- Fall Premieres Include Spellbound and Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster –

This fall, The Documentary Channel launches a blockbuster season with the exclusive broadcast premieres of some of the most entertaining and critically acclaimed feature documentaries of our time, with titles such as Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, Winged Migration and Spellbound on the schedule.

“The Documentary Channel's 2005 fall lineup is loaded with box office hits that you can't see o­n any other TV channel,” said Michael Harris, Vice President and General Manager of The Documentary Channel. “ They are more entertaining and engaging than most Hollywood movies because of the incredible true stories they tell. It's the humanity and emotion of the films that ultimately resonates with our viewers.”

FALL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

September
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)
* CANADIAN BROADCAST PREMIERE* A DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL EXCLUSIVE *
What happens when the most successful heavy metal band of all time enters group therapy…with the cameras rolling? Filmed over three tumultuous years, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster tracks the personal, professional and creative struggles of the band and its combustible members as they grapple with being middle-aged rockers whose best days may be behind them. Winner of the Independent Spirit Award.

October
Winged Migration (2001)
* CANADIAN BROADCAST PREMIERE* A DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL EXCLUSIVE *
While it may be considered a dull premise—the migratory patterns of birds—the Academy Award-nominated Winged Migration is, in fact, o­ne of the most stunning films ever made. Shot over three years in 40 countries across all seven continents, Winged Migration takes the viewer o­n an unforgettable tour of the world alongside migrating birds. Winner of the prestigious César and the Boston Society of Film Critics Award, Winged Migration is  “…a film of staggering beauty that will open your eyes to o­ne of the wonders of the natural world breathtakingly captured in all its glory, color, and movement…” (Jules Brenner , FILMCRITIC.COM).

Trembling Before G-d (2001)
* CANADIAN BROADCAST PREMIERE* A DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL EXCLUSIVE *
It's a profound and deeply personal dilemma for those who are gay or lesbian: how to reconcile their love of Judaism and the Divine with an inflexible doctrine that forbids homosexuality. Trembling Before G-d shows the struggle some faithful endure to reconcile their religious identity with their true selves. Filmmaker Sandi Simcha DuBowski introduces the viewer to a range of loving, thoughtful people who wrestle with tradition and their own personal truth. In the end, Trembling Before G-d proves to be an intelligent, honest testament to the power of faith and the universal need to belong. Winner of the GLAAD Media Award and the Golden Plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival.

November
Spellbound (2002)
* CANADIAN BROADCAST PREMIERE* A DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL EXCLUSIVE *
Agony, elation, frustration and panic: the faces tell it all in this thrilling, Academy Award-nominated documentary following eight kids as they spell their way through the 1999 National Spelling Bee Championship in Washington, D.C. The kids come from big cities, suburbs, and small towns; they run the ethnic and socioeconomic gamut. Yet, alone at the podium, all are rendered equal in the face of competition. Filled with heart-stopping suspense, Spellbound is most vividly experienced through the faces and stories of the spellers themselves. For all of them, the stakes are high—of the millions of kids who enter the competition, o­nly o­ne wins. But for audiences who experience the anticipation, frustration and elation alongside these young spellers, everyone emerges a glorious champ.

December
Gunner Palace (2004)
* CANADIAN BROADCAST PREMIERE* A DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL EXCLUSIVE *
This is the story that the news won't tell and politicians never sell: a
street-level view of war in Iraq as experienced by the American soldiers of the 2/3 Field Artillery—a group known as “The Gunners,” who endured hostile situations for months after President Bush declared the end of major combat operations. In 2003, filmmaker Michael Tucker lived with “The Gunners” for two months in a bombed-out pleasure palace originally built by Sadaam Hussein for his high-living son Uday. The young soldiers enjoy Uday's pleasure palace during the day; at night, they raid homes of suspected terrorists and endure mortar attacks, roadside bombs and snipers. They also speak candidly about the reality of life during wartime, and their hazy reasons for being there.

Related links:
- Documentary Channel
- Corus Entertainment (Also owns YTV, TreeHouse, Movie Central, Scream and more!)
- Fall TV Preview of The Documentary Channel