Absolutely Canadian
Absolutely Canadian is a national weekly one-hour series showcasing documentaries and performance programs that tell unique stories from communities across Canada.
Absolutely Canadian is a national weekly one-hour series showcasing documentaries and performance programs that tell unique stories from communities across Canada.
A heartfelt documentary exploring the "lunch box moment," where favourite Filipino and other cultural foods created painful memories for the filmmaker and some members of their family and community. It aims to heal experiences of shame tied to bringing comfort foods to school or work. This film resonates with anyone who has felt different due to their cultural dishes and differences.
At Gateway Meat Market, the lineups are long, the prices are low and the vibes are high. Priced to Thrill tells the tale of a grocery store that's anything but ordinary.
The first-ever Wolastoqiyik ballet, Pisuwin, had its world premier in Fredericton, N.B. in 2023. This doc takes you on a journey through the rehearsals and creative process, to the world premiere.
This film follows an Indigenous filmmaker as he reconnects with the stories of his youth through the once nearly extinct Ojibwe Spirit Horses, now revitalizing in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Guided by his father, a Residential School Survivor of Walpole Island, and joined by Indigenous students learning from an Elder, and community members, they unravel their history and the deep, personal bond they share with the horses, which once rode freely.
Driven by a passion for endangered species, a young autistic artist and his mother journey towards his independence as his artwork gains national recognition
A mysterious society embarks on a mission to grow one-thousand, thousand-year-old trees.
In a deeply personal journey, filmmaker Tys Burger travels across the country to learn from other transgender people about how they create community, home and spaces to thrive.
A behind-the-scenes journey along Alberta's Powwow trail - a captivating celebration of dance, music, culture and family, with those who live it.
Light pollution is drastically dimming the night sky around the globe. Watch as two amateur astronomers go on a quest to save a slice of the sky for starwatchers now, and forever.
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Karsh's portrait of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, which was on display at Ottawa's Château Laurier. It has now been found and returned.
Tam Nguyen fled Vietnam in the '80s as part of the Vietnamese "boat people." Forty years later, he has tailored a full and meaningful life in Canada.
Being Black in Halifax features four films by emerging directors that came out of the Fabienne Colas Foundations' BEING BLACK IN CANADA mentorship program entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers.
Being Black in Montreal features five films by emerging directors that came out of the Fabienne Colas Foundations' BEING BLACK IN CANADA mentorship program entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers.
Being Black in Toronto features six films by emerging directors that came out of the Fabienne Colas Foundations' BEING BLACK IN CANADA mentorship program entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers.
Short films produced by graduating film students and independent Ontario filmmakers with stories relevant to the Windsor-Essex region.
Facing a mid-life crisis, a journalist discovers the regular folk moonlighting as indie wrestlers, who help him transform his childhood dream into reality as "Fake Nooz Neville."
'Women of This Land' is a 4-part documentary series about Indigenous women in Atlantic Canada and how they connect to land and culture. In this episode - Jennie Williams.
'Women of This Land' is a 4-part documentary series about Indigenous women in Atlantic Canada and how they connect to land and culture. In this episode - Chief Darlene Bernard.
Women of This Land' is a 4-part documentary series about Indigenous women in Atlantic Canada and how they connect to land and culture. In this episode - shalan joudry
'Women of This Land' is a 4-part documentary series about Indigenous women in Atlantic Canada and how they connect to land and culture. In this episode - Dr. Imelda Perley Opolahsomuwehs.
Irish, English, Scottish, and French lumberjacks of the 19th century collaborate to survive the harsh conditions of Canadian logging camps, establishing a folk music tradition unlike any other.
Irish, English, Scottish, and French lumberjacks of the 19th century collaborate to survive the harsh conditions of Canadian logging camps, establishing a folk music tradition unlike any other.
A wistful invitation into the world of struggling movie houses across Alberta. Meet the passionate protectors reviving, re-inventing and sometimes letting go of these once vital community spaces.
An intimate portrait of Haitian-born Montreal rising art star Manuel Mathieu as launches his career into the international art market
Short films produced by independent filmmakers, directors and student grads in television and film programs from the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Short Film titles: More Than Hair, Life Without Sound, and Still.
Short films by students in film, television, animation, and media arts from the Toronto-GTA region. Short films include: Beyond the Reins, My Friend in the Jingle Truck, and Cycle Back to Childhood.
A young queer woman from Windsor, Ontario aims to overcome her mental health struggles and regain her confidence by embarking on a journey of self-love, self-discovery, and stand-up comedy.
