Arts & Culture

A diverse collection of Canadian writers provide profound insights into the country's contemporary literature - and Canada itself.

Female Indigenous filmmakers, including trailblazer Alanis Obomsawin, share their experiences of transforming the way Indigenous stories are told.

Like her younger brother, Maria Anna Mozart was a child prodigy, performing with him throughout Europe. So why has she been forgotten?

Explores the extraordinary life of legendary entertainer Mae West, who subverted societal norms with her defiantly liberated persona.

Explore the meteoric rise and fall of Mozart, one of classical music’s greatest composers, in this symphony of drama, documentary and music.

Mi'kmaw poet and author Rebecca Thomas sets out to reclaim the language stolen from her father at residential school, while exploring the complicated past that's kept it from her.

Emily Carr's unconventional life and her connection to the First Nations peoples of the northwest coast of BC deeply influenced her art.

Punjabi-Black singer Judi Singh was a fixture in the Edmonton jazz scene from the 1950s to 1970s, yet her legacy is largely forgotten.

Chinese Canadian dance artist Tony Chong dives into his family’s history to find his place in the world.

This illuminating docudrama explores the tumultuous life story of one of history's most celebrated writers: William Shakespeare.

Director Larry Weinstein's deeply personal documentary explores war, hope and the legacy of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

A collaboration between Indigenous leaders and a master puppeteer celebrates the return of the buffalo through a luminous performance.

Bossa nova's most famous female singer, Miúcha, struggled to find her voice in a man's world, but her vibrant spirit couldn't be held back.

Renowned Chinese Australian artist Jiawei Shen undertakes a massively ambitious artwork about the history of communism.

Victoria-based composer Ari Kinarthy, who has a rare genetic condition, sets out to create a musical score that captures his life experiences.

A thriving community of poets in Vernon, BC, share their evocative poetry and what drives them to put words on the page.

Told in his own words, this is the definitive story of Keith Haring, who blazed a trail through the New York art scene in the 1980s.

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun's surrealist canvases deal with land claims, Indigenous rights, clear-cut logging and racism.

Director Gil Cardinal documents the events of the final journey of the G'psgolox totem pole as it returns home to Kitamaat and the Haisla people.

Loretta Todd profiles four female Indigenous artists who seek to find a continuum from traditional to contemporary forms of expression.

Using eight of Vincent van Gogh’s most iconic self-portraits as a starting point, art historians reveal the man behind the myth.

Tofino artist Pete Clarkson crafts his most ambitious project to date: a memorial to the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami.

Lucy Worsley hunts down clues to why Arthur Conan Doyle came to detest his famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.

This is the definitive exploration of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen through the prism of his internationally renowned song Hallelujah.

Comedian Frank Skinner and author Denise Mina retrace the footsteps of Samuel Johnson and James Boswell on their tour of Scotland in 1773.

This electrifying documentary brings to light a profound, essential and, until now, missing chapter in music history: the Indigenous influence.

Folk singer and activist Joan Baez reflects on her life on and off the stage, including her emotional struggles and her romance with Bob Dylan.

Esteemed art dealer Philip Mould and journalist Fiona Bruce investigate thrilling cases of art world mystery, intrigue and deception.

This portrait chronicles the highs and lows of visionary Vancouver-based architect Arthur Erickson's personal and professional life.

Filmmaker Sherman De Jesus explores the legacy of James Van Der Zee, a Black photographer whose lens captured the people and spirit of Harlem.

Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama overcame injustice and went on to design groundbreaking works, including the Canadian War Museum.

Art historian James Fox tells the story of the clash between Oceanic and Western culture that changed art, and the world, forever.

Suzy Klein explores how music in the 19th century influenced industrial, political and technological revolutions.

Historian Andrew Graham-Dixon pieces together one of the top ten art crimes of all time - when two thieves broke into the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and disappeared with two paintings.

Mariella Frostrup explores how the UK's most stunning landscapes inspired the Brontës, Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter and Daphne du Maurier.

