
Check out regional producers' latest picks of free locally produced indie docs on CBC Gem
Absolutely Canadian is a national series showcasing documentaries that tell unique stories from communities across Canada.
All programs are produced locally and highlight the works of independent filmmakers in each region.
Here are five picks for this month, all from Season 24 of Absolutely Canadian. Go to CBC Gem and click on the Season 24 to see the complete season. They're free to watch!
The Camino
A Montrealer walks the physically and spiritually challenging Camino de Santiago trail in Spain for 40 days, a fraction of his decade-long quest to find his place in the world.
Directed by: Jordan Coppola
Be Taylor
A young queer woman from Windsor, Ontario aims to overcome her mental health struggles and regain her confidence by embarking on a journey of self-love, self-discovery, and stand-up comedy. Directed by: Gemma Eva
Voices of Freedom
Winnipeg composer Tetyana Haraschuk channels Ukrainian refugees' stories in the powerful new documentary, Voices of Freedom. On a quest to understand the war in her homeland, the Ukraine-born musician connects with refugees and transforms their misery into melody. Read More.
Directed by: Sam Karney
Space for a Scene
Space for a Scene highlights the connections in the Halifax music scene, regardless of genre. It features performances from Road to the Junos 2024. Read More.
Directed by: Jeff Miller
Block Dog
A glimpse into the lives of eight dogs brought together in BC's wilderness as the steadfast companions and fierce protectors of a young crew of intrepid tree planters.
Directed by: Everett Bumstead
Watch Free on CBC Gem Click on Season 24 to see the complete season.
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Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Globe and Mail
CBC/Radio-Canada could double its value to Canadians, if only it stopped resisting
Watching the new season of the psychologically perceptive time-travel drama Plan B on CBC Gem this week, I started fantasizing about what I would do if I could go back in time. As a taxpaying Canadian television viewer, I can tell you what my No. 1 mission would be: Stop CBC from making this show. Don't get me wrong: Plan B is the most ambitious homegrown drama CBC has in English at the moment – the only serious, streaming-era serialized storytelling in a lineup saturated with cop shows. But it is also a remake of a French-language Radio-Canada series also called Plan B that I've already watched on its streamer, The second season told the same story, about a feminist activist media host wrestling with her teen daughter's suicide, in a more credible fashion. CBC's Plan B is a dark time-travel drama for the darkest timeline Co-creator Jean-François Asselin has moved the action to Toronto from Montreal for the English version, but not adapted it sufficiently. So 15-year-old kids still drink with their parents at restaurants, and a major plot point hinges on circus school. Likewise, the central family's white parents have become a white mom and Black dad – but this goes unmentioned despite every other element of their marriage's dynamics being dissected in minute detail. From a creative perspective, CBC/Radio-Canada set a pile of cash on fire by creating an inferior show instead of just slapping English subtitles on the original. To prevent this waste of money, I'd travel back in time to the beginning of the streaming era and write a persuasive column arguing that the technology was now possible for CBC/Radio-Canada to create a single online TV service – one with a bilingual interface that offers the choice of viewing its French content with subtitles in English and vice-versa (or with dubbing should that be more politically palatable). I'd write: 'Believe it or not, in a few short years, some of the most popular international TV shows in Canada will be Scandinavian noirs and Korean gorefests – and a significant chunk of the audience will even watch shows in their own language with the subtitles on. For a small cost, CBC/Radio-Canada could vastly expand the reach and value of its content to Canadians.' In the actual past, however, the two sides of the Crown corporation launched Gem and separately, years apart, and did so with each operating on different technology supported by separate engineering teams. That costly error took a costly multiyear harmonization project to fix. But even now that the back ends are in sync, CBC/Radio-Canada still does not automatically secure the rights to subtitle or dub their own shows in the other official language. A selection of their programs (Radio-Canada's Lakay Nous; CBC's SkyMed) do get shared, belatedly. But only the 18 per cent of Canadians who understand English and French, concentrated in the bilingual belt from Northern Ontario and northern New Brunswick, really get full value from CBC/Radio-Canada's televisual services. American streamers, by contrast, were quick to understand what was linguistically possible on their services. While CBC/Radio-Canada were building up two separate brands, Netflix racked up huge subscriber numbers in Canada by offering their original shows in English and French – and more than 30 other languages. Consider this warped reality: Netflix is the only place where Canadian francophones can watch the excellent Nunavut-set comedy North of North with