CBC Docs Special Presentation *Broadcast Premiere
In Search of a Perfect World
In the wake of the horrors of World War II and The Holocaust, the United Nations decided to develop a standard set of basic principles to uphold human dignity. By 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was established. On the Declaration’s 70th anniversary, the world is witnessing a shocking departure from those principles — even in Western countries. Yet Canada and Germany, two countries that were once opponents in war, have emerged as partners in defending the human rights of people across the globe, just as the Declaration envisioned. But are these nations protecting human rights within their own borders? And why does the upholding of universal human rights suddenly seem like an anomaly in 2018?
In this special documentary presentation, former CBC News chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge and his German counterpart Claus Kleber set out to explore a world where human rights are neither universally accepted nor even agreed upon.
Facebook has over two billion users, all producing and sharing content. Most of it is harmless, but some of it isn’t. How does Facebook regulate content showing child abuse, animal cruelty, self-harm and hate speech? This revealing documentary offers unique undercover footage inside Facebook’s “moderating hub.” It presents a stark picture of an organization that puts money before morality and for whom extreme content equals extreme profits.
Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT). The documentary will also be available to watch online at the CBC TV streaming app and cbc.ca/watch Friday, November 30 from 5 p.m. EST.
In nature, dads often get a bad rap. There are lots of male animals that are absentee fathers, and who provide little to nothing in the way of “child care.” But there are some unsung heroes in the animal kingdom: fathers who fly solo after moms leave them behind with the kids. Why do these devoted dads raise their young all by themselves? Scientists are just beginning to uncover the answers to this evolutionary mystery.
Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC and online at the CBC TV streaming app and cbc.ca/watch
Essure (Gillian Findlay)
They believed it was a safe, simple and easy form of birth control. For thousands of women across Canada, it turned into years of pain, both physical and emotional. Billed as a non-surgical form of permanent birth control, a medical device called essure was implanted into ten thousand women in Canada and about a million around the world. Now some of these women are experiencing medical complications that have led to hysterectomies — the very procedures that essure promised to avoid. The manufacturer, Bayer, has pulled it of the market, but insists there’s nothing wrong with the devices. Should regulatory agencies, like Health Canada, have been more vigilant in ensuring these devices were adequately studied before being approved?
School Bus Safety part II (Bob McKeown)
The campaign to have seat belts on school buses grows, following our investigation that was first broadcast on October 14. The former premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, has just introduced a private members bill next week to make them mandatory in Ontario. She tells the Fifth Estate that her views changed because of our broadcast. A school bus driver in BC has organized a petition, support for which is growing by the hour. Literally. He says it’s really hard for him to see these kids get on the bus every day, knowing that they can be injured or killed and that it is all preventable. He says he’s sick to his stomach when he gets to put a seatbelt on when he’s on the bus but the kids cannot.
documentary Channel **Broadcast Premiere, documentary Channel original, featured at HotDocs 2018
Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 9 p.m. ET/PT (repeats Tuesday December 4, at 7 p.m. ET/PT and Sunday December 9 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET/PT)
Senior citizens Rudy and Rennie North were taken from their home by a court-appointed guardian and never returned. Their estate was looted and souvenirs of their life were disposed of by strangers.This investigative documentary set in Las Vegas exposes allegations of corruption within the Nevada Guardianship and Family Court system. The film shines a light on a lucrative business that drains seniors’ life-savings. Victims and their families are caught in a scheme that has allowed corrupt, court-appointed guardians to take total control over individuals’ healthcare and financial decisions.