Face 2 Face With David Peck

Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Face2Face host David Peck talk about minor miracles, conduits for truth, journalism, craft and art, humility and openness, Immanuel Kant and the ethics of engagement.Human Rights Watch Festival - February 18th to 22 - 2021Get your tickets here: The annual Toronto Human Rights Watch Film Festival brings human stories to life in a manner that empowers the audience to demand justice for all.By using film as a medium, Toronto Human Rights Watch Film Festival aims to bring awareness to human rights issues in a way that is easily understandable and provides the viewer with the knowledge to advocate for change. Join us and the vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all.For more info about Human Rights Watch head here.About Jennifer & Nick:Jennifer Baichwal Jennifer Baichwal was born in Montréal and grew up in Victoria, British Columbia. She studied philosophy and theology at McGill University, receiving an M.A. in 19

Thomas Sadoski, Thomas Mazziotti and Face2face host David Peck talk about The Mimic, socio-paths, loss, the old school, mental health issues, rapid fire dialogue, and why you need to keep ringing the bell.TrailerFind out more about the film here.Synopsis:Based on a true story, this clever, intriguing, and hyperbolic comedy follows the main character - the Narrator (Thomas Sadoski) who is befriended by his young new neighbor 'the Kid’ (Jake Robinson), after he joins the local newspaper team. Obsessed with the idea that the Kid may be a sociopath, the Narrator goes to extreme lengths to uncover the truth about him and his wife, a woman he ultimately begins to fancy.Between long walks down the street, a twisted dinner date, and a car drive gone terribly wrong, the Narrator gets closer and closer to the truth about the Kid. But the truth, as he finds, is anything but what he expected. "Sociopaths have been portrayed as a shady bunch up until now. Inspired by true events, this confrontational comedy explores the u

Pier-Phillippe Chevigny and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Rebel, social issues, extreme militant groups, empathy, fear and education, nature versus nurture, listening to each other and why he has faith in the next generation.TrailerFind out more about the film here.Watch it now! Here on Vimeo. Synopsis:Alex, a six-year-old boy from Quebec, is oblivious to the thousands of refugees entering Canada illegally to avoid deportation. Yet when his father takes him along to a vigilante patrol in the woods to hunt out trespassing migrants, something inside him tells him to rebel.Director Pier-Phillippe Chevigny’s Rebel was inspired by true events. When thousands of illegal immigrants flooded into Canada from the US in 2017, Quebec’s right-wing groups went on the attack.This live-action short film has been making its mark on the film world having been selected for numerous world-class festivals including TIFF, Busan, Regard, Namur, and Vladivostok.This topical film won numerous awards including the Aud

Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli and Face2face host David Peck talk about their unsettling new film Violation, trust and dysfunctional relationships, catharsis, time and the healing of wounds and how the past informs how we see each other.TrailerFind out more about the film hereSynopsis:Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli’s deeply disturbing debut feature is a chilling, gruesome portrait of trust, loyalty, and sibling rivalry. The film pulls the audience through a dark portal into a PTSD memory smash and untangles a sticky web of trauma and resentment. Combining lush aesthetics and heartbreaking violence, VIOLATION is a turbulent, dreamy, feminist revenge fable that creates an intimate cataclysm of bloody and inevitable retribution.With her marriage about to implode, Miriam returns to her hometown to seek solace in the comfort of her younger sister and brother-in-law. But one evening a tiny slip in judgement leads to a catastrophic betrayal, leaving Miriam shocked, reeling, and furious. Believi

Kate McKenzie, Martin Parnell and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their important new film The Secret Marathon, hope and resilience, gender justice, staying curious, sharing and giving back, and the democracy of running.TrailerFind out more about the film hereSynopsis:When the first Afghan woman stood up for her freedom and ran in the Marathon of Afghanistan, she started a movement for equality that spread around the world. Zainab’s story inspired legendary marathon runner, Martin Parnell, to imagine what his life might be like if his gender prevented him from going outside to run.Martin vowed to run in the Marathon of Afghanistan the following year to support Zainab, and partnered with filmmaker and first time marathoner, Kate McKenzie, to tell the story.To avoid making the marathon a target for terrorist attack, they must train, and travel to Afghanistan in secret, where they will uncover unexpected beauty, incredible hardships, and the amazing people who stand for change.This is the story of the brave

