CBC announced Tuesday the two-part documentary Speechless from Emmy Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Ric Esther Bienstock will air commercial-free on CBC TV on April 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), and will also be available to stream on CBC Gem as of 9 a.m. ET on April 14.
A CBC and Documentary Channel original produced in association with BBC, Speechless (two episodes x 90 minutes) will also premiere in the U.K. on BBC Storyville and iPlayer.
“Filmed on campuses in the U.S. and the U.K., the documentary brings together years of investigation and on-the-ground filmmaking to chronicle one of the most polarizing cultural shifts of our time,” reads a CBC press release.
“For Speechless, Bienstock embedded herself inside some of the most divisive ideological conflicts reshaping higher education, following students, professors and administrators at institutions including Harvard, Cornell, Yale, Penn State, Evergreen State College, Stanford, the University of Sussex and New College of Florida. What emerges is an investigation into how debates over race, gender and social justice have evolved into a wider culture war, reshaping norms around free expression and fuelling viral outrage, professional fallout, and institutional upheaval.”
Following the broadcast of the first part of the documentary on April 14, CBC Radio’s The Sunday Magazine host Piya Chattopadhyay will interview filmmaker Bienstock at 9:30 p.m. (10 NT) on CBC TV. Following the second part of the documentary on April 15, at 9:30 p.m. (10 NT) Chattopadhyay will host a panel conversation discussing the topics explored in the documentary.
“I wanted to challenge viewers, regardless of where they fall politically, and to reflect on what’s at stake when we lose the ability to speak across differences,” Bienstock said in CBC’s press release. “My hope is that Speechless will remind us that disagreement is not a threat; it’s a feature of democracy. The danger comes when we stop speaking to each other altogether.”
“As the national public broadcaster, we strive to inspire conversations and foster connections between different perspectives. In an era of increasing polarization, Speechless explores the vital need to bridge those gaps and ensure we are truly hearing each other,” said Jennifer Dettman, executive director of unscripted content at CBC. “We hope Ric’s thoughtful documentary encourages healthy dialogue and reflection.”
Speechless is produced by Good Soup Productions, with Bienstock and Garfield Miller serving as producers. The executive producers are Alex Gibney, Mette Hoffmann-Meyer and Randi Kirshenbaum. The documentary is edited by Graeme Bell. It was produced with the participation of Rogers Cable Network Fund, Ontario Creates and Rogers Documentary Fund, and with the assistance of the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.
Photo courtesy of CBC
