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Drug Traffic and Substance Abuse (8)
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Arrest, Search and SeizureT.R. Wagstaff & E.J. Tooke 1972 10 minA Royal Canadian Mounted Police training film on deploying personnel to make a successful arrest after receiving information on drug trafficking. -
Drug AddictRobert Anderson 1948 34 minHow drug traffic operates, how the drug addict is made, and how this grim social reality may be curbed. From the poppy blowing innocently in the wind to the relationship between addict and pusher, this film traces the strange progress of illicit narcotics. The story of a young first offender, who hears of the joys of addiction while in jail, shows how many people become chained to the habit, their only future a pattern of crime and jail. Different authorities offer different solutions to the complex drug problem--but all agree that for the sake of society, the problem must be solved.
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Escape to CanadaAlbert Nerenberg 2005 1 h 21 minAround the world, Canada is known for its beavers, Mounties and winter climate. But a new Canada has emerged in the past couple of years, famous for potent marijuana, gay marriage and pushing the limits of freedom.
Director Albert Nerenberg, the man behind the indie-documentary hit Stupidity, explores these events in the high-energy Escape to Canada, a cleverly crafted, tongue-in-cheek feature.
The story begins in 2003, when by apparent coincidence, gay marriage and marijuana are legalized on the same day. Coincidence or trend? Either way, quiet, boring Canada suddenly explodes.
Soon Canadians are not the only ones enjoying their newly forged liberties. Citizens from "The Land of the Free" flock across the border to marry their same-sex partners. Others come to smoke marijuana. AWOL U.S. army soldiers arrive to seek refugee status. To many, Canada has become a red-and-white beacon of freedom around the world.
Canada, used to being called cold, is suddenly "cool."
But within months, Canada re-criminalizes marijuana and there's a new campaign to turn back gay marriage. In his signature no-holds-barred style, Nerenberg reveals a never-before-seen Canada, in an action-packed voyage into freedom Canadian style. -
NarkobluesBretislav Pojar & Ivan Vit 1997 8 minOn summer vacation a young teenager finds himself hanging out alone on the streets of his neighbourhood, all his friends having gone to the country with their parents. Near his home he meets a disturbing character, a drug pusher looking for clients, who introduces him to an artificial paradise. The teenager discovers a seductive and terrifying world that frequently draws him back to his neighbour.
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Still LongshotsDavid Finch & Maureen Marovitch 2007 52 minThis documentary demonstrates the transformative power of video through the stories of four at-risk youths. These young people have issues ranging from addiction to a life spent on the street, or in foster homes. In learning to make videos about their lives, they've discovered a creative outlet that allows them to heal. The group completes their experience by spending a weekend with a group of former street kids who did a similar workshop a decade earlier. Now in their 30s, they share their stories with their younger counterparts. Surprising, and often disturbing, parallels emerge between the two groups, along with glimmers of hope for the youth.
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Societies Under the InfluenceGermán Gutiérrez 1998 52 minDespite the overflowing prisons and billions of dollars spent by governments, drug trafficking is a bigger problem than ever. In an unending spiral, increasingly effective repression only makes drugs scarcer, thus driving up the cost, which in turn increases criminality and makes life less safe for ordinary citizens. After so many years of this war on drugs, many observers are calling for a cease-fire in the hope that legalizing drugs might be the solution.
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Tu as crié LET ME GOAnne Claire Poirier 1998 1 h 36 minFilmmaker Anne Claire Poirier captures the most terrible tragedy a mother can imagine – her own daughter's addiction, prostitution, and eventual murder. Determined to use her talent as a filmmaker to find the strength and courage needed to go on, Poirier created a cinematic tour-de-force that delves into the lives of street people. She unearths her daughter's past in order to better understand why she, and other young people, risk their lives for the drugs they believe will set them free.
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Through a Blue LensVeronica Alice Mannix 1999 52 minThis gripping documentary takes a powerful look at the lives of people with substance use disorder in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Filmmaker Veronica Alice Mannix follows Constable Al Arsenault and six other police officers on their daily beat, documenting their unique relationships with people who speak candidly about their painful past experiences, their drug addiction, and life on the street.