Tom Putnam and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his delightful new film The Dark Divide with David Cross and Debra Messing and we chat about poetry, comedy and the journey ahead, relational caretaking, re-evaluating leadership and the difference between searchers and dreamers.TrailerFind out more about the film here.Synopsis:The Dark Divide is based on the true story of renowned butterfly expert Dr. Robert Pyle’s (David Cross) perilous 1995 journey across one of America’s largest undeveloped wild lands.At the urging of his dying wife Thea (Debra Messing), the shy author finds himself in over his head on an epic, life-changing expedition through Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest in search of new species of butterflies.Over the course of his six-week adventure Pyle battles self-doubt, the grueling trail, and the people and creatures who call this forest home.And, somewhere deep in the heart of The Dark Divide, he makes a discovery that challenges everything he knows about the natural world.About

Scott Adkins and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new sci-fi comedy Max Cloud, inspiration, passion and commitment, growth and uncomfortable situations, and the influence of martial arts on his life.TrailerNow available to rent on: iTunes and YouTubeSynopsis:1990. Brooklyn. Teenager Sarah loves playing video games with her best friend Cowboy. One evening after an argument with her father Tony, Sarah finds herself magically propelled into her favorite game, The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud.Embodying the useless character of Jake (the chef), Sarah finds herself immersed in Max Cloud’s world and smack-bang in the middle of a galactic crisis. The ship has crash-landed on the planet of Heinous, a prison for the galaxy's most evil and dangerous criminals and ruled by the utterly bizarre Revengor and the evil sorceress Shee.With no pause and only one life, (and sub-average gamer) Cowboy must control Sarah through a wacky, zany adventure as they help Max and his team face Revengor, Shee, and an army

Thomas Balmès and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his beautiful new film Sing Me A Song, Bhutan and the West, universal stories, our addiction to technology and realities that you cannot write.TrailerSynopsis:Sing Me a Song is a new documentary feature by acclaimed filmmaker Thomas Balmès(Babies, Happiness). With Sing Me a Song, Balmès returns to one of the subjects of his award-winning Happiness.A nuanced portrait of a young man’s introduction to the world, the film follows now-teenaged Peyangki, who lives and studies in a picturesque monastery deep in the mountains of Bhutan.Several years have passed since TV and the Internet have been allowed into the remote country, and now the structured daily rituals of candle lighting and recitation of prayers compete with the powerful lure of smartphones. Privately, Peyangki is passionate about love songs and forms a relationship with a young singer on WeChat named Ugyen, from the capital city of Thimphu.Disinterested in study and often reprimanded by his masters

David Thewlis and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his beautiful, comical and touching new film Eternal Beauty, which also stars Sally Hawkins. They talked art as power, home life and mental health, relationships and being there.TrailerWatch hereSynopsis:Jane (Sally Hawkins) was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in her early twenties, when she had a breakdown after being stood up at the altar by her fiancé. After spending time in mental hospitals, where she was given shock therapy, she now hears voices and regularly has paranoid episodes.Her self-centered family brings her little solace or empathy, so she does what she can to torment them. After she stops taking her medication, she's meets Mike (David Thewlis), an aspiring musician with his own mental health problems, in the doctor's waiting room. The two hit it off and begin seeing each other.They're extremely happy together, despite Jane's belief that there's no happiness, only moments of not being depressed. But when she tells her family they're ge

Dieudo Hamadi and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Downstream from Kinshasa, resilience over resistance, responsibility and reality, politics and the human condition and a desire for life and a better tomorrowTrailerSynopsis:Dieudo Hamadi returns with his latest portrait of his native Congo, honouring survivors of his country’s Six-Day War in 2000. Since making his feature documentary debut in 2013, Dieudo Hamadi has produced an unparalleled body of work that captures glimpses of contemporary Congolese life.In examining elections (Atalaku, 2013), schools (National Diploma, which played TIFF in 2014), violence against women and children (Mama Colonel, 2017), and political mobilization (Kinshasa Makambo, 2018), Hamadi has told individual stories that speak to collective experiences and histories. With Downstream to Kinshasa, Hamadi perfects this approach as he follows a group of victims of his country’s Six-Day War in 2000, who are seeking reparations from the government.In June 2000, Kisa

