'The Secret Trial 5' follows detainees held for years without charge

Toronto filmmaker Amar Wala speaks with Piya Chattopadhyay about his documentary The Secret Trial 5. The film, which examines the clash between rights and national security in a post 9/11 world, follows five Muslim men who were held in Canadian prisons for nearly 30 years combined. 

None of the five were ever charged with any crime, or ever told of any evidence against them -- but Canadian authorities were allowed to be keep them behind bars indefinitely. The Secret Trial 5 tells that story.

In the wake of the recent attacks on Canadian soldiers in Ottawa and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Wala hopes his film help inform the public conversation on national security.

"It's imperative in moments like this, in moments of stress, that we remember our history and remember the mistakes that we've made," he says. "I hope that the film can help spur that dialogue in a human direction."

Watch the trailer for the documentary in the window embedded below.