Face 2 Face With David Peck

Judy Wood, Trevor Brisbin and Face2Face host David Peck talk about the new film Saint Judy, a nation of immigrants, justice, idealism and realism, transformation and truth, hope, security and why sometimes fighting back matters.Trailer Synopsis:Saint Judy tells the true story of Los Angeles immigration attorney Judy Wood, who single-handedly changed the United States law of asylum and saved countless lives in the process.In a landmark case, one of her first as an immigration lawyer, Judy Wood represented an Afghan woman who fled her home country after being persecuted by the Taliban for opening a school for girls. After a tenacious battle both in and out of court, Judy's efforts culminated in arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit where she fought to include women as a protected class.About the Guests: Judy Wood came to immigration law as a result of Salvadoran political prisoners, who were stranded in El Salvador during the 1980's when the Civil War was raging. Sh

Karen Stokkendal Poulsen and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film On The Inside of A Military Dictatorship, democratic reform, compromise, trust and privilege, personal interest, corruption and power.Trailer Synopsis: The film tells the story of how the military of Myanmar stepped into the shadow after 50 years of dictatorship, while the democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who the military had kept in house arrest for 20 years, became the leader of the country. The story is unusual because the two parties keep having a strange grip on each other: the military with their control of the countries’ resources, Aung San Suu Kyi with her control of the people.It’s the story of how power struggles unfold and how political enemies can end up being closer than the ones they claim to fight for: the people. They play in the same field and get to know each other on close hold and it changes them.It is a two-egged sword, though: compromise can be the way forward to reconcile a painful past. It can

Larry Weinstein and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies, consumerism, art and persuasion, demagogues and Donald Trump, Che Guevara and why religion is the ultimate propaganda.Trailer Synopsis: In a world where access to media is unprecedented, the global conversation around the propagation of information, “alternative facts” and “fake news” has never been more heated. As media outlets become increasingly polarized, and as social media rules information feeds, where does propaganda come into play? How is it influencing changes in the world order? Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies demystifies the predominant means and methods of propagandist persuasion that have been employed by those seeking power. It explores and analyzes the present day landscape and contextualizes it by looking back at key epochs of history when propaganda defined nations and kept populations in check. From ancient cave drawings, to the frescoes of the Sistine Chap

Matthew O’Connor and Minnie Lane and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film The Pick Up Game, love, loneliness and money, relationships and empathy, self doubt and fear of rejection and why you shouldn’t bubble wrap your heart. Trailer Synopsis: The Pickup Game is an inside look at the emergence of the ‘pickup’ industry – an business where self-styled seduction coaches travel the world, charging a small fortune to teach men skills they claim will guarantee success with women. For the instructors who are successful, it is a highly lucrative occupation, with many companies earning millions of dollars a year. It is also an industry rife with controversy and scandal. Several teachers have been deported from countries for their contentious methodologies and pickup businesses are often the subject of fierce public criticism. Despite this, men the world over collectively spend hundreds of millions of dollars to attend seminars, download online courses and have one-on-one coaching sessions

Nance Ackerman and Ariella Pahlke and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Conviction, PTSD and trauma, responsibility, the vulnerable and marginalized and why prisons are not healing environments.Trailer Synopsis: Alarmed by the rising numbers of women in prison and inspired by the conviction of Senator Kim Pate, Conviction flips the narrative away from pop culture's voyeuristic lens and hands it to the women who are being victimized, marginalized and criminalized in our society. Not another ‘broken prison’ film, Conviction is a ‘broken society’ film – an ambitious and inspired re-build of our community, from the inside out.With more women in prisons than ever before, the film implicates viewers to question the status quo, and to consider a different kind of society that better supports the most vulnerable among us.For more info about the film head here. About the Guests: Nance Ackerman has been making images around the world for over 30 years. Her documentary photogra

