DOC, in collaboration with Tënk, presents DOCs from the Vault, a series of 11 documentaries that have never before been broadcast online. This series of selected films made by DOC members aims to celebrate the rich creativity of Canadian independent documentary filmmaking by highlighting innovative, inspiring and creative — but sometimes overlooked — documentaries that deserve to find an audience.

All of the documentaries will be available across Canada, in English and in French. From March 25 to May 22, discover a second selection of 6 hidden treasures.

DOCs from the Vault is a screening series born out of this pandemic. Filmmakers used to working collaboratively found themselves alone, facing enormous obstacles, struggling to create work and to connect with each other. Amid this darkness, DOC was looking for multiple ways to strengthen our community. Through zoom calls and webinars, members across the country were suddenly, intimately face to face, and new connections across our six Chapters began to flourish.

DOC has been around since 1983, but many of our members’ earlier work that shaped their artistic practice and speaks to their region’s specific perspective is unaccessible.

We began speaking with Tënk about a program that would give new life to some of our members’ wonderful past films, by making them available online for the first time, and facilitating Francophone and Anglophone co-discovery of each others’ work.

The result is DOCs from the Vault: a juried selection of 11 documentaries by DOC members, none of which have ever been shared online. The earliest film is from 1998, the most recent from 2021. This is an act of community building across generations, of celebration, a “feel good” moment within a sea of bad news. It’s a small gesture crafted with an enormous heart. We hope you enjoy!

Sarah Spring
Executive Director, Documentary Organization of Canada

We wish to thank the Canada Council for the Arts for their support.