Big Ideas at Home

Stay connected with these thought-provoking documentaries and enriching resources.

Documentaries expose us to new ideas and perspectives that educate and strengthen communities. We’ve collaborated with our partners at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival to round up previous titles from the Big Ideas Series presented by Scotia Wealth Management – documentaries from notable artists and newsmakers that engage with audiences on important issues. These favourites from the Big Ideas collection are easily accessible through various streaming and on-demand platforms such as CBC Gem, Crave, and . Paired with each film is a recipe from the chefs at Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants to make from the comfort of your home. We hope they’ll bring you as much joy as they do us.

Big Ideas presented by TIG

In October 2012, comedian Tig Notaro took to the stage and opened her act with “Good evening, I have cancer”. The set instantly went viral—and rocketed her to fame. Recently diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer— which had come just after a life-threatening infection, her mother’s passing and a breakup with her girlfriend, Notaro’s life seemed on a collision course. Directors Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York follow the comedian for a year, from the legendary show to her preparing for its follow-up anniversary performance. Experiencing every monumental traumatic experience with Notaro’s deadpan humour and phenomenally Watch on Netflix defiant spirit, Tig is equal parts hilarious, inspiring and touching. It expresses what it truly means to be a creative person when life gets in the way—and how intertwined creativity and self-identity can be in the Pair with face of overwhelming hurdles. Madawaska Chicken Stew BONUS MATERIAL Tig’s website Special performance with all proceeds are donated to a COVID-19 Response Fund Vanity Fair interview Time 100 article (with supplemental video interview) CNN interview

BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY

The 1990s TV phenomenon Bill Nye the Science Guy educated and entertained a generation with a mix of facts and zany fun that made learning exciting. Today, the bow-tied Bill Nye has returned to the public eye—but his mission has evolved as the stakes have risen. There’s a dangerous wave of people in power whose fundamental lack of scientific reasoning is causing destruction to the planet we all inhabit. As a public figure, Bill is now taking every opportunity he can to openly call out and debate those who are twisting facts or outright denying them. The Science Guy is back and more vital than ever. Watch on Netflix BONUS MATERIAL Film website New York Times interview Pair with Post-screening Q&A with Bill Nye Aranciata Caffe Freddo DANNY

The history of Newfoundland and Labrador politics is one of the most colourful in Canada, due to its larger-than-life politicians. Danny Williams is one such man. Premier of the province from 2003 to 2010, he was known for his ferocity and charisma. By the time he left office, he had not only become one of the most popular—and most controversial— Canadian politicians of his era, but a folk hero to the nation. Danny is a beautifully crafted film laced with humour and back-room anecdotes from former staffers, Williams’ family and Williams himself that offers insight into the forces and people who shaped him. Known as a fighter, Watch on NFB.ca Williams famously took on two prime ministers and Big Oil to ensure that benefits from his province’s abundant natural resources flowed back Enjoy with to its people—turning it from a “have-not” into a “have” province. More Chef Murray than just a standard biography, Danny is a compelling story of a feisty McDonald’s everyman situated at the centre of the political changes and powers of Pease Pudding the time. & Cod BONUS MATERIAL NFB Danny website CBC profile on Danny Williams Maclean’s profile on Danny Williams and the film Canada in a Day: Danny Williams profile (includes links to profiles of other significant Canadians)

THE HAPPY FILM

Stefan Sagmeister calls New York City home. A successful graphic designer, his notable accomplishments include designing iconic album covers for the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, Jay Z and Aerosmith, among others. But in Stefan’s ever-creative, always-curious mind, there’s another major project that lingers: himself. Questioning his own happiness and identity, he embarks on an imaginative voyage to redesign himself. He immerses himself as a test subject in three modes of practice— meditation, therapy and drugs—in an attempt to reconfigure and adjust his views on what it means to be a happy person. Despite his efforts at an Watch on iTunes academic approach, real life and raw emotion blur the methods. But by looking inward, Sagmeister paints a bigger picture of the elements we’ve all questioned and considered in our own pursuits of happiness.

Pair with BONUS MATERIAL Film website Peking Duck Burgers Stefan Sagmeister’s personal website Sagmeister’s collected TED Talks Comprehensive interview via Smashing magazine TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU

When is your date with destiny? Tony Robbins, American motivational speaker, personal finance instructor and self-help guru, is well known for his infomercials and aspirational books. Now, sitting on a million-dollar fortune, he guarantees to his zealous conference participants that he can be the catalyst that sparks their success. How? See for yourself in this exhilarating film in which Academy Award nominee Joe Berlinger immerses you in Robbins’s mammoth Date With Destiny seminar. Berlinger’s daring and confronting camera perspective captures some of the 2,500 attendees as Robbins deftly pushes them to their emotional Watch on Netflix brinks to find their breakthrough revelations. With unprecedented access, Berlinger gives a tour-de-force backstage glimpse into the modus Pair with operandi of this colossal event and the effort it takes to produce it. Ted Corrado’s Wild Whisky BONUS MATERIAL Tony Robbins’ website Smoked BBQ Inc. profile Pork Ted Talk video Fortune article The Tony Robbins Podcast – 10 Gifts of Life

MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A.

