Face 2 Face With David Peck

Sara Taksler and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Tickling Giants, fear, politics, outrage, hope and oppression and why jokes are an easier delivery system for calling out hypocrisy.  Trailer IMDB More about the film here on the website. Synopsis: In the midst of the Egyptian Arab Spring, Bassem Youssef makes a decision that’s every mother’s worst nightmare... He leaves his job as a heart surgeon to become a full-time comedian. Dubbed, “The Egyptian Jon Stewart,” Bassem creates the satirical show, Al Bernameg. The weekly program quickly becomes the most viewed television program in the Middle East, with 30 million viewers per episode. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart averaged two million viewers. In a country where free speech is not settled law, Bassem’s show becomes as controversial as it popular. He and his staff must endure physical threats, protests, and legal action, all because of jokes. As Bassem attempts to remain on the air, keep his staff safe, and not get arrested, he continues to

Jason Dudek and Face2Face host David Peck talk about root causes, Capital, impact investment, Sierra Leone, progress, opportunity and closed circuit economies. Biography Jason Anthony Dudek is the Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer of Mountain Lion Agriculture, and holds an MSc from the London School of Economics where he studied smallholder Agronomics in Sierra Leone. He has spent the last 12 years working in Sierra Leone, where he helped found an innovative organisation dedicated to accountable, effective community-based development. Jason also volunteers his time on a number of boards including as Chairman of the Catherine Donnelly Foundation, one of Canada's most innovative and effectual philanthropic foundations both in terms of programming and investment.  Jason also has business experience in Canada, the United Kingdom and Iraq, co-founding several companies including the firm employed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation to conduct Iraq’s Official Investment Map in 2008.  Find

Michelle Stevens and and Face2Face host David Peck talk about shame, suicide, trauma and empathy, the power of habit and why belief matters. Read more about Michelle here. Biography Dr. Michelle Stevens, a psychologist, is the founder and director of Post-Traumatic Success, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring those affected by psychological trauma. She is the author of Scared Selfless: My Journey from Abuse and Madness to Surviving and Thriving.  She studied writing at New York University before earning her doctorate in clinical psychology from Saybrook University, where her thesis was honoured as the Dissertation of Distinction. Stevens has presented her research to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, where she also received an award for Outstanding Research. She works with survivors around the globe as a therapist, speaker, and advocate, encouraging them to heal, grow, and fight for better lives.

Gerry Flahive and Face2Face host David Peck talk about secrets, story, the “D” word, why he’s a 2001 fanatic and how a “real life” can be intimidating. Biography Gerry Flahive is a Toronto-based writer, producer and creative consultant at his media arts company, Modern Story. Until May 2014, Flahive was Senior Producer at the National Film Board of Canada, which he joined in 1981. He has done creative and storytelling consulting, strategic planning, course development and speechwriting for clients, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Cirque de Soleil, Telefilm Canada, MaRS, TVOntario, Humber College and Giants of Africa. His productions have won many international awards including 2 Emmy Awards, a World Press Photo Award and a Peabody Award for HIGHRISE (highrise.nfb.ca), a global interactive documentary. He produced & co-produced more than 80 documentary projects on a wide range of subjects. Major projects include the international co-production PARIS 1919, the ground-breaking Filmmaker-in-Residence mult

Shimon Dutan and Face2Face host David Peck talk about the “settlement enterprise”, racism, empathy, the West Bank and absolutes, Israel and why there’s reason for hope. Trailer IMDB Synopsis Of the grievances and grudges that plague the Middle East, no issue is more incendiary than the Jewish-only settlements that have dotted the occupied West Bank for a half-century.  Canadian/Israeli Shimon Dotan’s acclaimed documentary The Settlers sets out to illustrate - through first-person accounts, historical footage and expert witness - how 400,000 motivated Israelis ended up in communities almost strategically placed between, and sometimes within, Arab Palestinian cities populated by the millions. It is a confounding tale of religious zeal and secular hatred, where an olive tree is an amorphous territorial border, and the burial of a stillborn baby amounts to a claim of political sovereignty over a city.  Dotan, a professor of political cinema at NYU Graduate School of Journalism, traces 50 years of internationall

