The Un-Canadians

In the late 1940s through to the early '70s, one million Canadians were investigated by their own government, irretrievably altering their lives. The Un-Canadians uncovers some of their stories and documents the workings of a secret government agency, "The Security Panel," an organization that, along with the RCMP security service, shaped and monitored the development of a Canadian blacklist during the Cold War. We also see the influence that the United States, and Senator Joe McCarthy's tactics, had on the Government of Canada. Through in-depth interviews, archival footage and revealing documents, The Un-Canadians tracks down the supposed "subversives" and traces the effect that the blacklist had on their lives. Many had their careers ruined and their family lives destroyed. Director Len Scher knows how it feels to grow up in one of these families. His father was one of those blacklisted. Scher's attempts to learn why resulted in the publication of the book "The Un-Canadians," upon which this film is based.