Lily Zepeda and Jack Sim and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Mr. Toilet, constipation of thought, passion and purpose, normalizing the toilet globally and why we can’t solve problems we don’t talk about. Trailer Synopsis: What do you get when you cross an eccentric self-made man with a load of crap? Jack Sim. To a stranger, he’s a guy obsessed with toilets, but to those who know him, he’s “Mr. Toilet,” a crusader for global sanitation. Born in the Singapore slums, Jack Sim knows firsthand the agonies of not having a proper loo. Now he’s dedicating his life to a crisis no one dares talk about: Poo.Not having a place “to go” isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a problem that impacts 2.4 billion people worldwide. In India alone, 200,000 children die each year from lack of safe sanitation, while women are regularly raped because they have to defecate in public spaces. Jack’s kids describe him as a 12-year old trapped in a 60-year old

Leilani Farha and Fredrik Gertten and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film PUSH, advocacy and local economies, gentrification, landlords and real estate and capitalism run amok. Trailer Synopsis: Housing affordability is decreasing at a record pace. The local working and middle classes have become unable to afford housing in major cities across the world - London, New York, Hong Kong, Toronto, Tokyo, Valparaiso, Sydney, Melbourne, Caracas, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam and Stockholm. The list appears to be endless. People are being pushed out of their homes – living in them has become unaffordable.Young people are getting trapped in a cycle of renting apartments that are becoming less and less affordable. Working class and lower income communities face evictions and are left without a place to live. The high cost of housing pushes people into poverty and homelessness. In the UK and US, for instance, homelessness is increasing by alarming rates. More often than before

Garry, Andrew and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Gaza, grace and humour, surfing and compromise, ordinary people and one-dimensional views of complex problems.Trailer Synopsis: It’s hard to imagine anybody living a normal life in the Gaza Strip. Frequently labeled as the world’s largest open-air prison, it makes an appearance on news reports every time a confrontation erupts between Israel and Hamas. From TV sets thousands of miles away, this tiny piece of land has been reduced to an image of violence, chaos and destruction. So what do the people do when they’re not under siege? The Gaza which is seldom seen is ordinary, everyday Gaza, a coastal strip which measures just twenty-five miles by six and which is home to an eclectic mix of almost two million people. Gaza cannot be understood in a purely political context or by analyzing tragic sound bites during conflict. It can only be understood by immersion, by living amongst its people and by recognizing and exploring its ri

Ashley Brook, Adam Bunch and Face2Face host David Peck talk about the new web TV series Canadiana, meteorites and misconceptions, D’Arcy McGee, setting the record straight and why Canadian history isn’t boring.  Synopsis  The myth-shattering group of historians who traced Québec’s downfall to a love triangle – is launching a second season of stories and adventures from our provocative past.A documentary web series utilizing scenic footage, archival photos and whimsical animation, Canadiana is a team effort of four acclaimed documentary filmmakers Ashley Brook, Kyle Cucco, Josef Beeby - and host Adam Bunch.Their mission: to retell Canadian history the way it should have been told all along, entertainingly, and with an eye for the personalities, clashes, outrages and acts of passion that went into creating a nation. Canadiana is a documentary series on the hunt for the most incredible stories in Canadian history. Featuring playful animations and scenic footage, the series follows host Adam B

Mark Pellegrino and Face2Face host David Peck talk about the art and craft of acting, self-assertion and exploration, ethics, intellectual curiosity, our education system, radical consistency, resonant human moments and why being yourself is hard work.  Biography: Mark is an actor, producer, teacher, martial artist, and widely known for his roles as in Dexter, Lost, Supernatural, Being Human, NYPD Blue, Prison Break, CSI, Without A Trace, Quantico, and appeared in such hits as National Treasure, The Big Lebowski, Mulholland Drive, Capote, and The Number 23. He’s also an intellectual activist, an objectivist, co-founder of The American Capitalist Party whose approach is rooted in freedom, individual rights, lassaez-faire approaches to economics and such significant working principles as: “Our fundamental political approach can be simply stated: We consistently and universally uphold the moral-political principle of individual rights.”For more info about the The American Capitalist Party head her

