Absolutely Canadian brings local films and documentaries to your screen
CBC Communications | Posted: October 21, 2020 6:04 PM | Last Updated: February 22, 2021
Watch local stories by independent producers/directors and student filmmakers
Celebrating community stories in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, Absolutely Canadian showcases the best documentary programs, short dramas and comedies created by independent producers/directors and student filmmakers from Carleton University and Algonquin College.
Didn't get a chance to watch the local broadcast on CBC Television? Absolutely Canadian is available free and on demand on CBC Gem.
The Art in Nature
This program focuses on the works of four Ottawa-based artists who bring teachings and beauty of the natural world to life. Photographer Meryl McMaster guides us through a contemplative look at her Métis history. Gillian King weaves the art of printmaking and plant dyeing into full-sized abstract paintings that interact with her body.
Whitney Lewis Smith takes us deep into her imagination as she reconstructs seemingly impossible ecological scenes captured on glass plate negatives. Arpi demonstrates the wisdom that nature teaches us in cultivating a culture of beauty on our streets, in our homes and in our minds. This project is a collaboration with CBC Arts, CBC Ottawa and local independent producer/director Nicholas Castel.
You can watch it now on CBC Gem.
Ottawa Reel Shorts
A compilation of short, scripted films and documentaries from student and emerging filmmakers in the Ottawa area. This year's compilation brings together stories exploring themes of endurance, entrepreneurship, creativity and identity.
Short films include: Black Apron, Honourun, Rematriate: Passing the Seeds, Found Me and Curly Hair, Don't Care
You can watch it now on CBC Gem.
Foxy
A drama, documentary and musical all in one? Directors Trista Suke and Ellis Poleyko follow Trista's experience struggling with alopecia, a hair loss condition. An eccentric memoir intertwined with interview segments of people living with the condition, Foxy shines a light on mental health and society's unachievable beauty standards.
You can watch it now on CBC Gem.
Creatorland - The Documentary
This documentary is a women-led production following the lives of Ottawa creators and inventors, from fashion designers to tech start ups. Creatorland - The Documentary is about why they do what they do. Learn the unfiltered truth about the challenges these individuals face, and what gives them the unwavering will to succeed.
You can watch it now on CBC Gem.
Blue Roses: Remembering the Hidden Homeless
This one-hour documentary sheds light on the hidden homeless population in our community and stories about front-line workers who care for Ottawa's inner city rooming house residents experiencing poverty, addiction and mental illness.
You can watch it now on CBC Gem.
Stories from the Land: Corn Soup and The Last Fishermen
Stories from the Land, a podcast dedicated to Indigenous storytelling, has been adapted into a documentary series by Wanderer Entertainment Inc. for CBC Short Docs. Watch a sneak peek of the series on Absolutely Canadian with this special Ontario broadcast featuring the short films Corn Soup, from Fort Erie, and The Last Fishermen, from Rainy Lake in Fort Frances.
You can watch it now on CBC Gem.