the first feature film to expose the devastating effects that Ocean Acidification would bring: much worse than scientists had thought climate change would be.

Born in 1979 and raised in Toronto, Stewart graduated from the University of Western Ontario. He dedicated his life to conservation, saying: “Conservation is the preservation of human life on earth. And, that, above all else is worth fighting for.”

He taught the world to love the oceans and their creatures and not fear sharks, through his iconic images of hugging and free diving with sharks and mantas.

For more info head to the site here.

Image Copyright: D Films Corporation Company. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Knoll and Face2Face host David Peck talk about listening, hopeful idealism and change, affordable housing, libraries, community service, Taylor Swift, 1930’s movies theatres and why municipal politics matters.

Meet Jeff Knoll

I have had the honour of serving as Oakville’s Ward 5 Regional and Town Councillor since being first elected in 2000 and re-elected in subsequent elections in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. A local entrepreneur and employer, I am also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Film.Ca Cinemas in Oakville.

As Town and Regional Councillor, I have served on almost every committee and board within the municipalities I represent on behalf of the residents of Ward 5. I am currently a member of the Halton Police Services Board and am Chair of the Oakville Public Library. I am also a member of the Oakville Administrative Services Committee, the Halton Administration & Finance Committee and as the Halton representative on the Community Environment and Noise Advisory Committee at the GTAA (Toronto Pearson Airport).

In addition to my current committee and board experience, I have served on the boards of the Halton Health Care Services Corporation, the Halton Children’s Aid Society, and the Oakville & Milton Humane Society. I also proudly served as a Board Member and President of the Halton Community Housing Corporation for more than ten years.

Outside of my Council responsibilities, I am a member of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and am a member and active volunteer with the Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre where my wife Michelle is the Executive Director. I am also a long-time member, former chairman and the current group sponsor of the 1st Trafalgar Scouts, and a founding member and volunteer with the Trafalgar Township Historical Society, a Member of the Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 114.

My life-long interests in the film industry stem from a part-time job at a local movie theatre I had as a young teen in Windsor, where I grew up. I went on to study Political Science and Communications (film and television) at the University of Windsor. 

Michelle and I have lived in Oak Park for 19 years. We’ve raised five kids here, and are enjoying time with our four grandchildren and our rambunctious rescue beagle, Roxas.

For more info head to his website here.

Image Copyright: Jeff Knoll. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baldvin Z and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new beautiful and challenging new film Let me Fall, drug addiction, responsibility, life changing moments, choice and why everything we do has a consequence that can affect others.

Trailer

Synopsis

Drawing on true stories and interviews with the families of addicts, this harrowing portrait of addiction follows Stella and Magnea through the decades as precarious teenage years morph into perilous adulthoods.

Told over several decades, Let Me Fall focuses on Magnea’s lengthy struggle with addiction, a condition she is lured into as a teenager by hip, assured Stella, Magnea’s soulmate and nemesis. The film’s fractured narrative style, which bounces from present to past and back again, takes us inside the traumatic experiences leading to Magnea’s dire straits. The effect is nothing less than heartbreaking.

The film is propelled by two stellar acting duos. Elín Sif Halldórsdóttir and Eyrún Björk Jakobsdóttir play Magnea and Stella as teens, with Magnea’s naiveté and need for attention and Stella’s ruthlessness and controlling nature evident in every bad decision. Kristín þóra Haraldsdóttir (the star of Sundance prize-winner And Breathe Normally) and Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir play the pair as adults. By this time, drugs have taken their toll on Magnea; she is a shadow of her former self, while Stella becomes a shell unable to address any element of her conflicted past.

Few portraits of addiction and failed friendship are as devastating as Let Me Fall, which shows in chilling detail how the vulnerable are preyed upon, particularly by those hiding behind religion. Based on true stories and interviews with the families of addicts, Let Me Fallwas also inspired by the 1980s hit Christiane F. Its unflinching view of addiction makes it one of those rare films that transcends its source material. (credit Steve Gravestock)

Biography

Award-winning Baldvin Z is one of the most prominent directors in Iceland. In the last six years Baldvin has written and directed two feature films, and directed two popular television series.

