Dead in the Water Feb 5 @ 8pm
There's a problem with the world's water supply. One person in four doesn't have access to clean drinking water. Many governments lack either the resources or the will to provide this essential commodity to their citizens.
In recent years, a number of powerful companies have spotted this crisis and seen a business opportunity. From the deserts of California to the streets of Soweto, and in several thousand other cities and towns throughout the world, often with the involvement of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, these corporations have attempted to privatize what many consider a public trust.
Dead in the Water investigates the results of these efforts at privatization in several key locations, and chronicles what many see as the first in a wave of battles in the years to come.
The Invisible Nation Mar 5 @ 8pm
In The Invisible Nation, Richard Desjardins and Robert Monderie challenge perceptions by spotlighting the sad reality of the Algonquin of Quebec and bringing the history of this people to the screen for the first time.
The Algonquin once lived in harmony with the vast territory they occupied. This balance was upset when the Europeans arrived in the 16th century. Gradually, their Aboriginal traditions were undermined and their natural resources plundered. Today, barely 9,000 Algonquin are left. They live in about 10 communities, often enduring abject poverty and human rights abuses.
These Aboriginals are suffering the threat to their very existence in silence. Richard Desjardins and Robert Monderie have decided to sound the alarm before it's too late. In French with English subtitles.
Weight of the World April 9 @ 8pm
It's been called the world's first man-made epidemic, and it's killing us. In this riveting documentary, Dr. Stephan Rossner of Stockholm, an expert on obesity, leads us through startling evidence of how our society has created this toxic environment.
Cheaper production, supersized fast foods, and a $12 billion advertising industry - are lethal when mixed with a car-dominated culture, urban sprawl and labour-saving technologies. Although North America is the epicentre of obesity, this disease is being exported worldwide as a by-product of western culture. Infiltrating low-income communities and developing nations, obesity is creating a potentially bankrupt health system. Featuring lively animation and hard-hitting science, The Weight of the World reveals that obesity is not an individual problem, but one that requires changes in public policies and attitudes.
The Strangest Dream May 14 @ 8 pm
The Strangest Dream tells the story of Joseph Rotblat, the history of nuclear weapons, and the efforts of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs - an international movement Rotblat co-founded - to halt nuclear proliferation.
When the U.S. government brought the world's greatest scientists together to build the first atomic bomb, nuclear physicist Joseph Rotblat was among them. But his conscience would not allow him to continue, and he became the only member of the Manhattan Project to leave on moral grounds. Branded a traitor and spy, Rotblat went from designing atomic bombs to researching the medical uses of radiation. Together with Bertrand Russell he helped create the modern peace movement, and eventually won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The story takes us from the site of the first nuclear test, in New Mexico, to Cairo, where contemporary Pugwash scientists meet under the cloud of nuclear proliferation, and to Hiroshima, where we see survivors of the first atomic attack. Featuring interviews with contemporaries of Rotblat, members of the Pugwash movement, and passionate public figures including Senator Roméo Dallaire, The Strangest Dream demonstrates the renewed threat represented by nuclear weapons, while encouraging hope through the example of morally engaged scientists and citizens.
The World According to Monsanto June 11 @ 8 pm
Monsanto is the world leader in genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as one of the most controversial corporations in industrial history. This century-old empire has created some of the most toxic products ever sold, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the herbicide Agent Orange. Based on a painstaking investigation, The World According to Monsanto puts together the pieces of the company's history, calling on hitherto unpublished documents and numerous first-hand accounts.
Today, Monsanto likes to style itself as a "life sciences" company. The leader in genetically modified seeds, engineered to resist its herbicide Roundup, claims it wants to solve world hunger while protecting the environment.
In the light of its troubling past, can we really believe these noble intentions? Misleading reports, collusion, pressure tactics and attempts at corruption: the history of Monsanto is filled with disturbing episodes. Behind its clean, green image, Monsanto is tightening its grasp on the world seed market, striving for market supremacy to the detriment of food security and the global environment.