subtitles or in either of its French dubs (it's available in both Canadian and European French versions). CBC co-produced that buzzy show – but the deal it signed let the Yanks have exclusive French rights, according to a Radio-Canada spokesperson. So, sorry Canada's francophones – you'll have to give an American company at least $7.99 if you want to watch this show you funded in your mother tongue. In the current 'elbows up' environment, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ have become the enemy for many in Canada, but a little discussed reason why they took over the world in the first place is that they cater to many linguistic groups, allowing them to penetrate deeper into the markets of multicultural countries, too. Meanwhile, I'd argue that by not offering all recorded content in at least both official languages, CBC/Radio-Canada isn't living up to its existing mandate – the one that requires it to 'strive to be of equivalent quality in English and in French' and especially to 'contribute to a shared national consciousness and identity.' How Washington Black's TV adaptation found the story's heart in Halifax Private telecom Bell Media's streaming service, Crave – which holds the English and French rights to all its originals – does a better job on both counts. Jared Keeso's raucous hockey comedy Shoresy exists in a creatively dirty joual dub as Shoresy, le salaud du hockey – and has an ample francophone fan base as a result. Meanwhile, Empathie, Florence Longpré's French-language drama about a criminologist turned psychologist, is Crave's most watched original show of the year – a feat it achieved with the help of a substantial viewership streaming it with English subtitles. CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson says GEM and don't have any plans to follow Crave's footsteps by offering their original programming in both languages any time soon, and puts it down to a rights issue. 'Since we have separate online services specifically tailored to each of the English and French markets – and their audiences – most often we do not pay extra to get the French rights (although sometimes that can happen – depends on the show and the finances available),' Thompson said in an e-mail. Yet, CBC/Radio-Canada found the finances to completely remake Plan B in English. Talk about penny-wise, pound foolish. Fortunately, there are a couple of hacks for those who speak only English or French to get the full value of their investment in the national public broadcaster. CBC/Radio-Canada already puts much its news programming up on YouTube, where autogenerated English or French subtitles are just a couple of clicks away. As for the dramas and comedies shown on only Gem or search for browser extensions that open a pop-up captioning window and then enable translation. In Google Chrome (which I use), it's just a matter of going into the accessibility menu. The auto-translations aren't always eloquent, but they give you the gist. So, if you're looking for something to stream this weekend, why not check out Plan B in its superior version on


Edmonton Journal
05-08-2025
- Edmonton Journal
Lilith Fair documentary heads to CBC
Article content A documentary about the groundbreaking music festival Lilith Fair will air this fall on CBC. Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery will go behind the scenes of the women-focused event co-founded by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan in the late 1990s. Article content Directed by Ally Pankiw, the documentary will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before airing on CBC and CBC Gem on Sept. 17. (It'll stream on Disney+ outside of Canada.) Article content Article content 'I'm so filled with pride and nostalgia watching this film,' said McLachlan in a statement. 'Ally and the team have beautifully captured the magic and strength of a community of women who came together and lifted each other up to create positive change in the world.' Article content Original Lilith Fair artists who'll appear in the film include Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Jewel, Indigo Girls and Emmylou Harris. Singers from the new generation of female artists, such as Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo, will also sit down for a chat. Article content Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery is produced by Not A Real Production Company — which was founded by Schitt's Creek co-creator Dan Levy — as well as Elevation Pictures for ABC News Studios. Article content Article content 'Lilith Fair holds a very special place in my heart,' Levy said in a statement. 'It was one of the first spaces where I remember feeling at home. The music, the sense of community, and the power of a group of women proving an entire industry wrong was a tremendous thing to experience.' Article content The festival initially launched in the summer of 1997, and it returned for the following two summers — raising more than $10 million for charity. It was revived the summer of 2010. Article content McLachlan has won 12 Juno Awards and three Grammy Awards, and her best-known songs include Angel, Building a Mystery, Adia and I Will Remember You. She will release the album Better Broken, her first studio album of new music in more than a decade, on Sept. 19. The Halifax-born singer will also tour Canada this fall.