Hao Wu and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his beautiful, brilliant and important new film 76 Days, similarity through difference, united healthcare workers and hope, community and commonality that lead to understanding and personal, powerful, human stories.TrailerWebsiteWatch in a Virtual CinemaSynopsis:On January 23rd, 2020, China locked down Wuhan, a city of 11 million, to combat the emerging COVID-19 outbreak. Set deep inside the frontlines of the crisis in four hospitals, 76 DAYS tells indelible human stories at the center of this pandemic—from a woman begging in vain to bid a final farewell to her father, a grandfather with dementia searching for his way home, a couple anxious to meet their newborn, to a nurse determined to return personal items to families of the deceased. These raw and intimate stories bear witness to the death and rebirth of a city under a 76-day lockdown, and to the human resilience that persists in times of profound tragedy.About Hao:Hao Wu’s documentary films have received fu

Werner Herzog, Clive Oppenheimer and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds, curiosity, mystery wonder and friendships, serendipity and deep cultural impact, micro meteorites and the oldest thing in the universe.TrailerNow Available On Apple TV+Synopsis:Following their Academy Award-nominated work on “Encounters at the End of the World” and Emmy-nominated “Into the Inferno,” Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer’s new film “Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds” takes viewers on an extraordinary journey to discover how shooting stars, meteorites and deep impacts have focused the human imagination on other realms and worlds, and on our past and our future.An Apple Original Film, Sandbox Films presents, in association with Dogwoof and Hot Docs Partners, a Spring Films and Werner Herzog Film co-production, “Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds.” The film is directed by Herzog and Oppenheimer and written and narrated by Herzog. The producers are André Singer and L

Paul Leyden and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his laugh out loud, fun new film Chick Fight, empowerment, fighting back, losing his soul, why tuna, toast and baked beans are so important to him.TrailerAvailable On Demand and DigitalSynopsis:Chick Fight follows Anna (Malin Akerman) as she navigates a particularly challenging juncture in her life: she still hasn’t reconciled with the recent death of her adored mother, she’s just discovered that her loving and supportive father is gay (which she totally supports, but the deception cuts deep), and she accidentally burns down her uninsured coffee shop when she discovers a casually thrown joint and a spilled bottle of moonshine don’t exactly mix.Knowing Anna needs to be abruptly shaken and stirred from her deep funk, her best friend Charleen (Dulcé Sloan) takes Anna to an all women underground fight club. It's here that Anna encounters an eclectic cast of characters, including the intimidatingly perfect and most brutally efficient fighter of the club, Olivia

Noemi Weis and Face2Face host David Peck talk about a mental health crisis with young people, suicide, listening well, loneliness and isolation, breaking the stigma, human rights and why community starts in the family.TrailerMore info hereSynopsis:This character-driven and cinematic feature film is the first of its kind to bring the exclusive voices of young people to the forefront talking about youth mental health. It is their personal accounts that drive the film’s narrative forward. They are the ones to tell us where we have gone wrong and what needs to change. We call them the experts.In a highly cinematic mise-en-sc.ne, Connecting the Dots reveals why we face a population of young people feeling anxious, depressed and too often ending their own lives. The film sheds light on preventative and inspiring ways to bring light to this global crisis of youth mental health. Traveling the world, the film takes the viewers to such countries as Canada, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Zimbabwe and more.Connecting the Dots o

David Suzuki and Face2Face host David Peck talk about anger and hope, the 60th Anniversary of The Nature of Things, the reality of climate change, robust science, human control and economics as the dominant narrative.TrailerMore info hereSynopsis:To launch the 60th season of CBC’s The Nature of Things, David Suzuki goes to the front lines of the climate rebellion, and into the streets that raged with protests this summer, to paint a vivid portrait of a generation in revolt.In Rebellion, David Suzuki profiles activists in the revolt, from Greta Thunberg with her Fridays for Future strikes, to Gail Bradbrook of the Extinction Rebellion movement that has seized headlines with their dramatic actions. Rebellion also features interviews with leading figures in the climate crisis, including Sir David Attenborough, known the world over for his brilliant nature documentaries and now his passionate call for governments to wake up to the climate catastrophe.“Suddenly people are hearing,” Attenborough tells Suzuki.