Filmmaker Marie Clements gives us a joyful look into the mind of Niall McNeil, an artist, playwright and performer with Down syndrome.

Art historian James Fox tells the story of our ever-changing relationship with nature through the lens of art. James explores how art reveals human attitudes to the natural world throughout our history – from prehistoric cave paintings to Piet Mondrian.

Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr had a secret life, spending her evenings inventing technology to defeat the Nazis.

Rembrandt's art is much admired, but his remarkable life is less well-known. 350 years after his death, his surprising story is told.

Four chamber orchestra musicians take us on an intimate journey as they prepare for the performance of an iconic piece of string music.

Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter revisits the 1969 raising of Robert Davidson's totem pole on Haida Gwaii - the first in almost a century.

Alanis Obomsawin weaves together voice recordings of her friend, Haida artist Bill Reid, recounting episodes from his life.

Emerging from years of isolation to an enraptured crowd, a transgender, septuagenarian musical genius finds his place in the world.

An exploration of the relationship between jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and his common-law wife Helen, who shot and killed him in 1972.

A striking portrait of celebrated Black artist David Hammons, whose rule-breaking practice offers an essential commentary on race in America.

Told through his own words and a star-studded cast of musicians and composers, this series recounts Beethoven's dramatic and tragic life.

This portrait of gospel/soul legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples reveals intimate stories of her inspirational journey.

Wim Wenders’ exuberant Oscar-nominated documentary captures the incredible talents of Cuba’s musical legends.

This Oscar-nominated documentary follows the search to learn more about a mysterious nanny who secretly took over 100,000 photographs.

Ron Mann celebrates the life and art of Robert Altman, the genre-busting maverick filmmaker who reinvented what a movie could be.

Sara Driver explores the pre-fame years of Jean-Michel Basquiat, and how 1970s New York formed the artist he became.

A charming account of storyboard artist Harold Michelson and film researcher Lillian Michelson - two unsung heroes of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Renowned for her extensive use of polka dots, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's fierce determination brought her international fame.

Comedian Frank Skinner and author Denise Mina follow in the footsteps of 18th-century humorists Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift.

Comedian Frank Skinner and author Denise Mina retrace the passionate friendship of Romantic poets Wordsworth and Coleridge.

Author Damian Barr goes in search of the lasting influence of one of Scotland's greatest historical figures - Sir Walter Scott.

Leading artists and thinkers explore eight dramatic turning points in British history through the prism of its art.

Professor Amanda Vickery explores how and why different periods and generations of readers have been won over by Jane Austen's classic novels.

Historian Amanda Vickery rescues female artists from the shadows of obscurity, giving them their rightful place in the history of Western art.

Explore the groundbreaking work of 13 Indigenous artists whose work transcends boundaries and reclaims cultural narratives.

A glimpse of the real Marilyn Monroe is revealed through the interviews she gave, the books she wrote and the fragments she left behind.

Born in 1873, Alice Guy made nearly a thousand films on both sides of the Atlantic. Yet film historians nearly erased her pioneering achievements.

Georgia O'Keeffe carved out a special place for herself in the art of the 20th century with her bold paintings of the world around her.

The remarkable story of a unique group of artists who used photography to launch Vancouver into the fine arts stratosphere.

Bollywood-obsessed Anita Rani goes beyond the glitz and glam to discover the secrets of the mega-successful Indian film industry.

The resonance of Toni Morrison's work is explored through her seminal novel, Beloved, and the stories of writers, activists and historians.

Margaret Mountford uncovers the story of Harry Burton, whose photos of the Tutankhamun excavation created a global sensation.

Rock star and music aficionado Sami Yaffa journeys throughout the world to explore how music is the language that unites us all.

This engaging look at Hollywood’s most famous "girl next door" contrasts her glamorous public image with her private life.

Rock Hudson was one of Hollywood's most iconic stars, but behind Hudson's public image was a private life full of secrets. This film explores how he had to perform a balancing act between his “leading man” persona and his closeted homosexuality.

