On Docs

Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka speak with Michelle Shephard and Sahal Abdulle about "The Perfect Story," a new documentary that examines what happens when cracks form in a journalist's story.

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In this livestreamed conversation, Colin Ellis sits down with Mitch Azaria to talk about "TRIPPING The Bruce," which takes viewers on a tour of the northern coast of the Bruce Peninsula.

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Abigail Disney thought about changing her name when she got married. While it's associated with Mickey Mouse and Marvel, the Happiest Place on Earth is also associated with poverty wages and trampling on workers' rights. Colin Ellis speaks with Disney about her documentary "The American Dream and Other Fairytales," and why it's important to advocate for workers' rights in the face of abusive corporate practices.

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I'm Crushing Your Head! Not actually, but if you know the phrase then there's a good chance you know The Kids in the Hall. Colin Ellis sits down with director Reg Harkema to talk about his latest film which explores the history of the comedy troupe and the many challenges - both professional and personal - they faced along the way.

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Months after Dewayne "Lee" Johnson was soaked from head to toe with a herbicide called Ranger Pro, he noticed lesions on his skin. What he'd developed was called non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form a cancer that's associated with glyphosate, the chemical the Monsanto Company had long touted as completely safe for humans. In this episode, Colin Ellis speaks with director Jennifer Baichwal about her latest doc "Into the Weeds," which explores Lee's fight for a warning label.

Clip credits:

Official trailer and clip: courtesy of Mongrel Media

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Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka speak with culture writer Sumiko Wilson about three different artists from three different generations: Olivia Rodrigo, Charlie XCX, and Ye. They also discuss how documentaries are being used to explore the stories behind these artists.

Clip credits:

Charli XCX: Alone Together | Official Trailer - Bradley&Pablo Film/Greenwich Entertainment/youtube.com

OLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film) | Official Trailer - Disney Entertainment/youtube.com

jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy | Official Teaser - Netflix/youtube.com

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In a world of rising cost and debt, calls for relief are growing stronger. Colin Ellis speaks with filmmaker Astra Taylor about her 2021 documentary "You Are Not a Loan," which looks at the power debtors possess that can change systems if they organize. They discuss how COVID changed the debt relief movement and how democracy is affected by people being forced to take on loans.

You Are Not a Loan clip credit: Courtesy of Astra Taylor.

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In Canada, only 31% of workers are unionized, but that's higher than it was in 2019. So, what's with the rise? It might have something to do with a global pandemic that's put workers in constant danger. In this episode, Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka watch 2019's "American Factory." Then, Colin digs further into the history of unions in Canada with economist Jim Stanford.

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Carbon: The Unauthorized Biography gives viewers an inside look at carbon - which could both doom us and save us in the climate emergency. To better understand this often-misunderstood element, Colin Ellis speaks with Phil De Luna, program director for the Energy Materials Challenge program at the Nation Research Council Canada, about the future of carbon including Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage technology.

The Nature of Things clip credit: Handful of Films and Genepool Productions/facebook.com

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Flee has been nominated for a trifecta of Oscars including Best Documentary Feature. In this episode, Colin Ellis speaks with Justin Chandler, co-host of Radio Free Krypton and TVO's Niagara-Hamilton Reporter on how this sub-genre of documentaries is evolving.

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