Knowledge Network

In the 50 years since he carved his first totem pole, Robert Davidson has come to be regarded as one of the world’s foremost modern artists. Charles Wilkinson (Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World) brings his trademark inquisitiveness and craftsmanship to this revealing portrait of an unassuming living legend. Weaving together engaging interviews with the artist, his offspring, and a host of admirers, Haida Modern extols the sweeping impact of both Davidson’s artwork and the legions it’s inspired.

In early 1960s Toronto, a white, Anglo-centric city, an underground music scene emerged from the Jamaican diaspora, led by newcomers like Jackie Mittoo, Wayne McGhie, and a young Jay Douglas. Battling racism and indifference, they left a lasting but underrecognized mark on Canadian music and culture. Nearly 60 years later, Jay Douglas still champions Jamaican music and is finally receiving long-overdue recognition. Play It Loud is a feature documentary that tells the little-known story of how Jamaican music became a vital, unlikely part of Canadian culture. It traces a cultural migration that made Canada a global hub for Jamaican music - celebrated abroad but overlooked at home. Told through the life and music of beloved singer Jay Douglas, born Clive Pinnock in rural Jamaica, the film follows his journey from teen performer to enduring icon.

When the town's Wish Fish mysteriously goes missing, Luna, Chip and Inkie head into the wilderness to investigate. What they find out turns out to be a bigger suprise than any of them could have imagined!

This music documentary celebrates the long and influential career of Long John Baldry, a pioneering British musician whose blues revivalism inspired The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and a young Eric Clapton. Featuring footage of early performances and commentaries from a number of musicians for whom he was a great influence.

There is no topic that unites all of Vancouver quite like that of housing. At every dinner party, social gathering, or chance meeting in the street, everyone has an opinion, and they want to share it. Charles Wilkinson’s new film Vancouver: No Fixed Address tackles the subject from a multiplicity of perspectives. A chorus of voices chime in — everyone from David Suzuki, to Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Seth Klein, Condo King Bob Rennie, Senator Yuen Pau Woo, and lots of regular Vancouver citizens.

THE STRAIT GUYS follows Czech-born mining engineer, George, and his fast-talking protégé, Scott, along the proposed route of the InterContinental Railway through Alaska, to the Bering Strait and onward to Russia. The “Strait Guys” endeavor to convince international governments, corporations, and indigenous tribes to green-light their $100 billion railway project, which would provide ground-based infrastructure across the continents, relieve overcrowded Pacific ports, improve global supply chains, and ease tensions between the superpowers. The US and Russia have been successfully collaborating in space for decades. Now the Strait Guys are out to prove it is also possible down here on earth.

The Love Prophet and the Children of God is a riveting inside look at one of the world's most enigmatic religious movements and its infamous founder, David Berg.

An unorthodox marriage between capitalism and charity, 'The Invisible Heart' tracks a social innovation that promises to solve society's most intractable problems. Social impact bonds are making strange bedfellows — social workers and Wall Street bankers, the homeless and venture capitalists, conservative and liberal politicians. From the halls of power to society's struggling underclass, this film follows an unusual cast of characters as they confront the ethical questions at the heart of an international revolution using profit motivation to rectify social inequality.

In this beautifully animated documentary short, filmmaker Lyana Patrick narrates her family’s powerful story of love and survival at Lejac Indian Residential School.

Today there are over 100 Aboriginal Friendship Centers across Canada. They provide essential services and a home away from home for many. A Place to Belong celebrates Christmas at the very first Friendship Center, located in East Vancouver, and reveals the story behind the Friendship Center movement.

Since his death in 2007, the renown of Canadian painter E.J. Hughes has only continued to grow. For decades, his extraordinary works highlighting the landscapes of British Columbia have captivated the public, but his personal life is less well known. A solitary man dedicated to his art, Hughes led a fascinating life, struggling to make ends meet until a discovery of his work led to its acclaim. Having attempted to work as a fisherman during the Depression, he became a war artist during the Second World War and never gave up his passion for painting, even when devotedly caring for his ailing wife.