Face 2 Face With David Peck

  Photo by Gini Fanter Esther talks about her love for knowledge, philosophy and wisdom, defective approaches to knowing, how “it’s all connected and why she is concerned about others as a philosopher.   Biography Esther L. Meek (Ph.D., Temple University; M.A., Western Kentucky University; B.A., Cedarville College) is Professor of Philosophy at Geneva College, and Visiting Professor of Apologetics at Redeemer Theological Seminary. She is also a Fellow with Artist Makoto Fujimura’s Fujimura Institute. Her 2003 Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People (Brazos) is a book for people considering Christianity who have questions about how we know anything at all. Her 2011 book, Loving to Know: Introducing Covenant Epistemology (Cascade), proposes the interpersonal covenantal relationship as the paradigm for all human knowing. A Little Manual for Knowing (Cascade, Spring 2014) distills covenant epistemology into a how-to for any knowing venture in any field. Her website, www.longingtoknow.com,

Helen talks about her new film Hold Your Fire, about police violence, fear, the Sammy Yatim shooting and how 1 in 5 of us will suffer form a mental health crisis at some point in out lives.   Film Trailer   Film Synopsis   Hold Your Fire explores the reasons why officers who signed on to serve and protect somehow end up shooting a vulnerable person. The documentary looks at how police training and response to people in crisis went off track, and shows how progressive police forces, from Rialto, California to Leicester, U.K., are striving to get onto a better path. We travel with Canadian police mobile teams to calls involving people in emotional crisis, and meet a Hamilton mental health worker who responds to 911 calls and is quite possibly the only civilian in Canada to ever send home the tactical team.   Biography   In naming her one of BC’s 100 Most Influential Women, the Vancouver Sun said, “Helen Slinger’s filmmaking is all about taking a grabber of an event and turning it on its head. The documentarian

  Dayne Pratzky   Listen in as Dayne talks about why he’s called The Frackman, coal seam gas mining, why we all matter more than we know and how to be bold, brave and proud when becoming an activist.   TIFF and Human Rights Watch co-present the 13th annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival in Toronto, March 30 to April 7.   For more information about the festival go here.   Watch the Trailer Here.   And find out more info about the film here.   Synopsis   Dayne Pratzky loved the quiet life on his rural block in central Queensland. Then the coal seam gas company arrived, and that changed everything. Legally he couldn't stop them mining his land, but that didn't mean he wouldn't fight. And so began a David and Goliath battle against a $200 Billion industry. Along the way he found love, tragedy and triumph. Frackman is like no other Australian film. It aims to spark a broad national conversation about the risks of our headlong rush into massive coal seam gas development. Can we imagine any other issue that would

    Listen in as Michele talks about the new film The Uncondemned, rape as a war crime, why we have a responsibility to others and the “grace of fate.”   TIFF and Human Rights Watch co-present the 13th annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival in Toronto, March 30 to April 7.   For more information about the festival go here.   Watch the Trailer Here.   And find out more info about the film here.   Synopsis   "The Uncondemned" tells the gripping and world-changing story of a group of young international lawyers and activists who fought to make rape a crime of war, and the Rwandan women who came forward to testify and win justice where there had been none.   Up until this point, rape had not been prosecuted as a war crime and was committed with impunity. A courtroom thriller and personal human drama, "The Uncondemned" beautifully interweaves the stories of the characters in this odyssey, leading to the trial at an international criminal court--and the results that changed the world of criminal justice forever.