Karen Dougherty and Face2Face host David Peck talk about William Blake, mourning, balance, existential angst and how to really “be” with someone. Read more about Karen and her work here. Biography Karen Dougherty is Toronto-based psychotherapist and documentary filmmaker. In her practice she works to help patients through periods of adversity, transition, and instability to deepen self-understanding, establish emotional regulation, and build resilience. Her key areas of interest are repetitive bad-object relations, trans-generational trauma, and existential issues. She is a Candidate at the Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis. As a filmmaker, Karen specializes in psychoanalytic, history, and social issue documentaries. Her current project, funded by PEPweb http://www.pep-web.org/, explores the world of Columbia University Researcher Dr. Beatrice Beebe, whose frame-by-frame video microanalysis of mother-infant communications has revolutionized our understanding of attachment. Recent collaborations include rese

Bronwen Hughes and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film The Journey is The Destination, Dan Eldon, the “global tribe”, living a life of “crowded hours”, and having no sense of the other. IMDB Trailer   More about Dan Eldon here. More about Creative Visions here. Synopsis The Journey is the Destination is based on the remarkable true story of the life of Dan Eldon, a photographer, artist, and adventurer.  By the age of 22, he had travelled to more than 40 countries, created fine art journals, worked with refugees, been hired as the youngest photojournalist at Reuters, fallen in love  — and accumulated more life experience than most in a lifetime.   Inspiring and irreverent, the film tell the story of a young man coming of age to realize his purpose, and his belief that we can all create positive change.   This film is 23 years in the making and we could not be more proud to have Kathy’s original dream become a reality.  This would not be possible without the phenomenal group of producers, the incr

Vaishali Sinha and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Ask The Sexpert, cultural context, “women as allies”, a Doctor as a 90-year-old pioneer and the latent effects of colonialism. IMDB Synopsis ASK THE SEXPERT is a feature length documentary about a highly popular 93-year-old sex advice columnist for a daily newspaper in Mumbai. Despite sex being a taboo topic in that country, the column’s brand of non-moralistic advice and humor has emboldened many to write in with their questions, the vast majority of whom seek basic information. The columnist gains popularity even while a ban on comprehensive sex education in schools is adopted by approximately one third of India’s states. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yRR1_VU1cQ  Biography Vaishali Sinha Co-Directed/Produced the feature documentary MADE IN INDIA about the personal stories behind the phenomenon of outsourcing surrogate mothers to India. The film premiered at Hot Docs Film Festival and aired on PBS in 2012. The film received several Jury

  Egil Larsen and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film 69 Minutes of 86 Days, The Refugee crisis, making sense of time, polarization of real issues, childlike wonder and why he still has hope. Trailer Hot Docs Review – calls it “Essential viewing.” Find out more about the film here. Synopsis Every day, about 90 Syrian refugees arrive in Canada. 40,081 have been welcomed since November 4, 2015. (Data as of January 29, 2017) The war in Syria has now lasted six years. According to UNICEF, one in three of today’s Syrian children have never experienced anything but war and flight. Every week hundreds of families flee. 69 Minutes of 86 Days is the part of the story that hasn’t been told. Follow three-year-old Lean’s journey from an unfamiliar port in Greece on the edge of a beach, through passport controls, congested trains, tents, and a large field, to the quiet streets of Uppsala, Sweden. At an unspecified port, we are led into a crowd of people through a trail of discarded lifejackets. Part of a ne

Kalina Bertin and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Manic, survivor guilt, family secrets, mental health issues, intimate connections and prejudice. IMDB Trailer And learn more about Kalina here.  Synopsis Manic chronicles filmmaker Kalina Bertin’s struggle to make sense of the legacy of mental illness wreaking havoc over her sibling’s lives. Convinced that her father holds a key piece of the puzzle, she sets out to find the truth about him, and discovers a man known alternately as a cult leader, a scam artist, a prophet, and a father of fifteen. Manic invites the viewer on a compelling and intimate journey through time and through the mind, where past and present collide. Biography After completing her degree in film production in Montreal at UQÀM, filmmaker Kalina Bertin quickly realized that if she didn’t set out to understand the mental illness in her family it would destroy her. This process gave birth to her compelling documentary film Manic, which explores the legacy of bipolar disorder

