Face 2 Face With David Peck

John Walker and Aaron James and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Assholes: A Theory, the public good, economics and indifference, activism and authoritarianism, capitalism and greed, public spaces and shared prosperity.  Trailer You Can Buy the Book here. Synopsis:Ever get the feeling that assholes are taking over the world?Bad behaviour is as old as human history, something we all encounter at some point—whether on the playground, in the workplace or in public life. But the phenomenon seems to be amplified in an age of venomous social media and resurgent authoritarian politics.With rampant narcissism threatening to trash civilization as we know it, the time has come for Assholes: A Theory, an entertaining and oh-so-timely new doc from acclaimed director John Walker. Built around a lively conversation with philosopher Aaron James, author of the New York Times bestseller of the same name, Assholes: A Theory investigates the breeding grounds of contempo

Coky Giedroyc and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film How To Build a Girl, friendship, loyalty and family, discovery and how life unfolds in front of us in a real, messy and wonderful way and the uncertain personal journeys we all seem to take.  Synopsis: Johanna Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein) is a sixteen-year-old, extrovert from the outskirts of Wolverhampton with raging hormones and gigantic dreams. Even though she loves her big, boisterous, dysfunctional family, Johanna knows with absolute certainty that there is something bigger and better for her out in the world. And when she finds it, only then will she start ‘being me’. But quite what ‘me’ is, hasn’t been invented yet. With her inimitable wit and bottomless imagination, writing is surely her ticket to a brand-new self. After a couple of false starts, Johanna wins a job at top music magazine, D&ME and reinvents herself as revered and feared music critic – Dolly Wilde, the enfant terrible. As she slaughters her way to grea

Shawney Cohen and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new Rat Park, addiction, mental health, context and environment, boredom and drug decriminalization and rats that meditate.  Trailer Watch on CRAVE TV and for more info on the film head here.   Synopsis: The secret to solving the world’s drug crisis lies in a forgotten psychology experiment involving rats and heroin. Thirty years later, RAT PARK shows how the experiment’s radical findings are more relevant than ever. Following three stories 10,000 miles apart, we witness why drug laws and addiction are not really about the drugs. They’re about the cages we live in. In Portugal, a ceramics artist struggles with an all-consuming heroin problem even in a society that unconditionally supports drug users On the other side of the world, a young grieving mother and a hardened photojournalist in the Philippines grapple with the extrajudicial killings of drug users. And in Palm Beach, an outlaw recovery worker fights for life-savi

Garin Hovannisian, Serj Tankian and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film I Am Not Alone, politics and protest, Armenia and the Velvet Revolution, citizen protests, activism, advocacy pessimism and hope. Trailer Synopsis: On Easter 2018, a man put on a backpack and went live on Facebook to announce that he was beginning a walk across Armenia. His mission: to inspire a velvet revolution — and topple the corrupt regime that enjoys absolute power in his post-soviet nation. With total access to all key players, I AM NOT ALONE tells the miraculous true story of what happens in the next 40 days.Garin Hovannisian’s gripping documentary deftly follows the efforts led by journalist, politician, and activist Nikol Pashinyan to prevent the election of the country’s president, Serzh Sargsyan, as the new prime minister — a move that would essentially put Sargsyan in control of Armenia for life, making him a de facto dictator.The movement begins hopelessly, with Nikol and just a handful of supporter

Lisa Fiorilli and Face2Face host David Peck talk about working in the cultural sector, diversity and inclusion, passion and people, statistics, and the perception and definition of art. Making It Work: WorkInCulture is a non-profit arts service organization that supports the people who work in the cultural sector in Ontario through life-long career development and entrepreneurial and business skills training. Specifically, WIC is recognized for its Job Board and for connecting employers to artists, creatives and cultural workers; though WorkInCulture is not just the Job Board. In partnership with sector leaders and funders, WorkInCulture develops and delivers diversified learning opportunities for artists, creative entrepreneurs and arts administrators from all creative disciplines and stages of their careers. WorkInCulture is committed to implementing inclusive programming through its Creative Boost and WorkSmarts workshops and webinars, eLearning modules, Creative Works Conference, mento

