Award Winning Documentaries
Riding With Madonna
Linda Stewart is a cop with a long history, not to mention a strong passion for, street policing. She goes to work early to help keep our city safe; Linda is an experienced hostage negotiator. This film looks at the career, future, and extraordinary personality of an inspirational policewoman. Learn More
Yo Bro: The Joe Calendino Story
Yo Bro: The Joe Calendino Story, is a documentary about former Hells Angels Joe Calendino, who now works with youth to teach them how to avoid making the same mistakes he did. Joe is the founder of the Yo Bro Youth Initiative. Learn More
Gangs & Guns
Gangs & Guns is a documentary that digs deep into the culture and inner workings of criminal gangs. In partnership with Surrey Safe Schools, Odd Squad interviewed professionals, social workers, police, and gang members to inform viewers about gang structure, recruitment, and prevention/intervention strategies for youth who are involved in, or at risk from gang activity. Learn More
Tears For April
This film destroys the myth that drug abuse affects just the user as life and death unfolds in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Tears for April: Beyond the Blue Lens follows the short, tragic life of April Reoch as told by the beat cop who first warned the fresh-faced 17-year old to leave the streets. Within six months, April was hooked on drugs and prostituting herself. We follow April’s life-and-death struggle: from those first days on the street, through her struggles to get clean, to finding her body on Christmas Day, and into jail where her murderer laments her death. Five other characters, also seen in Through a Blue Lens (1999), are woven into this compelling documentary. Learn More
Scathed
Crystal methamphetamine has roared across the globe, leaving wrecked lives, broken dreams, and death in its wake. Its use has cost millions in policing and health expenditures. Scathed analyzes the problem through the eyes of current and recovering users, their families, health-care workers and police. This hard-hitting documentary demonstrates that using crystal meth is a poison derived from poisons. Scathed is suitable for high school students, their parents, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the seductive lure of illicit drugs. Learn More
Stolen Lives
This high-impact short film deals with the highly-dangerous and destructive criminal act of stealing cars. RCMP officer Tim Shields explains that the vast majority of car thieves are drug addicts. They steal cars and trucks so they can commit other crimes to raise cash and buy more drugs. All too many times, death ensues. Learn More
Not a Game
Not a Game is an educational tool for teachers and parents of elementary school children on the dangers of crystal meth. Guided by an advisory panel of medical, educational, and law enforcement professionals, Not a Game delivers an age-appropriate message to our most valuable and vulnerable resource: our children. Learn More
Through A Blue Lens
Constable Al Arsenault, along with six other policemen who made up the Odd Squad, document the people on their beat to create a powerful film about drug abuse. This group of officers developed a unique relationship with addicts in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In this documentary, drug addicts talk openly about how they got to the streets and they send a powerful message of caution to others about the dangers of drug abuse. Through a Blue Lens has proven to be one of the NFB’s most successful films since opening its doors in 1939. Learn More
Coming Up Next...
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