A journey through Ottawa's Black artistic heritage, weaving together the stories of pioneers, contemporary music voices, and emerging talents, reflecting the city's rich cultural tapestry.
The true story of Mi'kmaq activists from Conne River, NL who went on a hunger strike to secure their rights to self-determination in 1983.
A glimpse into the lives of eight dogs brought together in BC's wilderness as the steadfast companions and fierce protectors of a young crew of intrepid tree planters.
A seasonal migrant worker finds himself suffering unchecked abuses at the hands of his employer while trapped within Canada's closed visa system. Omar is just one of thousands struggling to survive.
A remote Newfoundland outport faces fundamental change. Once a vibrant community of independent fishermen, Bay de Verde was helpless in the face of international fishing trawlers and government fisheries mismanagement.
A young Ukrainian-Canadian woman watches as her homeland is invaded and her family is forced to flee. She begins a quest; talking to refugees and capturing the human story of the crisis through music.
Wrestling hopefuls pursue their dreams through remote Indigenous communities in Canada's far North on ‘the most grueling tour in indie wrestling.'
Residents of Winterton, N.L., fear for the future of a church that has served the community for over a hundred years. But their prayers are answered when Grammy-winning music producer Greg Wells rolls into town.
Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman went to residential school at age five. Now his grandkids and the next generation of Siksika Nation find healing through dance, theatre, and the music of Peter Gabriel.
Over fifty years the Apex Invitational Golf Tournament has grown into a community celebration that breaks barriers, showcases athletes, and acts as an annual homecoming for Truro's Black community.
Absolutely Canadian is a national one-hour series showcasing documentaries, unscripted and performance programs that tell unique stories from communities across Canada. Programs are produced locally.
An exploration and celebration of an influential art movement within the Indigenous community in New Brunswick in the 1960's.
Dylan Jewers is on the hunt for unique traditional music, and he's taking us along for the ride. In this one-hour documentary Jewers is on a personal quest to track down extraordinary Nova Scotia musicians from a variety of backgrounds.
A former Canadian soldier builds special effects for movies to help manage his PTSD.
Following filmmaker Taye Alvis as he looks to reconnect to his community of Walpole Island First Nation. Taye will explore his relationship to Walpole Island, and how one can reconnect to their traditions and culture by way of conversation, arts, and recreation.
A Nova Scotian chef turned pro-wrestler overcomes addiction, trauma, and grief to fulfill their childhood dream. Then a split-second in the ring changes everything.
Creatorland: Four Women follows the lives of extraordinary women creating impact in their communities through art, food, and culture.
A Canadian veteran and artist practices cold dipping in Nova Scotia as a way to heal physical and emotional trauma from a life no one expected her to pursue.
When Michael Sullivan is not fishing lobster, he's thinking about how to fish lobster. A 5th-generation fisherman living on Quebec's Gaspé coast, he has tasked himself with building 200 wooden traps during the cold, dark winter months while waiting for the next season to begin. The program takes place in Michael's small basement workshop, out on his boat, and underwater, as there is another important voice to balance the narrative: that of the lobster from the ocean floor. Award-winning poet Sue Goyette, and award-winning animator Aparna Kapur bring the lobster to life, its voice resonating uncannily like that of Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. The lobster offers up its thoughts and dreams – a chorus from the depths of the ocean. Michael works in his workshop, he waits, and the lobsters wait. Are the lobsters part nightmare, part fever dream, and part ghosts from centuries past? An evergreen capsule of the relationship between our species in fragile harmony with our surroundings, and a deep insight into this longstanding local tradition of this special maritime region in Quebec.
The remains of one of the biggest animals to ever live land on a small town beach, attracting global attention and changing a Newfoundland outport forever.
First-generation Montrealers recount their experiences and parental pressures as they embark on their careers, and reconfigure their definitions of success.
In a race against time to revive their dying language and culture, the Mi'kmaq of Unama'ki (Cape Breton) are turning to the musical traditions of their ancestors.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of an Eastern Hemlock forest in Nova Scotia, the film follows the passionate people fighting to save it from an invasive tree-killing insect.
David Fennario, the great Quebec playwright (famous for Balconville, among others) and militant socialist, is now confined to a wheelchair, but that has not dampened his will to take action, and fight for progress. Martin Duckworth, a major figure in Canadian documentary cinema, captures all of his contradictory energy. Over the course of this encounter, the filmmaker attentively and enthusiastically records Fennario's charismatic presence, his political humour, his desire to be heard at all costs, for example through his last play, Mother House, a denunciation of the horrors of the First World War. By filming the process of staging the play, Duckworth reflects on the power of art while creating a poignant portrait of a man marked by history.
