Level 20 Practical & Applied Arts

Last Spring the swine or H1N1 flu first arrived in Canada. Thousands became ill, and by the end of the summer 78 people had died. Now a second wave of this pandemic flu bug is sweeping across the country.

Every year, for a number of reasons, many Canadians adopt children in foreign countries. International adoptions can provide them with the baby they always wanted, but they can also be expensive and frustrating.

Abousfian Abdelrazic and Suad Hagi Mohamud are two Canadians who shared a common ordeal in two different places. They find themselves in a foreign country and not allowed to come home. This report looks at their stories and why they and others have accused the Canadian government of abandoning it...

Autism is a complex biomedical condition that is not yet completely understood. It can cause people to have trouble communicating or engage in repetitive behaviour. The traditional approach has been to try to treat it or cure it, but now some are questioning that emphasis.

In late August, Afghans went to the polls to choose a President and members of the provincial council. Canada's troops in that war torn country help provide security so the vote could take place. But the election was marred by violence and voting irregularities.

Asbestos is a mineral that was once widely used in the construction industry. Canada produces about ten percent of the world's supply, but because it can cause severe lung problems, its use in Canada is limited. Instead, most of it is shipped to developing countries. Asbestos sales are helping a ...

A young man describes how his experiences led him on the path to a healthier lifestyle. When Shawn Bernard started a rap group, he never dreamed it would turn into an Aboriginal gang. He became a drug dealer and lived a high-risk lifestyle that ultimately led to tragedy. Shawn raps about the stru...

This program is about a gay man who followed his passion for women's jingle dancing and sewing costumes. This young man faced rejection from an Elder at a Kamloops pow wow, but managed to recover his self-esteem. It also tells of the history of two-spirited people in the First Nations culture. Tw...

Single mother Michelle plunges into the world of online dating. As a newcomer relating her experiences through a video diary, she navigates the humorous ins and outs of building an alluring profile to deciphering internet chat slang to getting her webcam to work. Along the way, Michelle learns th...

This short film examines a drummer's personal relationship to the drum, from his first encounter with a powwow drum and how that experience changed his life, to its role as a spiritual mentor and guide. For this proud drumkeeper, the drum is a way of life and a means of maintaining a strong conne...

The National visits an inner city high school in Saskatoon, SK, where teacher Allison Cameron tests the theory that vigorous daily exercise improves academic performance. City Park Collegiate is considered a high school of last resort for kids who haven't been able to make it anywhere else. The G...

In Boys, Toys and the Big Blue Marble, abused and exploited youngsters all over the world speak about their lives. This tough documentary told from the boys' viewpoint is an appraisal of childhoods destroyed by slavery, criminality, war, sexual exploitation and human stupidity.

In ati-wîhcasin (It's Getting Easier) filmmaker Tessa Desnomie celebrates the life and times of her grandmother, Jane Merasty. Born and raised on the trapline, this Woodlands Cree woman witness's significant changes over her 80 years.

O Mother, Where Art Thou? by filmmakers Paul John Swiderski takes stock of his adoptive family and the security and well-being that they have always provided for him. However, he begins to wonder about his biological family.

Life Givers: Honouring Our Elders and Children is a film by Janine Windolph that testifies to the need to grieve and to honour the memory of loved ones.