The Canadian Criminal Justice System (Ages 18+)
Crime and justice take many forms—some seemingly cut and dry while others are more involved and complex. This selection of films examines the issues from all aspects and perspectives, ranging from that of incarcerated teenagers to a family struck by grief at the actions of one of their own. Pour visionner cette sélection en français, cliquez ici.
Crime and justice take many forms—some seemingly cut and dry while others are more involved and complex. This selection of films examines the issues from all aspects and perspectives, ranging from that of incarcerated teenagers to a family struck by grief at the actions of one of their own.
Pour visionner cette sélection en français, cliquez ici.
Sélection
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ConvictionNance Ackerman , Ariella Pahlke , … 2019 1 h 17 minConviction envisions alternatives to prison through the eyes of women behind bars and those fighting on the front lines of the decarceration movement.
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nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand UpTasha Hubbard 2019 1 h 38 min
Sensitively directed by Tasha Hubbard, nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up follows the family of the late Colten Boushie, a young Cree man fatally shot in a Saskatchewan farmyard, as they demand justice from Canada’s legal system.
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WaseskunSteve Patry 2016 1 h 21 min
Filmed in cinéma vérité style, this feature-length doc follows a group of incarcerated men with troubled pasts as they undergo treatment based on Indigenous philosophy at the Waseskun Healing Center. Director Steve Patry spent a full year with these men, gaining their trust and confidence. The result is a remarkable and gripping film about learning to overcome suffering and finding balance.
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Kids in JailLarry Lynn 2013 45 min
With unprecedented access, this documentary paints an intimate, complex portrait of kids in jail. The film raises difficult yet vital questions about at-risk youth and young offenders, and asks: Should we be doing more to help them?
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Life with MurderJohn Kastner 2010 1 h 34 min
When their son is accused of murdering his sister, a mother and father face perhaps the most awful decision any parent could have to make: whether to break with their son or accept him back into the family. With astonishing footage shot over a ten-year period, from minutes after the crime was committed to the present, the film follows the family's evolving relationships.
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Out of Mind, Out of SightJohn Kastner 2014 1 h 27 min
This feature documentary profiles four residents of the Brockville Mental Health Centre, a forensic psychiatric hospital for people who have committed violent crimes. Four patients—two men and two women—struggle to gain control over their lives so they can return to a society that often fears and demonizes them. Shrouded in stigma, institutions like this one are places into which patients disappear from public view for years.
Four-time Emmy winner John Kastner was granted unprecedented access to the Brockville facility for 18 months, allowing 46 patients and 75 staff to share their experiences with stunning frankness. -
NCR: Not Criminally ResponsibleJohn Kastner 2013 1 h 39 min
Directed by John Kastner, this feature documentary about violence, mental illness, and the rights of victims tells the story of a troubled young man who stabbed a complete stranger 6 times in a crowded shopping mall while gripped by psychosis. Twelve years later, his victim, who miraculously survived, is terrified to learn that he’s out, living in the community under supervision. He’s applying for an absolute discharge, and if he succeeds, he’ll no longer be required to take the anti-psychotic drugs that control his mental illness. With unprecedented access to the patient, the victim, and the mental institution, the film looks at both sides of the debate and puts a human face on the complex ethical issues raised.
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Because We Are GirlsBaljit Sangra 2019 1 h 22 min
Poetically weaving past and present, Baljit Sangra's documentary explores the impact of sexual abuse on a family.