Filmmaker and former athlete Kimberly Surin embarks on a personal journey with her sister Katherine to understand the gains and losses of growing up under the ambitious wing of their Olympic champion dad, Bruny Surin.
3rd (and final) episode of series following journey across the country reconnecting with nature and ancient wisdom.
Mi'kmaw poet and published author Rebecca Thomas uses words for a living, but she can't speak the language stolen from her father at residential school. Words Matter follows her journey to reclaim the language while exploring the complicated past that's kept it from her
Montreal filmmaker Rahila Bootwala returns to the male-dominated film industry in her native India to confront her past, and to meet with the few women who are now challenging its stereotypes.
A candid and powerful window into the movement to preserve and celebrate Wolastoqui culture and identity, including the calls to formally reclaim the name of the Wolastuq (Saint John) River.
A fascinating exploration of the remarkable but tragic life of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Elizabeth Bishop, whose journey is indelibly connected to her Nova Scotia heritage.
In the 1960s a new generation of young Inuit set out to fight back against the destructive forces of colonialism. Their vision – a new homeland where they could regain control of their destiny and save their culture and language. Following a twisting, dramatic, thirty-year long fight for aboriginal rights that led to the creation of the territory of Nunavut. Told by the people who reshaped confederation and made Canadian history.
The onset of his dementia brought a dramatic change to the relationship Hannah has with her father. Dementia, Dad, and Me follows the two of them as they find new ways to connect, and to navigate the delicate transition of their roles from father and daughter, to caregiver and cared for.
Set on Fogo Island off the coast of Newfoundland, Dropstones is an intimate family portrait that follows a matriarch shortly after she has returned to the home she once yearned to escape.
Christopher Pratt has painted some of Canada's most iconic images. A private man, this documentary focusing on his art and life, including travels with Pratt to revisit scenes captured in his paintings.
An intimate look at the impact of the loss of Caribou to the Inuit people of Labrador.
Okpik: Little Village in the Arctic follows Inuit/Gwich'in hunter gatherer Kylik Kisoun, as he discovers the lost art of building traditional Inuvialuit sod houses in Inuvik, N.W.T.
A first generation Canadian recreates stories from his Indian father's life to try to bridge the cultural gap between them in the aftermath of a family tragedy.
How a professional cyclist from New Brunswick finds inner transformation through fly fishing after two life-altering collisions.
Disturbed by the fact that his hometown of Windsor is overlooked on lists of the top pizza cities in the world, George Kalivas is on a mission to tell the story of Windsor-style pizza and its culture.
A Montreal Rabbi sets up an online dating service during lockdown, only to have his instincts put to the test as singles emerge from isolation and begin dating in person.
An emotional heartfelt film about the late Nour Ali, a pillar of the Kurdish and refugee community in Manitoba, who devoted his life to creating a welcoming place for all newcomers.
Trevor Solway's grandpa Sonny was a life-long rancher with a strong work ethic that masked his own pain. Trevor explores Sonny's life and lessons to help guide himself as a modern Indigenous man.
A strong and sensitive look at the ways expectations around "what it means to be a man" are changing in the 21st Century.
A celebration of the St.John's International Women's Film Festival, one of the longest running women's film festivals in the world!.
Follows two distinctive Montreal artists as they follow their late Icelandic grandmother's voice, through audio cassette recordings, to their ancestral Iceland to reconnect, create and perform with their artist mother.
Indigenous populations all across the world have a strong sense of place. For the Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest, one of these places is the mighty Taku River. Master Carver Wayne Carlick leads a canoe team down the river to ceremony in Alaska as his people once did.
A Newfoundland family lives through lockdown, coping with their sister's mental disability, the death of their mother, and the fallout from a local COVID-19 cluster.
The story of Chatham-Kent's historical Black settlements. This film documents the past and the present of a people who have helped shape this country, but are often left out of its textbooks.
The crash of Arrow Air Flight 1285 claimed the lives of 256 souls. This is the story of those who were affected by this tragedy and how the memory of the fallen is kept alive, 35 years later.
It may seem an unlikely hotbed for tech startups, but a new generation of business leaders are finding everything they need to grow their companies, and build their lives right here in Newfoundland & Labrador.
This powerful documentary highlights an unique surf program designed to empower African Nova Scotian youth to connect with the Atlantic ocean, and discover the healing power of water.
The stories of women of colour carving out a path at Ottawa skateparks where they can be themselves without limits. How they connect through life's challenging journeys and find joy on wheels.