Andrea Hummel and Face2Face host David Peck talk about cultural diversity, political correctness, policy over practice, trauma and safe space, empathy and understanding and why being a hermit might not be a great idea. Improve for Peace is a group that helps organizations, communities and professionals actively resolve miscommunication. Participants re-script their past via experiential learning. They use guided improvisations to do in a workshop setting what they can’t always do in real life. We provide opportunities for participatory community reconciliation. We help heal the psychic wounds of people and groups historically in conflict. We don’t take sides. About our Guest: Andrea Hummel is trained in cultural anthropology with a Masters from American University (Washington, DC) and additional studies in refugee affairs and linguistics. In 1991 she founded a consulting firm specializing in cultural diversity and provided trainings, cultural needs assessments and human relations consulting.&nb

Laura MacNiven and Face2Face host David Peck talk about ADHD and hyperactivity, mental health stigma, neurotransmitters and relationship building, self-awareness, being free of judgment and the fullness of hope.  New Book: May We Have Your Attention Please? A Springboard Clinic Workbook for Living and Thriving with Adult ADHD.  About our Guest:  Laura MacNiven, M.Ed., is Director of Clinic Services at Springboard Clinic: a leading multidisciplinary clinic specializing in ADHD awareness and treatment in Canada. Focusing on health literacy and learning resources, she is the founder of the Finding yourSELF program that leads to long-term behaviour change for adults. As a professional who experiences attention issues herself, she is deeply passionate about sharing a message of hope—and effective tools to meet the challenge. She enjoys outdoor sports, writing and exploring the world through the eyes of her two children. Image Copyright: Laura MacNiven, M.Ed. Used with permission. F2F Music

Natasha Luckhardt and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Town of Widows, human rights, public engagement and picket lines, trust in the system, workplace justice, and why evidence is rarely neutral. Trailer Watch here on CBC Docs.  Synopsis: Directed by Natasha Luckhardt and Rob Viscardis, Town of Widows is a documentary exposé of widows and workers in the “Electric City” of Peterborough, ON fighting for justice in a system stacked against them.  Peterborough, ON., was home to a GE plant for over a century. With 6000 employees at its peak in the 1960’s and 1970’s, GE threw Christmas parties for the community of workers and helped to start the town’s university. But over time, employees and their families noticed more and more GE workers dying from cancer.  Looking back, the warning signs and symptoms were there—the nosebleeds and headaches, the red patches on their skin, the coughs that wouldn’t go away—and workers had a hunch GE was making them sick.  In

Ian Toews and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new TV series Ageless Gardens, citizen science and the environment, hope, fertility, nature and art, eating locally and why you can always find energy in the soil.  Trailer Synopsis: Ageless Gardens is a visual celebration of gardens – and the gardeners behind them. Viewers have commented that even just watching the series is therapeutic and gives the viewer the same experience of tranquility and the natural rhythm of life as gardening itself does.  Each episode presents a portrait of a wide range of Canadians whose lives have been greatly enriched through the gardening experience: About the Director:  Ian Toews has been making films and television series since 1996. His works are primarily concerned with the natural environment.He is the producer, director, and DOP of 7 short films, more than 75 television episodes, and 7 full-length documentaries, including the Gemini Award winning series Landscape as Muse an

Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Freaks, permanent residency, science fiction with a conscience, perspective, fear and vision and how thematic elements in a story sneak up on you. Trailer Synopsis: A bold girl discovers a bizarre, threatening, and mysterious new world beyond her front door after she escapes her father's protective and paranoid control. About the Directors:Zach Lipovsky has been around film sets almost his entire life. He started working in the film industry as a child actor, when his producer mom decided to put him in front of the camera. In these early years, he starred in many Canadian films and television shows, and by high school was creating his own body of work. By- passing college, he joined a filmmaking cooperative and combined his acting and filmmaking experiences with his natural skills in vfx and post production, to create visually stunning yet emotionally engaging films.Zach co-produced and was Special Effect