Drawn from two decades’ worth of personal footage, this Sundance award winner and Hot Docs sensation is a startlingly personal profile of M.I.A., the genre-bending artist and social justice activist whose outspoken rhymes tore up the charts, stoked political fires and captivated fans and critics worldwide. Assembling countless hours of M.I.A.’s own recordings alongside interviews and performances, director and lifelong friend Steve Loveridge chronicles her evolution from refugee immigrant to music star in an exhilarating mash-up that showcases the many sides of a polarizing and fascinating pop culture figure. Watch on Apple TV BONUS MATERIAL Film website interview Pair with Popular M.I.A. songs: Bad Girls John Bunner’s Paper Planes Leisure Noise Cocktail CHASING CORAL

Rainforests of the sea, coral reefs are home to millions of species, acting as majestic underwater ecosystems vital to oceanic life—and ultimately, human survival. Despite their biodiversity, they remain vulnerable to coral bleaching, a deadly phenomenon caused by the warmer water temperatures of climate change. In this riveting follow- up to the award-winning glacier erosion epic Chasing Ice, director Jeff Orlowski joins a former ad executive, a self-proclaimed “coral nerd” and distinguished marine biologists and camera engineers as they embark on a breathtaking ocean adventure to capture the progressive degradation Watch on Netflix of mass bleaching events. Through several cameras skillfully submerged across the world’s tropical oceans, the team arduously battles technical challenges to reveal spectacular, irrefutable time-lapse footage of the Pair with catastrophic destruction happening underwater. With its impressive Justin Leboe’s Fettuccine balance of artistry, suspense and urgency, Chasing Coral poignantly Carbonara reveals the imminent ecological dangers threatening the globe.

BONUS MATERIAL Website Additionally, some thorough Take Action links Smithsonian website dedicated to coral reefs Coral Watch: great interactive website where citizens around the world can contribute to getting data/info Interview with director Jeff Orlowski via Jane Goodall Institute

GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND

Explore the career, music, and influence of Canadian songwriting legend Gordon Lightfoot. This sold-out Hot Docs ’19 hit candidly takes us from rural Ontario in the 50s and the iconic coffeehouses of Yorkville and Greenwich Village in the 60s, through to Lightfoot’s substance-fueled arena shows of the 70s, and finally to his life today. Featuring interviews with Sarah McLachlan, Alec Baldwin, Rush, and more, If You Could Read My Mind is an intimate examination of the troubadour’s profound relationship to his music and the country he calls home.

Watch on CBC Gem BONUS MATERIAL CBC Docs Toronto Star interview Video interview with Rudy Blair Pair with The Canadian Cocktail

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOUR?

“I like you just the way you are.” With this phrase, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood introduced generations of American children to a genial, soft-spoken man, who became a father figure to many thanks to his open, compassionate communication. Fred Rogers’s heartfelt words of wisdom helped children deal with complex social issues including death and discrimination. Approaching challenging topics with honesty and warmth, he dedicated himself to meeting the needs of children, and 50 years later, he remains an unmatched landmark in children’s television. Wonderfully illustrated with clips from the show, striking Watch on iTunes animation and interviews with many people who worked with, loved and were influenced by Fred Rogers, Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville has crafted a remarkably resonant film that’s both tribute and caution. Pair with We’re reminded not only of the brilliance and beauty of Mr. Rogers’s Benjamin Oddo’s legacy, but of the dangers in closing ourselves off from his message of caramels acceptance and love.

BONUS MATERIAL Website Harvard Grad School Discussion: Mr. Rogers’ legacy NPR episode about the film Thorough archive of the history of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

ANOTE’S ARK

The Pacific Island nation of Kiribati consists of 33 low-lying isles and atolls. The country is so remote that many islanders hoped its location would keep it immune from global turmoil—but scientific research estimates Kiribati will be completely underwater within this century. Through multiple lenses, Anote’s Ark looks at the climate change predicament facing this unique country. We meet former president Anote Tong, who desperately asks during a speech at the UN Human Rights Council, “Who do we appeal to and turn to for our people to survive?” On a more intimate level, the film tells the story of Sermary, Watch on CBC Gem a young mother of three, seeking a new life for her family in New Zealand. Through these two stories, Anote’s Ark balances the personal with the political and presents us with an ambitious and layered film about an Pair with undeniable climate change calamity. Hamachi Ceviche BONUS MATERIAL Film website The Agenda with Steve Paikin: Interview with Anote Tong Current Kiribati President Taneti Maamu: Address to the UN General Assembly from 2019

Interview with Director Matthieu Rytz