  Listen in today as Mark talks about falling in love with journalism, how too often it’s a business and not a calling, what “getting it first” versus “getting it right” is all about and why he’s still hopeful. Biography  Mark Bulgutch retired from CBC News in 2009 after a career that lasted more than 35 years. But he continued to produce every CBC TV News special event until 2012. In 2012 he wrote a weekly column on the web site of CBC’s chief correspondent, Peter Mansbridge (www.cbc.ca/petermansbridge). He graduated from Carleton University in 1974 with an honours degree in journalism. He was immediately hired by CBC News as a reporter in his hometown, Montreal. He became a line-up editor there, before moving to Toronto to work as a writer on The National. He soon became the program’s line-up editor, a position he held for 11 years. He became the senior producer of CBC News Specials, and then the Senior Executive Producer of CBC TV News and CBC NewsWorld (now CBC News Network). He was responsible for all l

    Listen in as Sophia talks about her new film Inside The Chinese Closet, LGBTQ rights here at home and in China, trust, transparency and why she’s still optimistic about the future. Festival Runs from: March 30 - April 7, 2016 For more information about the festival go here.   Watch the Trailer Here.   Synopsis   Andy devotes his days and nights to looking for a lesbian wife of convenience who could possibly bear his child; from online search to underground marriage markets, he is meeting all sorts of girls. Cherry has already married a gay man, but the quest for a baby proves to be a far more complex challenge. Will Andy and Cherry deny their own happiness and sexual orientation to satisfy their parents’ wishes? Inside The Chinese Closet follows Andy and Cherry in their search. Along the way, they clash with their parents’ hopes, their love partners and the partners of convenience. It is through these encounters that the film lays bare the challenges that confront gay people in China today.   Biography S

Listen in as Eileen talks about her new film A Jihadi In The Family, Islamophobia, brokenness, and the power of real community. See the trailer and Read more here.  Synopsis Overnight, Calgary mother Christianne Boudreau has a new identity, “mother of a terrorist,” when her son Damian is killed fighting with ISIS. “I never saw it coming”, she says, echoing hundreds of mothers in Europe and North America whose children have left home to embrace violent extremism. How and why young people, who have grown up in western countries, are being recruited to terrorist groups and the effect it’s having on the families they leave behind, is the focus of the new documentary A JIHADI IN THE FAMILY. Unlike many parents who fear to speak publicly about what happened to their children, Christianne’s response to this tragedy is to personally take on the battle against ISIS.  Driven to understand the destructive path her son chose, Christianne embarks on a journey to meet others who have a stake in the issue. Her quest for ans

  Listen in as Magali talks about Human Rights, the power of film to work towards social change and why she might be a cynic at heart, but still eternally hopeful.   For more information about the festival go here. Biography Simard is the Manager of Film Programmes at TIFF, working on new releases, TIFF Cinematheque, the Human Rights Watch Film Festival and ongoing film series. Bringing her experience in the Canadian film industry and deep knowledge of Quebec cinema, she sits on the programming team for the Toronto International Film Festival’s Canadian feature films.   She co-programmed the Festival’s Short Cuts Canada section for five years. Simard has served on juries for the Berlinale Teddy Awards, Rio de Janeiro’s Curta Cinema, the Festival du Nouveau Cinema and the Sundance Film Festival.    ----------   For more information about my podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit my site here.   With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.       See acast.com/privacy for privacy

Peter talks about the ”dialectics of violence”, why cooperation will be essential to our survival as a human race, why he makes films for himself and how capitalism is a killer system. Biography Villon Films was founded by Peter Davis, who has written, produced, and directed more than seventy documentaries. His work has been shown on every major television network on the globe including CBC, CTV, BBC, CBS, NBC, Swedish Television, German Television, and NHK Japan. Davis was born and raised in England. He completed his masters studies at Oxford University before emigrating to Sweden and then North America. His early career included positions as scriptwriter for the National Film Board of Canada; director-cameraman for BBC, CBC, Swedish TV, Danish TV, Australian Broadcasting, and WNET; as well as producer for Swedish TV, London’s Rediffusion Television, BBC, CBS, CBC, CTV, Polytel (West Germany), WNET, the United Nations, UNICEF, and C.A.R.E. The Villon Films collection includes biographies of spies such as CIA