The Province
25-07-2025
- The Province
Groundbreaking music festival Lilith Fair star of upcoming documentary
Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery will premiere in Canada on Sept. 17 on CBC and the CBC Gem on Sept. 21 Singer/songwriter is seen here on stage during the Lilith Fair tour. The festival is the star of the new documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery from director Ally Pankiw. The film airs Sept. 17, on CBC and CBC Gem. Photo by Merri Cyr / Merri Cyr Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. CBC and ABC News Studios have announced the new documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery will premiere in Canada on Sept. 17 on CBC and CBC Gem. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors From director Ally Pankiw (I Used to Be Funny, Black Mirror, The Great), the feature-length documentary tells the untold story of the groundbreaking music festival featuring only women artists, started in the late 1990s by Vancouver singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan, Terry McBride, Dan Fraser and Marty Diamond. Sarah McLachlan listens to answers from other artists during a press conference minutes before the start of the Lilith Fair concert held at UBC's Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver in 1999. Photo by ARLEN REDEKOP / PROVINCE The successful festival ran during the summers of 1997-1999, with a one-off revival in 2010. The festival showcased female musicians and was a countermeasure to music industry standards that limited women from playing together on a concert bill and getting back-to-back radio airplay. The artists appearing at Lilith Fair varied by date (with McLachlan and Suzanne Vega the only artists to play all dates). Artists on bills included Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman, Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, Diana Krall, Emmylou Harris, Sinead O'Connor, The Chicks, The Pretenders, Brandi Carlile and many other bold type musicians. 'I'm so filled with pride and nostalgia watching this film,' said Sarah McLachlan in a statement. 'Ally and the team have beautifully captured the magic and strength of a community of women who came together and lifted each other up to create positive change in the world. I hope the film resonates with everyone and we can continue to strive to support and champion one another.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Inspired by the 2019 article, Building a Mystery: An Oral History of Lilith Fair, from Vanity Fair and Epic Magazine and written by Jessica Hopper with Sasha Geffen and Jenn Pelly, the film draws from more than 600 hours of never-before-seen archival footage as well as new interviews and stories from fans, festival organizers, and artists. While the film, which launches the new season of CBC's documentary series The Passionate Eye, celebrates the festival's legacy, it also addresses the backlash it faced at the time and discusses what Lilith Fair means in today's world. 'I am so proud to be a part of this beautiful doc — especially at what feels like a fitting time to highlight a story of resistance and radical joy in the face of systems that try to keep women and diverse voices small,' said director Pankiw in a statement. 'The collaborative effort of this film and what it took to make it mirrors the incredible underdog story of Sarah and her team and how they fought for Lilith to succeed against all odds.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Lilith Fair stage at The Gorge Ampitheatre in Washington. The famed festival is the subject of the new CBC/ABC News documentary LilithFair: Building a Mystery which will premiere in Canada on Sept. 17, on CBC and CBC Gem. Photo by Shauna Gold / Shauna Gold Schitt's Creek star and creator Dan Levy is a producer on the project through his Not A Real Production Company. 'Lilith Fair holds a very special place in my heart,' said Levy in a statement. 'It was one of the first spaces where I remember feeling at home. The music, the sense of community, and the power of a group of women proving an entire industry wrong was a tremendous thing to experience. What Sarah built with that festival changed so much for so many people. And while it is now seen as an odds-defying success story, it was an uphill battle every step of the way. And there is a lot to be learned from that story. It's an honour to be working alongside Sarah on this and I am excited for everyone to understand just how revolutionary Lilith Fair really was.' In addition to the documentary premiere this fall, McLachlan will launch her first studio album of new music in over a decade, Better Broken will drop on Sept. 19. McLachlan will also be touring across Canada this fall. For more information, visit Dgee@ Read More Vancouver Whitecaps Local News Real Estate Hockey Vancouver Canucks