It's a living, but is it a life? What are the long-term social and familial effects of travelling for work? And What happens when you throw a worldwide pandemic into the mix?
An hour-long documentary about the multigenerational relationship between a working family, new immigrants, and nature, all brought together in a beautiful Orchard, maybe the perfect cooperative effort of humans and nature.
An uplifting documentary that celebrates the resilience of Manitoba's rural aviators, the importance of innovative farmers and the work of the Flying Farmers clubs.
A collection of short documentaries by Canadian filmmakers in lockdown in Canada, U.S.A. Bulgaria, Denmark, U.K. and Haiti, Quiet Time delves into personal experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the stark Labrador interior, a growing number of Filipino workers have recently landed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, travelling halfway around the world for jobs they hope will offer their families new opportunities and a better life. Becoming Labrador follows a handful of those women and men as they make a place for themselves in Labrador while dealing with the unexpected costs of living far from their family.
In the stark Labrador interior, a growing number of Filipino workers have recently landed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, travelling halfway around the world for jobs they hope will offer their families new opportunities and a better life. Becoming Labrador follows a handful of those women and men as they make a place for themselves in Labrador while dealing with the unexpected costs of living far from their family.
This fresh sketch comedy from Montreal skewers the absurdities of life in the city. Featuring David Heti, Brad MacDonald, Adina Katz, Heidi Weeks, Rodney Ramsey, Quinn McMorrow, Wassim El-Mounzer, Lise Vigneault, Elizabeth Neale, Leighland Beckman, Walter Lyng, and more.
Eagle & Hawk Take the Stage is a 22-minute documentary that explores the world through the eyes of one of Canada's longest running Indigenous bands.
Windsor Graffiti Art changes a City. A rough and tumble city gets transformed by graffiti artists. We'll discover how their art brings life back into the city's neighbourhoods.
The Inuit artists who have dedicated their lives to sharing their stories through culture and art. Featuring Nunavut's Goota and Joe Ashoona, George Arlook, and visual artist Kailey Sheppard.
Giants of the Boreal Forest explores our relationship with moose and features rare and incredible encounters filmed by world-renowned expert Dr. Vince Crichton.
The names of 17 WW1 soldiers are etched in stone on the War Memorial in Cow Head, NL. Follow Theatre Newfoundland Labrador in a behind the scenes look at the making of the play 17 Men by Jeff Pitcher.
Day's Lee looks at the history of the Chinese-Canadian restaurant and its impact on local Montreal culture through her memories of her own family's restaurant on Parc Avenue and others who ran the city's scene in the 1950's.
Montreal filmmaker Helgi Piccinin follows his younger brother, Stéphane, who has autism, on a three-year journey to the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi. Along the way we get to know Audrey Vincent (QC) and Malcolm Borso (BC) and 20 other Canadian athletes from NL to BC with intellectual disabilities as they pursue their passions to become world champions in their divisions.
Hundreds of people have gathered for the annual Woodland Cree Gathering in Stanley Mission. Along with the sites and sounds - the documentary provides an intimate look at the evolving nature of culture.
Follow Bourton Scott and his crew as they travel through the B.C. Gulf Islands in search of marine debris and discarded fishing gear that is destroying marine life.
Visual artist Lyle XOX is at the forefront of a medium that fuses recycled objects with high end art, to worldwide acclaim.
Two kindred musical spirits delve deep into Canada's quieter corners in search of the musical soul of the nation. For this episode Chris "Old Man" Luedecke, a banjo player from Nova Scotia and Lesley Robinson, an Ojibway musician from Ontario travel to North Preston, Nova Scotia to meet Pastor Wallace Smith and his musical family.
Join host Amy House as she transforms a workplace into a concert space at Abbott's Home Building Centre in Port au Port, Newfoundland featuring a night of live music from special guests Bernard & Robert Felix, Ti-Jardin, Sabrina Roberts, Dawson Greene, Harrison Vallis, and Paul Pike.
Olivia "The Predator" Gerula started from the bottom boxing in her first professional fight at 17 and was at one time the absolute best in the world.
A music series with an industrial twist. Join host Karla Pilgrim as her crew transforms a factory floor into a concert hall in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland.
A music series with an industrial twist. Join host Karla Pilgrim as her crew transforms a factory floor into a concert hall in Triton, Newfoundland.
A music series with an industrial twist. Join host Karla Pilgrim as her crew transforms a factory floor into a concert hall in Eastport, Newfoundland.
John Hofsess, founder of a Canadian underground death service flees prosecution to pursue his own assisted-suicide
The daughter of 2nd-wave Italian immigrants to Montreal, filmmaker Agata De Santis turns the camera on her family and community to examine how Italian-Canadians living in Quebec navigate their duality.