 Gilad Cohen and Amar Wala   Listen in as Gilad and Amar talk about why they think that human rights needs to be rebranded, their new podcast The Hum and why there is always a reason to hope.   The Hum Podcast Check out the trailer here The term ‘human rights’ often brings up images of pain, oppression and injustice.  It’s easy to forget that at the core of every human rights story are real human beings - people who are smart, funny and more like us than we think. The Hum is a podcast that goes straight to the hearts of these people and their stories. Each week, guests open up about their personal journeys in ways they never have before. They will shock you, inspire you, and even make you laugh. But most of all they’ll open your eyes to the human rights stories that exist all around us.     Biography   Amar Wala   With his debut feature The Secret Trial 5 (2014), Amar Wala established himself as a daring new voice in Canadian cinema. A graduate of York University's acclaimed Film program, he believes deepl

  Listen in on our chat today with Jamie Dagg and Rossif Sutherland talking about their new film River, the Mekong and unintended consequences.   River opens March 13th – 2016. Read more about the film here and it’s World premiere at TIFF and check out it’s trailer here.     Synopsis – River   Accused of murder after intervening in the sexual assault of a young woman, an American volunteer doctor in Laos is forced to go on the run.   One of the most energetic thrillers produced this year; Jamie M. Dagg's debut feature River takes us on a frantic getaway in Laos, from the shores of the Mekong River, up to the mountains in the north.   John Lake (Rossif Sutherland) is an American volunteer doctor working for an NGO in a village in southern Laos. On his way home after an alcohol-soaked evening at a local bar, John intervenes in the sexual assault of a young woman, and the violence quickly escalates. The next day, the assailant's body is pulled out of the water.   All the evidence points to John, who recognizes

Karen Valley Karen talks today about what it means to be “disabled”, our limitations, her social entrepreneurial spirit and why it’s so important to push the boundaries in a variety of ways.  Biography Karen Valley was born missing her left arm below the elbow and was enrolled in The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program. As Karen grew up with the CHAMP Program, she embraced the Association’s philosophy of “amputees helping amputees” both as an enthusiastic Champ and later as a Junior Counsellor.  She gave media interviews on behalf of The War Amps, appeared on the Association’s float in a number of parades in the Ottawa area and made presentations to local children’s groups, spreading the PLAYSAFE message and raising awareness about life as an amputee.  In 1993, Karen began her employment at The War Amps, and today she is the Director of the Association’s National Amputee Centre (NAC). In this capacity, Karen ensures that the NAC remains a centre of excellence on the subject of amputation, providing valuabl

Erin speaks passionately today about landmines, cluster munitions and why Canadians have played such a significant role in the campaign against these “indiscriminate inhumane weapons”, why she thinks this problem is 100% solvable and a new kind of diplomacy.   Biography   Since 2003, Erin has been involved in Canadian efforts to ban landmines and cluster munitions and to raise awareness of the rights of survivors to meet their needs while working as a volunteer, an intern, a youth campaigner and a Program Officer.   Originally from Victoria, BC, she holds an M.A. in Human Security from Royal Roads University and has been involved in campaigns to ban landmines and cluster munitions since 2003.    She is currently the Program Coordinator for Mines Action Canada and a member of the Monitor Victim Assistance team.   Previously, she worked on victim assistance programs in Uganda, youth peace building projects and in child welfare services. Erin has a master’s degree in Human Security and Peace building from Royal

 Holly Gordon Listen in as Holly talks about women’s empowerment, the power of storytelling, why education is important, the gap between head and heart and why things change when you create room for conversation. The Film: Girl RisingWatch the Trailer hereBiographyAs Co-Founder and CEO of Girl Rising, Holly determines long-term strategy for the campaign and looks for new opportunities to drive change for girls around the world. Holly is also an Executive Producer of the Girl Rising film. Holly has been selected by Fast Company as a member of the League of Extraordinary Women and named by Newsweek/Daily Beast as one of 125 Women of Impact. Forbes Magazine also named the Girl Rising movement the #1 Most Dynamic Social Initiative of 2012. Prior to Girl Rising, Holly Gordon worked at the Tribeca Film Festival, and before that at ABC News, where she was a producer and booker for the major news broadcasts, covering high-profile stories, including the trial of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, the shootings at