Daniel Zuckerbrot and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Michelangelo, The Nature of Things, capital “T” truth, documentary storytelling and science. For more info on Reel Time Images head here. Biography Daniel’s first experience in the Canadian film industry was in 1974 when, while studying history of science, religion and philosophy at the University of Waterloo, he got a summer job as a researcher for a documentary. Though only 20 at the time this was far from his earliest foray into the Canadian art scene. At the age of 15 he began working as an assistant in the technical crew at Theatre Passe Muraille. This was in 1969 and Passe Muraille was the centre of avante garde theatre. In recent years Daniel’s specifically theatre related work has been limited to directing actors in some of his productions as well as having made a number of documentaries about performers. A working magician himself for some years, he taught magic privately and for the Toronto Board of Education. He is also one of the founding

Neasa Ní Chianáin and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film School Life, mentorship, a more relational pedagogy, nursery rhymes and belonging. IMDB Trailer Find out more about the film here. Synopsis This observational documentary follows a year in the lives of two inspirational teachers at Headfort, the only primary-age boarding school in Ireland. Housed in an 18th century estate, school life embraces tradition and modernity. For John, rock music is just another subject alongside Maths, Scripture and Latin, taught in a collaborative and often hilarious fashion. For his wife Amanda, the key to connecting with children is the book, and she uses all means to snare the young minds. For nearly half a century these two have shaped thousands of minds, but now the unthinkable looms: what would retirement mean? What will keep them young if they leave? Biography Neasa Ní Chianáin started directing in 2001 with television documentaries. She has directed three feature documentaries, including the award-winni

Kyoko and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Tokyo Idols, Tokyo “idol culture”, loneliness, relationships, clever business models and how to find love in hyper modern societies. IMDB Trailer Find out more about the film here. And learn more about Kyoko here. Synopsis “IDOLS” has fast become a phenomenon in Japan as girl bands and pop music permeate Japanese life. TOKYO IDOLS - an eye-opening film gets at the heart of a cultural phenomenon driven by an obsession with young female sexuality and Internet popularity. This ever-growing phenomenon is told through Rio, a bona fide "Tokyo Idol" who takes us on her journey toward fame. Now meet her “brothers”: a group of adult middle aged male super fans (ages 35 - 50) who devote their lives to following her—in the virtual world and in real life. Once considered to be on the fringes of society, the "brothers" who gave up salaried jobs to pursue an interest in female idol culture have since blown up and have now become mainstream via the internet, illumi

Ron Baugh and Face2Face host David Peck talk about mentorship, being present, community and about how great leaders learn how to serve others. Biography Ron has led such well-known brands as Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada, Harvey’s Division of Cara Operations, Williams Coffee Pubs Ltd., and most recently served as the Executive Director of the Canadian Tire Dealers’ Association. As COO of Cara’s $260M Harvey’s Division, Ron oversaw 330 locations and initiated a comprehensive overhaul of operating standards. As COO of Williams Coffee Pubs, Ron had full P&L and operational responsibility and increased store sales by 14% over a two-year period. During Ron’s tenure as Senior VP of Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada, he was responsible for 370 locations generating $700M in sales and led the operations to their most profitable year ever in 2010.  And as Executive Director of Canadian Tire Dealers’ Association, Ron provided support, advice and guidance to 490 Canadian Tire dealers and established the organization’s fi

Ryan Suffern and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Finding Oscar, truth, empathy and evidence, Guatemala, “real justice” and why he’s now an optimistic realist. Trailer IMDB More about the film here on the website. To learn more about finding those who are the “disappeared” search here. Synopsis: Executive produced by Stephen Spielberg, Finding Oscar is a feature length documentary about the search for justice in the devastating case of the Dos Erres massacre in Guatemala. That search leads to the trail of two little boys who were plucked from a nightmare and offer the only living evidence that ties the Guatemalan government to the massacre. Biography As head of documentaries for The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Ryan Suffern has an active role on a full slate of films.  His past projects delve into a variety of diverse issues such as climate change, the LGBT community and child refugees. He and Frank Marshall have collaborated on three commissioned documentaries for ESPN Films. Prior to his start