Steven Warshaw and Gabe Polsky and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film, Red Penguins, the politics of hockey, national pride, optimism and hope, cultural peculiarities, listening to others and capitalism run amok.  Synopsis: Complete with gangsters, strippers, and live bears serving beer on a hockey rink, Red Penguins tells the wild forgotten true story of capitalism and opportunism run amok in Moscow. Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the famed Red Army hockey team formed a joint venture that redefined what was possible in the new Russia. Eccentric marketing whiz, Steve Warshaw, is sent to Moscow and tasked to transform the team into the greatest show in Russia, attracting some of the biggest names in Hollywood and advertising along the way. He takes the viewer on a bizarre journey highlighting a pivotal moment in U.S.-Russian relations during a lawless era when oligarchs made their fortunes and multiple murders went unsolved. About our

Hugo Weaving, Bolude Watson, Ben Lawrence, Andrew Luri and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film, Hearts and Bones, PTSD, relationships and hope, the power of community, the image and why finding our way home matters. Trailer Synopsis: War photographer, Daniel Fisher has returned home to the news of his partner’s pregnancy. Determined not let fatherhood alter his way of life, he begins preparations for an upcoming exhibition and his next overseas assignment. However, as the birth of his child draws near he struggles to keep his rising anxiety hidden. Meanwhile, South Sudanese refugee, Sebastian Aman has created a safe life in Australia with his wife and child. His peaceful life is disturbed when Dan’s exhibition threatens to display photographs of a massacre that occurred in Sebastian’s home village, 15 years earlier. When Sebastian approaches Dan with an appeal to not display any images of the massacre, an unlikely friendship develops between the men. Bonded by their sh

Jason Anderson and Face2Face host David Peck talk about short form cinema, coming of ages stories, diversity, perspective, fresh new voices and some of the films to look out for at TIFF 2019 and why it’s a pretty good year for weird.  TIFF 2019 - TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. Buy tickets here: TIFF 2019 running from September 5th to the 15th and check out TIFF trailers here.  About our Guest:  Jason Anderson is a programmer, writer and lecturer based in Toronto. He’s the lead programmer for Short Cuts, the Toronto International Film Festival’s annual program of shortform cinema. He’s also the director of programming for the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, the country’s largest standalone festival of Canadian movies. He’s served on juries for festival such as Hot Docs, Vienna Independent Shorts, the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival and Nordisk Panorama. Previously a longtime critic and columnist

Alan Zweig and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Coppers, first responders, trauma, cop humour, guilt and PTSD, and why it’s time to finding ways to empathize with the other.Trailer Synopsis: In 2009 director Alan Zweig made A Hard Name, a film about ex-convicts, and 10 years later comes Coppers, a film that explores the lives of the men and women who helped convict them in the first place. Hurt people hurt people, as they say. The only thing the men and women in Coppers have in common is that they’re retired and ready to look back. They tell gruesome stories, sad stories and a few funny ones but the gruesome stories dominate — they’re just part of the daily grind. Heads indeed can roll and guts can spill. Most cops have seen that happen at least once in their career. It’s a profession marked by adrenaline and chaos but also by suicide and marital breakdown. Some coppers feel they can sail past the mayhem and decomposing bodies. But no one leaves the job without a mark, and not

Collin Friesen and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Sorry For Your Loss, dark humor, how we deal with death, why the future matters and understanding your voice and craft and pushing back against societal norms.Trailer Synopsis: Marking Collin Friesen’s directorial debut, this heartfelt comedy follows exhausted new dad Ken (Justin Bartha) as he heads home to bury his own estranged father. He is guilted into fulfilling his father’s dying wish – to have his ashes scattered on the playing field of the local pro football team.It’s a task that proves tougher and funnier than it should be but with the help of his lonely, hippy mother (Lolita Davidovich) and his father’s old golf buddy (Bruce Greenwood), Ken learns a little about himself, his marriage, and most importantly, that there’s nothing about dying that makes you a saint. About the Director: Collin Friesen was born in small town Saskatchewan and grew up in Winnipeg, Canada. The son of a high school teacher and church