Liam O Mochain and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his delightful new film Lost and Found, true stories, real people and real conversations, the little things, and how everything might be connected.  Trailer Synopsis: Lost & Found is 7 interconnecting stories set in and around a lost & found office of an Irish train station.  Daniel tries desperately to hold onto his newly acquired job in the lost & found office. Eddie spends most days in the train station begging, every day he has a different story, which one is his? Gabriel plans to surprise his girlfriend by proposing up in the air, but airport security has other plans for him. A Grandmother asks her grandson to retrieve a mysterious bracelet that she buried as a child in the garden of her childhood home in Poland. Moya visits a funeral home and signs the book of condolences not realizing the consequences of signing it. Paudge, a cranky pub owner keeps redecorating his bar hoping

Darlene Naponse and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Falls Around Her, Mother Earth, silence, love and laughter, Indigenous storytelling, shared stories and the Seven Grandfathers Teachings.  Trailer Synopsis: Falls Around Her follows Mary Birchbark (Tantoo Cardinal), a legendary singer who returns to the vast wilderness of her reserve to reconnect with the land and her community. Mary begins to sense that someone might be watching her. Unsure of what is real and what is imagined, Mary embraces isolation as she explores the psychological impact of her past and present. The idea for Falls Around Her came to writer and director Darlene Naponse about seven years ago, and over the years she would work on it between her many other artistic endeavors. Introduced to The Film Farm by producer Christine Haebler as a filmmaker to watch, producers Jennifer Weiss, Simone Urdl and their producing partner on the film, Jamie Manning, soon began chatting with Darlene. When Darlene showed

 Fred Peabody and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Corporate Coup d’État, power, oppression and democracy, corporatism, cash and control, compassion and the other and the Unconscious Civilization. Trailer Playing at Hot Docs 2019 Synopsis: From White Pine Pictures and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Fred Peabody, The Corporate Coup d’État dissects America at a troubling crossroads, offering piercing insights from journalists, authors, philosophers, and activists on the current state of democracy. Chris Hedges, John Ralston Saul, Maude Barlow, Cornel West and others describe President Trump as a symptom of a broken system where power now lies with corporations, not citizens. A democracy should protect its citizens, especially the most vulnerable, but increasingly the United States is failing to do so. This investigative documentary tells heartbreaking stories of the suffering of citizens in ‘sacrifice zones’ such as Camden, New Jersey and the U.S. Rust Belt. In Young

James Jones and Olivier Sarbil and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film On The Presidents Orders, ego and vanity, trust and inconvenient complexities, the war on and drugs and poverty and activism. Trailer Playing at Hot Docs 2019 Synopsis: From acclaimed investigative filmmakers James Jones and Olivier Sarbil (Mosul, 2017) comes On The President's Orders, the searing story of President Duterte's brutal campaign against drug dealers and users in the Philippines. Shot in the style of a thriller, this observational film combines the look and feel of a narrative feature film with a real-life journalistic investigation into a campaign of killings. In May 2016, Rodrigo Duterte won a landslide presidential victory in the Philippines, promising to eradicate the country's drug problem by whatever means necessary. His ensuing drug war has led to the deaths of thousands of alleged drug dealers and users. When a new police chief, Jemar Modequillo, is brought in to clean up the inf

Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film For Sama, Syria and justice, the strength of the human spirit, acts of resistance and a better future.  Playing at Hot Docs 2019 Synopsis: For Sama is an intimate feature documentary that takes the form of a letter from Waad al-Kateab, a 26-year old Syrian mother, to her daughter Sama recorded in the last days of the battle for Aleppo, Syria. Waad’s story begins in 2012 when she was a student studying marketing at Aleppo University. Protests against the brutal dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad reach the university and Waad is one of the first to join. Her camera captures the joy and optimism of those early days. She meets a young medic in the protests called Hamza and with a group of friends they continue to demand freedom even as the regime resorts to greater and greater violence to crush them, eventually engulfing the city in full-blown war. Eventually, they are overwhelmed and forced into exile. In the e