Grace Dove and Face2Face host David Peck talk about rebuilding Indigenous Identity, truth and authenticity, safe spaces, representation, the wisdom of her ancestors, her new film Monkey Beach and how we just might be able to save each other.TrailerMore info hereSynopsis:Waking up in her East Van apartment nursing another hangover, Lisa (Grace Dove) is served notice by her cousin’s ghost (Sera-Lys McArthur), "Your family needs you." Reunited with her Haisla kin in Kitimaat Village, she realizes that she’s meant to save her brother (Joel Oulette) from a tragic fate she’s foreseen since childhood. Of course, there’s also the matter of contending with the mystical creatures lurking in the nearby woods. And so begins a captivating allegory about learning to coexist with both the ghosts that haunt us and spirits who might enlighten us.In bringing Eden Robinson’s beloved novel to the screen, Loretta S. Todd offers us a modern epic underpinned by themes that have long defined heroic journeys. Todd’s first feature nar

Shane Belcourt and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Amplify, resistance, Metis history and voice, interpretation and interconnectedness, sonic highways, identity politics, music and art and what it reveals about culture and us.TrailerMore info here.Synopsis:Our Endless Resistance featuring songwriter Shane Belcourt author Maria Campbell and Métis Rights Advocate Tony Belcourt.Métis songwriter Shane Belcourt, finds inspiration looking back on interviews he did with celebrated Métis author Maria Campbell, and his father, an acclaimed Métis Rights leader Tony Belcourt.What are lessons we can learn from the 1960-1980 Métis Rights movement?About Shane:Shane Belcourt is a two-time CSA-nominated Director, with award-winning narrative and documentary works in both film and TV. His debut feature film Tkaronto, had a theatrical release, was sold to SuperChannel and Air Canada, and was showcased in both the TIFF Indigenous Cinema Retrospective and the UCLA Film & Television Archive traveling exhibition, “Through

Graham Greene and Aaron Wolf and Face2Face host David Peck talk about the new perfectly timed Halloween release Tar, the La Brea Tar Pits, real stories and real acting, monsters and kernels of truth that can be found in every story.TrailerThe film is now available on Digital and On Demand.Synopsis:Tar is a new thriller about a family business that is forced to shut down and move as the cities subway is expanding under their feet and the office building is slated for demolition.However, something primal is awoken by the underground construction, and a night of sombre packing becomes a desperate fight for survival! The 1091 Picture new film Tar, written and directed by Canadian Aaron Wolf, starring Timothy Bottoms (Golden Globe Nominee), Graham Greene (Academy Award Nominee) Tiffany Shepis and Max Perlich.Here’s a special message from Aaron:“As a Canadian, with my family being from Toronto, every time I get to bring a film home to my Motherland, it feels ex

Trevor Cameron and Face2Face host David Peck talk about The Shadow of Dumont, ex-buffalo hunters, radical hope, identity and legacy, how history and our Mother’s are connected and the need to remember.TrailerMore about the film hereAnd watch it Now!Playing at ImagineNATIVESynopsis:Living in Toronto and seeking reconnection with his Métis roots, Trevor Cameron sets out on a cross-country road trip to the homelands of Gabriel Dumont, hero and leader of the 1885 Métis uprising.In a ramshackle van painted with Métis iconography, Cameron blends animation, personal narrative and historical facts visiting the places and people who can offer profound insight into Dumont.While textbooks may offer us a glimpse of who this important figure was, Shadow of Dumont explores Gabriel Dumont through kinship, humour, and a deep connection to the landscape.About Trevor:Trevor Cameron is an award-winning Métis writer and director whose films have been screened internationally. His interest in telling Métis-specific stories o

Sarah Loretta Todd and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Monkey Beach, indigenous storytelling, delicate spaces, narrative anchors, displacement and why it’s in the bones and blood.TrailerMore about the film hereSynopsis:Waking up in her East Van apartment nursing another hangover, Lisa (Grace Dove) is served notice by her cousin’s ghost (Sera-Lys McArthur), "Your family needs you." Reunited with her Haisla kin in Kitimaat Village, she realizes that she’s meant to save her brother (Joel Oulette) from a tragic fate she’s foreseen since childhood. Of course, there’s also the matter of contending with the mystical creatures lurking in the nearby woods. And so begins a captivating allegory about learning to coexist with both the ghosts that haunt us and spirits who might enlighten us.In bringing Eden Robinson’s beloved novel to the screen, Loretta S. Todd offers us a modern epic underpinned by themes that have long defined heroic journeys. Todd’s first feature narrative unfolds through a thrilling array of tem