The Deserter

This documentary drama, based on the real-life experiences of a drug addict, not only portrays the terrible consequences of the misuse of narcotics but presents the general problem of addiction and, particularly, of the addict as an individual. Dick Smith lost everything valued most in life because of his craving for the narcotics which finally killed him. In relating the story of his attempts to break the habit, the film reveals the essential nature of addiction as both a social and a human problem.

They're civilians, yet the military runs their lives. By marrying a member of the Armed Forces, these women inherited a lifestyle they hadn't necessarily chosen. When her husband joined the Air Force, filmmaker Claire Corriveau discovered a singular world where everything was subordinate to the needs of the Canadian Forces, to the detriment of family life. Her first film, Nomad's Land, powerfully depicts the hard existence of military wives. Isolated, often lonely, forced to move repeatedly, they have little control over their lives. Despite activist Lucie Laliberté's brave battle against the military establishment in the 1980s and her refusal to give in to its threats, military spouses today are just as vulnerable. This explosive documentary reminds us that they are the first collateral damage of an institution that, without their sacrifices and backstage work, would be unable to deploy its operations. Their unsung contributions come at a high personal price. In French with English subtitles.

In Heaven on Earth, acclaimed director Deepa Mehta highlights the isolation and disappointment faced by a family of Punjabi immigrants to Canada. When Chand (played by Bollywood superstar Preity Zinta) arrives in Brampton, Ontario to meet her new husband, she leaves behind a loving family and supportive community. Now, in a new country, she finds herself living in a modest suburban home with seven other people and two part-time tenants. Inside the home, she is at the mercy of her husband's temper, and her mother-in-law's controlling behaviour. After a magic root fails to transform her husband into a kind and loving man, Chand takes refuge in a familiar Indian folk tale featuring a King Cobra.