A musical exchange between Scottish and Cape Breton traditional fiddle players.
How Newfoundland hospitality inspired the Tony-Award winning musical "Come From Away".
A year in the life of a French speaking family and the obstacles they face as a linguistic minority in Nova Scotia.
Justin Allen runs his twelve sled dogs 3,000 kilometres from Churchill on Hudson's Bay to his hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick.
Join singer-songwriter Erin Costelo as she writes and records an album in just 10 days.
Explores the shifting dynamics between the sexes in the liturgical music of religious communities where men are usually at the head of both rituals and musical compositions. Four Montreal women are working to ensure the survival of these ancient art forms within their communities.
Dance is at the heart of every culture. It reflects who we are; Toronto's diversity, but also the creativity of the artists who perform it.
A person who has a mental illness loses other friends who also suffer from mental illness.
In 2017 for the first time in over 100 years, Bison will return to Banff National Park. The area has potential to support a thousand animals making Banff the potential home to one of the largest free-ranging Bison populations in North America.
The Gardener is a documentary reflecting on a spiritual and creative approach to gardening. A highly experiential program profiling one of Quebec's prolific landscape artists.
This documentary explores various stories and journeys converging on an abandoned York factory on Hudson's Bay
This doc tells the story of the 11 Inuit signatories of the James Bay Agreement as they took on the Quebec government to protect their land and their children's future in the early 1970s.
All our Father's Relations tells the story of the Grant siblings who journey from Vancouver to China in an attempt to rediscover their father's roots.
A story about dreams and fantasies. It is the story of two people who have successfully sought escape from their ‘regular' lives to live their fantasy. Their stories are unique but they share something with everyone who has ever dreamed of reaching a seemingly unattainable goal.
Montreal is home to one of the most active communities of artists in all of Canada and is well known throughout the world for its creative output.
Avon Ladies... Rural Style is a film demonstrating how rural women in Newfoundland earned income selling Avon cosmetic products in the 1960's.
Photographer and garlic farmer Joan Sullivan seeks to capture how people living along the rural coast of eastern Quebec adapt to major climate change events.
Broadcaster Jackie Torrens discovers what it is like to live on welfare for one week.
The remarkable transformation of Roland Vandal, from struggling drug addict to community leader.
A group of Newfoundland Ponies is rescued from the west coast and brought home.
An eye-opening and emotional history of Winnipeg's LGBT community through personal stories, news reports, and rarely-seen archival images and recordings.
The passionate life and loves of composer Malcolm Forsyth, the man who defined Canadian Classical music.
There are over a million Aboriginal people in Canada. Increasingly those who leave their reserves are finding their way to large urban centers like Toronto. This is their story.
The story of New Brunswick native John Peters Humphrey, a disabled man who fought for global human rights.
Exploring the sticky, golden universe of Canada's quintessential national emblem, this documentary showcases the culture and politics behind an industry that recently suffered the biggest heist in agricultural history.
Ashley MacIssac hosts a concert featuring Celtic musicians putting a modern spin on traditional music
A local music program for youth living in under-served areas of Ottawa with a mission to empower children through the universal language of music.
The Blue Puttees face internal battles after World War I.
Montreal is a global hub for 'hackathons', weekend-long contests for innovating technology. CBC Montreal looks at how local infrastructure, healthcare, transportation and leisure are being improved by volunteer maverick thinkers.
Stories from the Nova Scotia Black Community of the early twentieth century. In this episode: "The Clever Wife" and "The Tablecloth, the Donkey, and the Knobbly Stick".
NFB`s award-winning documentary profiling Canadian Cartoonist Seth, creator of "Palookaville".
The Greenvaders is an independent documentary that follows local leaders and residents from the Ottawa-Gatineau area as they look for ways to improve environmental challenges, take on corporations and influence decision makers.
Profiling half a dozen top celebrity chefs in Toronto who speak to how food connects us. It's an expose of how food reflects the increasing cultural diversity of Toronto (Ontario).
Reg Sherren revisits the players and the places that were critical in the Gimli Glider incident of July 1983 (Manitoba).
In this 22-minute episode produced for the 2013 Culture Days, CBC Montreal host Jeanette Kelly explores innovations at the crossroads of Quebec art, technology, and wearables (Quebec).
100 years of Rider Pride in Saskatchewan.
In celebration of Alberta Arts Days, the CBC Alberta television stations broadcast a one-hour musical special featuring Alberta performers all under the age of 22 (British Columbia).