He has garnered worldwide attention with over 40 film awards, internationally, and 18 of those are Edda awards (the Icelandic Film and Television Academy Awards).

Recently he completed directing “Island Songs” for Universal Studios, and “Beyond Strength” an independent documentary. Baldvin is currently working on a new television series for Glass River.

Image Copyright: Icelandic Film Company and Baldvin Z. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benjamin Gilmour, Sam Smith, and David Peck talk about the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of Jirga and how one soldier's journey takes him back to Afghanistan to right a wrong.

Mike (Smith), an Australian ex-soldier, returns to Afghanistan in search of a civilian family that he knows he wronged three years earlier. His journey from the bustling streets of Kabul to the small village where he hopes to find the family is filled with delays, detours, danger, and, some unexpected respites of beauty and peace. Relentless in his quest for forgiveness, Mike ultimately puts his life in the hands of the village justice system — the Jirga — accepting that the decision of this tribal authority of elders will be binding and irrevocable.

A simple yet elegantly-told tale with remarkable emotional resonance, Jirga was as gripping to make as it is to watch: Political censorship resulted in lost funding, which led to Gilmour and Smith deciding to scrape the film together themselves with little money in a highly charged environment, casting real-life former Taliban members and filming in the mountains of Jalalabad.

While this story of a former soldier returning to the scene of his past battles is deeply felt, another engaging and important aspect of the film is its insight into the rich culture and traditions of Afghan Muslims. Ultimately, Jirga is a film that rejects simplistic ideas about war, and embraces the human search for forgiveness, redemption, and mercy.

For more information on the film, please head here to Ben's website.

Image Copyright: Benjamin Gilmour. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Michael Klein and David Peck talk about his new book Dissident Doctor and how Medicare and family medicine deserves more respect and support.

Biography

The son of left-wing American activists, Dr. Klein refused to serve as a military physician during the Vietnam War and fled to Canada with his wife Bonnie in 1967. Dr. Klein later became a family practitioner, pediatrician, and researcher at McGill and the University of British Columbia. His work and research focus on the consideration of of family friendly birth practices and the elimination of routine intrusive interventions.

For more information please head here to his website.

Image Copyright: Michael Klein. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Astra Taylor and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film What Is Democracy, the house with the white picket fence, what its like the day after the protest, public love and activism and

why we should all put on a ridiculous dress from time to time.

Trailer

Synopsis

Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis Astra’s new film What Is Democracy reflects on a word we too often take for granted. What does it mean for the people to rule—and is that something we even want?

Director Astra Taylor’s idiosyncratic, philosophical journey takes us from ancient Athens’ groundbreaking experiment in self-government to capitalism’s roots in medieval Italy; from modern-day

Greece grappling with financial collapse and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor.

Celebrated theorists Silvia Federici, Cornel West, Wendy Brown, and Angela Davis are joined by trauma surgeons, activists, factory workers, asylum seekers, former prime ministers, and others.

This diverse cast confronts vital questions: Who gets to participate in democracy? What is freedom? Can democracy even exist in an era of concentrated wealth? How can the people reclaim the

power that is supposed to be theirs?

While touching on some of the most urgent issues of our day—inequality, xenophobia, education, globalization—director Astra Taylor reminds us that our challenges are not exactly new. We may

think we are on the cutting edge, charting an unprecedented course, but age-old debates resurface and figures like Plato and Rousseau remain shockingly relevant to our current predicaments.

Democracy is a precious experiment, its promise still unfulfilled. But history also shows conceptual breakthroughs and collective action can produce real change. This vital film connects the past

and the present, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke critical dialogue about our future.

Biography

Astra Taylor is a filmmaker, writer, and political organizer. She is the director of the philosophical documentaries What Is Democracy, Examined Life and Zizek, the author of the American Book Award winner The People’s Platform, Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age and a co-founder of the Debt Collective.

She has written for The New York Times, The London Review of Books, The Guardian, The Walrus, The Baffler, n+1, and many other outlets. She is a Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow and a former

touring member of the band Neutral Milk Hotel. Her new book, Democracy May Not Exist, but We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone, will be out from Metropolitan Books in early 2019.

Image Copyright: Astra Taylor and NFB. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.