Peek behind the scenes of Hollywood's Golden Era in this intimate portrait of screen legend Katharine Hepburn.

The defining face of the Arab world in the 1960s, movie star Omar Sharif was a man full of contradictions.

Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond takes an entertaining and insightful look at the portrayal of Indigenous people in Hollywood movies.

Art sleuth Bendor Grosvenor and social historian Emma Dabiri search for Britain’s lost and hidden public treasures.

In the early days of silent film, Mary Pickford soared to global fame. But her golden touch faltered with the arrival of talking pictures.

Three brothers are at the heart of this Australian cultural powerhouse that fuses contemporary and Indigenous dance.

Andrew Graham-Dixon follows the trail of new clues that could unveil, once and for all, the Mona Lisa’s secrets.

Leslie Caron, one of the most luminous personalities of Hollywood’s Golden Age, reflects on her successes and missteps.

What defines a national identity? Is it an anthem? A flag? In the '60s and '70s, these questions were answered by an innovative group of Canadian designers who used design to unify the nation.

This film tells the story of Black opera singers set against the background of racial politics.

Brazil has many famous forms of art, but perhaps the most famous of all is samba. Join Martinho Da Vila on a journey through samba and how it is so much more than dance and lascivious hip movements.

An intimate portrait of the life and career of legendary pianist Menahem Pressler. Interviews with Pressler are interwoven with excerpts from one of his Master Classes and insights from music artists including Daniel Harding, Leonidas Kavakos and Daniel Hope.

Explore the life and career of the world's most famous cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. Through interviews with Yo-Yo Ma and colleagues alike, discover how his work has breathed new life into classical music.

Join pianist Lang Lang as he tours China, receiving the same treatment usually reserved for pop stars. Aside from performances, he hunts for bootlegs of his work, visits temples and more.

Never before has there been such a personal portrait of Leonard Bernstein, as told through his own words. Honest and intimate, Bernstein reveals stories about his childhood years and musical growth.

Despite her young career, Vivica Genaux is one of the world's leading proponents of the Baroque and bel canto repertoire. Follow her in her home state of Alaska and to rehearsals and recitals.

Tired of viewing the women in her family as victims of the Holocaust, a painter turns them into heroic Nazi-resistance fighters.

This intimate portrait explores the life of legendary dancer, director and choreographer Twyla Tharp and her rigorous creative process.

Andrew Marr tells the stories behind ten of the greatest paintings in the world - exploring works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and more.

Egyptologist Joann Fletcher explores what it was like to be a woman of power in ancient Egypt - from everyday life to the influence they wielded.

This is the story of Canadian architect Carlos Ott's design for the Opera Bastille - modern history's greatest case of mistaken identity.

Journalist Afua Hirsch explores African countries that are reimagining the past and forging the future with art, music, fashion and dance.

This thrilling series unlocks gallery doors for a look at modern history's most notorious art thefts.

Ten short films celebrate authors, writing and the book culture that has helped shape BC's unique identity.

Arts communities rally to save poet Al Purdy's cabin - once a mecca for the pioneers of Canadian literature.

How legendary artist Robert Davidson became one of the world's foremost modern artists and a leading figure in the revival of Haida culture.

Peek inside the studios and homes of artisans on Gabriola Island in this intimate portrait of their craft, way of life and community.

Dance legend Darcey Bussell goes in search of the real story behind Hollywood star Fred Astaire.

From Los Angeles to Vancouver, this film showcases the homes built by the pioneers of West Coast Modernist architecture.

This portrait of Grammy-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin reveals how she broke through barriers to rise to the top of a male-dominated field.

This film explores the multifaceted life and career of renowned pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim.

Follow 29 of the world's most promising pianists as they descend upon Forth Worth, Texas for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, a three-week battle for piano gold.

German director Marieke Schroeder takes a deep dive into the soul of America through country music.

Spoken word artist Shane Koyczan prepares for his most personal poem yet as he embarks on a journey to reconnect with the father he never knew.