Michael Ungar and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new book, resilience, the seduction of hope, herd immunity, why selfishness often backfires and why the self help industry isn’t working. You can buy his book here: Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and The Path to Success Synopsis: How much can grit, motivation, and positive thinking actually matter when the world around us is starved of support and opportunity? A billion-dollar self-improvement industry always puts responsibility for change on our shoulders. But this approach, which owes more to the myths of rugged individualism and victim-blaming politics than to credible scientific research, produces few real and lasting improvements to our health and happiness.Dr. Michael Ungar’s mind-bending new book, Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and The Path to Success (Sutherland House Book, May 30, 2019), reveals the emptiness of the self-improvement movement and offers instead a stunning new perspective on success and per

Thom Powers and Face2Face host David Peck talk about documentary film, some of the films to look out for at TIFF 2019, empathy and social change, the politics of story and why Toronto is a special place.TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film.TIFF 2019 Buy tickets here: TIFF 2019 running from September 5th to the 15th. And check out TIFF trailers here. Be sure to listen to Thom Powers on: Pure Non Fiction About our Guest: Thom Powers has been an international documentary programmer for the Toronto International Film Fectival since 2006. His TIFF selections have gone on to win critical and commercial acclaim including the Oscar winners Free Solo, Undefeated and Inside Job. As a programmer of music documentaries, he has moderated conversations with U2, Grace Jones, Yo-Yo Ma, Keith Richards, and Neil Young. He created and oversees TIFF Doc Conference, which has featured speakers such as Werner Herzog, Raoul Peck

Joe Berridge and Face2Face host David Peck talk about cities and entropy, why they’re like purpose built machines, liberty, innovation, democracy and urban planning and why successful cities need immigrants.  About the Book: There is no such thing as a perfect city, but great cities have moments of perfection - perfect streets or buildings, perfect places to raise a family or to relax with a coffee - and all strive for perfection when they undertake grand civic projects revitalizing their downtowns or waterfronts, or building innovation hubs, airports, and arenas, or reforming their governance systems, or integrating streams of new immigrants. Cities, more than ever, are the engines of our economies and the ecosystems in which our lives play out, which makes questions about the perfectibility of urban life all the more urgent. Joe Berridge, one of the world’s leading urban planners, takes us on an insider’s tour of some of the world’s largest and most diverse cities, from New York to London, Shanghai to

Ruth Lande Shuman and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Publicolor, creativity and change, your inner artists, the deprivation of color, empowerment and Pepto Bismol pink and the gap that exists within education. Video Overview About Ruth:  A dynamic and passionate innovator, Ruth Lande Shuman is an award-winning industrial designer deeply committed to using design to address two of the root causes of poverty: the under-education of our youth and their lack of job preparedness. Ms. Shuman received her B.A. in 1964 from the University of Pennsylvania and completed her M.S. in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in 1989 with a thesis on “Modular Forms, Patterns, and Systems in Nature,” where she also completed a six-month post-graduate study on the psychological effects of color.​A pioneer in using design to engage disaffected youth in their education, Ms. Shuman set her sights on improving the lives of neglected NYC public school students, their teachers, families and communities. Alarmed by low

 Jaren Hayman, Garry James and Face2Face host David Peck talk about This Is North Preston, racism, community, stereo types, opportunities and choices, what goes on behind closed doors and why there are no easy answers.Trailer Watch the movie on iTunes here. Synopsis: North Preston is the largest black community in Canada and started as a safe haven for escaped slaves but has more recently been painted as one of the biggest hubs of pimping & human trafficking in the nation. This Is North Preston directed by Jaren Hayman (Bodyguards) explores how the town of 4,000 has dealt with generations of pimp culture, violence, economic struggle, and constant systemic racism through the eyes of the victims, politicians, police, and community members looking to change the narrative.  The film not only tells a truly unique story, but also an incredibly important one. While the community has several deep-rooted issues it’s facing, including high levels of gun violenc