VIETNAM: CANADA'S SHADOW WAR
New documentary examines Canada's response to the Vietnam War
Premieres THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 - 9:00 PM (9:30 PM NT)on CBC-TV's Doc ZoneApril 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, and the final chapter of the Vietnam War. While Canada chose not to join America in the fighting, welcoming draft dodgers and deserters fleeing military service, it did support America in the field with intelligence and earned huge profits from the sale of munitions and supplies to the U.S. military's almost limitless demand. But by the end of the conflict the Canadian government, reflecting changing public opinion, criticized American policy regarding the bombing of North Vietnam - and a new Canadian identity emerged. On THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 at 9pm (9:30pm NT) CBC-TV's Doc Zone premieres VIETNAM: CANADA'S SHADOW WAR, a documentary by Merit Motion Pictures that examines Canada's role in the Vietnam conflict, and its relationship with the United States throughout this decade long war.At the onset on the Vietnam War, a cautious Canadian government led by Lester B. Pearson settled for what some have called a policy of "quiet complicity". But over the course of the conflict, influenced by what they were seeing on television, the music of the era and the arrival of young people escaping military service, young Canadians demanded change. During the Vietnam decade, Canada celebrated its Centennial, elected a sexy new Prime Minister, distanced itself from the British Empire and consolidated its independent identity. Faced with being either "servile or sovereign," by the end of the war, Canada chose sovereignty.Directed by Andy Blicq, Vietnam: Canada's Shadow War features insightful interviews from a variety of fascinating perspectives, including photographer Laura Jones who fled the U.S. with her husband and chronicled the war resistance movement from Toronto, as well as journalist Peter Kent, who was on the ground reporting from Vietnam during the fall of Saigon, and draft evader John Hagan, author of Northern Passage: American Vietnam War Resisters in Canada.Now, 50 years after the first official U.S. combat boots on the ground in Vietnam and 40 years after the fall of Saigon, we will take stock of this game-changing war. Vietnam: Canada's Shadow War provides an accounting of Canada's reaction and response to the decade-long war and dispels some of the misconceptions and myths about Canada's involvement in the Vietnam experience that have lingered over the last four decades.Vietnam: Canada's Shadow War is produced by Merit Motion Pictures in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Rogers Documentary Fund, the financial investment of Manitoba Film & Music, and the assistance of the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit Program and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit Program.Merit Motion Pictures is one of Canada's leading producers of factual entertainment programming. Founded by executive producer and industry veteran Merit Jensen Carr, Merit Motion Pictures is known for producing multi-platform programs. Recent highlights include Conspiracy Rising, Faking the Grade, Information Overload, The Truth About Shoplifting, The Truth About Liars, and the multi-award winning CBC co-produced, One Ocean series for CBC's The Nature of Things. www.meritmotionpictures.comFor photography please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/Media Contacts - to request a screener or interview:Christine Liber, 416-651-4722 x 1, christine@libertyink.caJennifer Jensen-Tracy, 226-387-4067, jen.jensen@sympatico.ca