Aisha Jamal and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film A Kandahar Away, urban and rural life, family dynamics and pride, war, staying present, honesty and openness and why family relationships need a whole lot of patience Trailer Playing at Hot Docs 2019 Synopsis: As an immigrant to Canada, Abdul Bari Jamal’s longing for his homeland of Afghanistan is a constant theme in his life. Now living in Toronto, Canada, he never thought he would find a piece of his former home right here in Canada’s heartland. Delighted by his discovery, he decided to buy every member of his family a plot of land in the dwindling farming community of Kandahar, Saskatchewan. A Kandahar Away follows the Jamal family – all born in Kandahar, Afghanistan – on their first family trip to see the land. As this trip represents the first trip the family has taken together in over ten years, Abdul hopes that it will provide much needed bonding time. Moreover, he hopes his children will see that there is an equ

Leif Kaldor and Face2Face host David Peck talk about the new film Something in The Air, Pollution as a global and invisible crisis, behavioral change, nano particles, hot spots and mental health and why air is the great equalizer. Trailer Synopsis  Matthew is a bright, active 10-year-old boy. He loves playing outside and just tried out for hockey. But he also has asthma, and had to leave the city and move to the country - because he couldn’t breathe. He doesn’t live in Delhi or Beijing, his family had to move from Toronto.  Pollution is killing tens of thousands of people every day around the world. Cities across Asia and Europe have had to shut down and stop traffic to manage “Airpocalypse” pollution events when the air is unsafe for the people who live there. New research is showing the answer may be - worse than we knew. Pollution causes a range of respiratory diseases, and even short exposure can change how our DNA functions. New science is finding that microscopic bits of air pollution may

Richard Clarkin and Arturo Pérez Torres and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their film The Drawer Boy, love, loyalty and friendship, memory and identity, and collaborative, collective creation. Trailer Synopsis It’s 1972 in rural Ontario. Angus and Morgan have been living alone on their farm since a World War II injury left Angus with no short-term memory. Miles, a young actor from Toronto, shows up to stay with the two farmers in order to gather stories and make up a play about farming. Through his exploration of the farmers’ past, Angus’ memory is unlocked, and secrets are exposed.Based on a play by Michael Healey, The Drawer Boy, his first full-length play, premiered in Toronto in 1999 and won the Dora for best new play, a Chalmers Canadian Playwriting Award, and the Governor General’s Literary Award. It has been one of the most produced plays across North America and has been translated into German, French, Japanese and Hindi. Some of his other plays include Courageous, Proud, and Rune Arli

Jack Blum, Sharon Corder and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Thom Thomson, the power of film, and the importance of literature, lack of access, National Film Day and why immigrants make the best Canadians.REEL CANADA is pleased to present the sixth annual National Canadian Film Day (NCFD) on Wednesday, April 17, 2019. NCFD is the world’s largest film festival, with more than 800 Canadian film screenings and events expected across the country and around the world.REEL CANADA is a non-profit, charitable organization that promotes the diversity of Canadian film and its power to spark important conversations about what it means to be Canadian. This year will mark six years of celebrating the incredible achievements of our nation’s filmmakers. More significantly, it marks an important milestone: the centennial of Canada’s first genuine blockbuster — and oldest surviving feature film — Nell Shipman’s Back to God’s Country, a sassy, snowy adventure story that remains Canada’s most successful silent fi

Bob Logan and Face2Face host David Peck talk about the new play Copenhagen, complementarity, futurism, science for peace, wisdom over knowledge and having lunch with Neils Bohr.Find out more about Copenhagen and purchase tickets here. Synopsis  Two tiny particles colliding can cause a nuclear reaction. It is 1941, nations race to perfect The Bomb, and two scientists meet in occupied Denmark for a conversation that will change the course of history. Copenhagen is a story of language, spoken and unspoken, and heard and unheard. An individual speaks to not only connect to another person, but to know where they stand in their relationship to reality; to experiment and test the boundaries of where they end and where the universe begins. In the language of quantum physics, we divide an atom into smaller and smaller pieces to get to its core – the sub-atomic world. Michael Frayn (Noises Off, Democracy) invites us to bear witness to the ultimate ethical impasse. Biography Bob is the physics C