  Doug talks about how you politics is defined by what you see out your front window, why he’s against the death penalty, political satire in the US and his new book President Blog. BiographyDoug Magee is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker living in New York's East Harlem. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Union Theological Seminary. He has had a decidedly checkered career.Doug worked as a freelance photojournalist for a number of years and was published in many major magazines and newspapers, including a New York Times front-page photo of violence in Portugal.He is the author of SLOW COMING DARK, a book of interviews with death row inmates, and WHAT MURDER LEAVES BEHIND, profiles of families of murder victims. In addition, he has written three children's books.His films include the HBO movie SOMEBODY HAS TO SHOOT THE PICTURE and the Showtime movie BEYOND THE CALL.He is married to Mary Hedahl, the director of development at Human Rights First. The eldest of his three sons, Tim Magee, an associate pro

 Karen talks about uncertainty, the frozen smile, anxious attachment, trans-generational trauma, good parenting and about learning how to self regulate.  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 research and consulting on the CBC P

  Photo credit: Véro Boncompagni   Check out the trailer of their new NFB film Ninth Floor making its world premiere at TIFF 2015.   Synopsis of Film It started quietly when a group of Caribbean students, strangers in a cold new land, began to suspect their professor of racism. It ended in the most explosive student uprising Canada had ever known. Over four decades later, Ninth Floor reopens the file on the Sir George Williams Riot – a watershed moment in Canadian race relations and one of the most contested episodes in the nation’s history. It was the late 60s, change was in the air, and a restless new generation was claiming its place– but nobody at Sir George Williams University would foresee the chaos to come. On February 11, 1969, riot police stormed the occupied floors of the main building, making multiple arrests. As fire consumed the 9th floor computer centre, a torrent of debris rained onto counter-protesters chanting racist slogans – and scores of young lives were thrown into turmoil. Making a soph

Today's conversation is about great ideas, having good instincts, the entrepreneurial spirit, ‎a passion for creating solutions and what problem solving can lead to.  Biography "BaitCloud is a fishing industry start-up out of Mississauga, Ontario that started in 2015 with two first time inventors and entrepreneurs, Cheryl Hopkins and Carl Rudnik. Their growth has been steady and unconventional as they look to re-invent the fish-attractant marketplace forever. For more information about their company visit their site here. ---------- For more information about my podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit my site here. With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

 Ian talks about leadership, why attitude is so important, why misery is a choice, consistency and why he’s an unapologetic nerd.  Biography Since his years in high school, Ian Tyson has never shied away from the stage. From drama productions to his many years as a student leader, performing and motivating have always gone hand in hand. Ian has parlayed his passion for comedy and entertaining with his desire to inspire change in others into a 25+ year career as one of the top speakers in North America. The middle child of 3 kids, Ian grew up in St. Thomas, Ontario where he still makes his home and is the proud father of two teenagers. Ian draws much of his inspiration from tales of his childhood. From the humorous: Recess! Eating paste, and playing superheroes, to the touching: how we define our friends, and dealing with the loss of his mother at the age of 10. Combine this with his extensive training in leadership and a more than-healthy dose of pop-culture references and you have the recipe for Ian's presen

 Maureen talks about her new film Wasted, alcoholism, compassionate evidence based care, why she might have too much empathy and how the world of medicine is changing when it comes to treating addiction.  Film Trailer Film Synopsis Filmmaker Maureen Palmer set out to make a documentary following her partner Mike Pond - a psychotherapist and an alcoholic 5 years sober - as he searched for the best new evidence-based addiction treatments. The intent was to help others battling substance use disorders. But to the couple’s shock and dismay, shortly after filming began, Mike drank again. In Wasted Mike and Maureen’s attitudes and assumptions about addiction are tested in real time as the couple search for a treatment that will work for Mike. A theoretical journey becomes very real and deeply personal.  There is urgency to their quest. Mike had already suffered one life-threatening trip to rock bottom; he likely wouldn’t survive another. In his past life, Mike spent two decades as a successful therapist in Penticto