Pete Enns and Face2Face host David Peck talk about the power of experience, the sin of certainty, faith, trust, wisdom and why we need to restore our sense of humanity. Biography Peter Enns was born in Passaic, New Jersey, to German American immigrant parents. He grew up in River Vale, New Jersey and graduated from Pascack Valley High School in 1978. He is married to Susan and has three children, Erich, Elizabeth, and Sophia. He holds a B.A. in behavioural science from Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Enns returned to Westminster Theological Seminary in 1994 to begin his teaching career. He was tenured in 2000 and promoted to full professor in 2005 as Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Hermeneutics. Among other duties, he served as Associate Academic Dean from 1998 to 2001, chair of the Hermeneutics (Ph.D.) Field Committee (1997-2000), and edited the Westminster Theologi

Issac Julien and Dr. Diamond and Face2Face host David Peck talk about nurturing different artistic experiences, invisibility of issues and race and complex new media projects and porous institutions.   Issac’s latest RoM installation.   Global Experience Project   OCAD University (OCAD U) is launching a trailblazing international initiative, bent on elevating Canada’s prominence in the global communities of art and culture. The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation Global Experience Project (GEP) will bring four leading international artists to Toronto for a significant residency at OCAD U over the next five years. The GEP will connect selected students with the visiting artists and notable scholars, on campus and abroad.   “We are thrilled beyond words to realize the launch of the Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation Global Experience Project,” said Dr. Sara Diamond, President and Vice-Chancellor, OCAD University. “The opportunity to interact closely with ground-breaking international artists will shape the learning e

  Ulrik, Adil and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Recruiting for Jihad, love and community, religion and inclusion, radicalization and why notions of “us versus them” is going lead nowhere. Synopsis: Filmmakers Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen and Adil Khan Farooq followed the well-known Islamist missionary Ubaydullah Hussain for three years. A charismatic and intelligent man, he is also a recruiter with ties to ISIS who acts as the spokesperson for The Prophet’s Ummah, a Salafi-jihadist organization in Norway. Hussain is more than happy to share his views and practices with the camera, offering unparalleled insight into the life of an extremist. At first presenting himself as rational, open-minded and tolerant, Hussain’s ideological contradictions and prejudices are slowly revealed in this compelling and eye-opening exposé. The stakes get even higher as people we see Hussain recruiting become linked to terrorist acts. Eventually the documentary footage is seized by police as evidence, leading to a co

Lawrence Scanlan and Face2Face host David Peck talk about sharing the wealth, listening compassionately, generosity and social justice of various kinds. You can learn more about Lawrence here.   Biography Lawrence Scanlan was born in Toronto and spent the first six years of his life in the northern Ontario railway town of Nakina. He has lived and worked in Toronto, Nelson, B.C. and, for the past thirty-five years, the Kingston area in southeastern Ontario. Scanlan has worked in newspapers (literary editor of The Whig-Standard, editor of The Nelson Daily News), magazines (managing editor of Harrowsmith) and radio (producer with CBC Radio’s Morningside as well as Writers & Company). He has won three National Magazine Awards and, as a freelancer, written scores of articles on many subjects, including science, sports, literature, travel and medicine. In 1989, Scanlan’s first book was published — a biography co-authored with Ian Millar called Riding High. It was a Globe and Mail bestseller and would pave the w

Prof. Alexander Hinton of Rutgers University and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new book Man or Monster: The Trial of a Khmer Rouge Torturer, genocide, evil and the “sin of not seeing.” You can get his new book and others here below. Man or Monster Why Did They Kill Colonial Genocide Hidden Genocide Biography Alexander Hinton is Director of the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights and Professor of Anthropology and Global Affairs at Rutgers University, Newark. He is also a past President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (2011-13) and holds the UNESCO Chair in Genocide Prevention. He serves as an Academic Advisor to the Documentation Center of Cambodia, on the International Advisory Boards of journals such as the Genocide Studies and Prevention, Journal of Genocide Research, and Journal of Perpretrator Research, and as co-editor of the CGHR-Rutgers University Press book series, "Genocide, Political Violence, Human Rights".  In 2009, Alex Hinton received the Robert