VisionTV’s Unsung Heroes summer series of documentary presentations, celebrate women and men who have changed the world in ways both large and small, yet whose stories have gone largely untold. (For more “Unsung Heroes” titles, please see below.)
VisionTV documentary, God's Red Poet, is the first in our summer series and tells the story of unsung Canadian hero Kenneth Leslie, poet and political activist.
Though barely remembered today, Kenneth Leslie was one of the most remarkable Canadians of the 20th century. An award-winning poet and an influential political activist in the U.S. during the 1930s and 40s, he lived with a rare, furious passion that found expression in everything from his writings to his turbulent personal life.
God’s Red Poet: The Life of Kenneth Leslie tells his story. The hour-long documentary, produced and directed by Halifax filmmaker Chuck Lapp (Fishing on the Brink, Clearing the Waters), makes its world television premiere on VisionTV, airing Wednesday, July 2 at 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT.
JULY EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS:
God’s Red Poet: The Life of Kenneth Leslie Wednesday, July 2, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
One of the most remarkable Canadians of the 20th century, Kenneth Leslie waged a public war against fascism and anti-Semitism, published critically acclaimed poetry, dined with movie stars and was watched by the FBI. Not bad for a guy from Pictou, Nova Scotia. See above for more details.
Captive: The Story of Esther
Wednesday, July 9, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
This documentary tells the remarkable story of Esther Wheelwright, an 18th-century English Puritan settler who was abducted as a child by Abenakis warriors. A pawn in the struggle between France and England for control of North America, she would eventually convert to Catholicism, enter the convent and achieve extraordinary influence as the first English-born Mother Superior of the Ursulines in Quebec. Produced and directed by Penny Wheelwright, one of Esther’s present-day descendants.
Fighting Words: The Social Crusades of Joseph E. Atkinson Wednesday, July 16, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
For Toronto’s poor, the dawn of the 20th century was the very worst of times. Few members of the wealthy elite showed any concern for their plight - and so it fell to a shy, Bible-quoting newspaperman to champion the cause of the disadvantaged and destitute. Joseph E. Atkinson would spend a lifetime preaching social justice from his pulpit at Canada’s largest daily paper, The Star. This hour-long documentary examines the life and legacy of the legendary “Holy Joe” Atkinson.
Nettie Wiebe: A Voice for the Farmer Wednesday, July 30, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Raised in a large Mennonite family from Saskatchewan, Nettie Wiebe was taught that women should be demure. But somewhere along the way, this soft-spoken mother of four became a rabble-rousing activist bent on holding back the powerful economic forces that threaten to destroy the traditional family farm. This hour-long documentary offers an intimate profile of an unlikely warrior in the battle against globalization.
AUGUST EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS:
Long Haul, Big Hearts Wednesday, Aug. 6, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Peter Bruno, a long haul trucker from Bowmanville, Ont., was in Memphis when Hurricane Katrina lashed the Mississippi Gulf Coast three years ago. Heartbroken by the devastation and determined to help, he set about mounting a one-man relief mission. This hour-long documentary tells the story of his extraordinary errand of mercy.
Swedenborg: Mystical Cowboy Wednesday, Aug. 13, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Eighteenth-century philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg interpreted the Bible in a whole new light, inspiring a maverick religious movement that would establish deep roots in the Canadian prairies. In this documentary, filmmaker Michael Hamm (whose grandfather was a founder of the Swedenborgian faith in Western Canada) examines the legacy of the spiritual trailblazer who has been called the “Buddha of the North.
Soferet: A Special Scribe Wednesday, Aug. 20, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Through the centuries, women have commanded armies, governed empires, scaled mountains and ventured into space. But Aviel Barclay plans to accomplish something no other woman has ever done: to create a Torah scroll. Why has this soft-spoken Vancouver artist and calligrapher taken on a task that challenges centuries of Jewish tradition? That’s the question posed by this documentary - an account of one woman’s spiritual journey, and a portrait of a faith community struggling to balance progress with tradition.
Call It Karma Wednesday, Aug. 27, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
In 1995, a young Tibetan monk named Gyalten Rinpoche traveled 1,000 miles on foot from Tibet to India, on a quest to bring Buddhist teachings to the Western world. This haunting documentary by Vancouver filmmaker Geoff Browne recreates Rinpoche’s journey, recounting the incredible but true story of a serene, simple man who walked across the very rooftop of the world for his faith.
One of the most remarkable Canadians of the 20th century, Kenneth Leslie waged a public war against fascism and anti-Semitism, published critically acclaimed poetry, dined with movie stars and was watched by the FBI. Not bad for a guy from Pictou, Nova Scotia. See above for more details. 
This documentary tells the remarkable story of Esther Wheelwright, an 18th-century English Puritan settler who was abducted as a child by Abenakis warriors. A pawn in the struggle between France and England for control of North America, she would eventually convert to Catholicism, enter the convent and achieve extraordinary influence as the first English-born Mother Superior of the Ursulines in Quebec. Produced and directed by Penny Wheelwright, one of Esther’s present-day descendants.
For Toronto’s poor, the dawn of the 20th century was the very worst of times. Few members of the wealthy elite showed any concern for their plight - and so it fell to a shy, Bible-quoting newspaperman to champion the cause of the disadvantaged and destitute. Joseph E. Atkinson would spend a lifetime preaching social justice from his pulpit at Canada’s largest daily paper, The Star. This hour-long documentary examines the life and legacy of the legendary “Holy Joe” Atkinson.
Raised in a large Mennonite family from Saskatchewan, Nettie Wiebe was taught that women should be demure. But somewhere along the way, this soft-spoken mother of four became a rabble-rousing activist bent on holding back the powerful economic forces that threaten to destroy the traditional family farm. This hour-long documentary offers an intimate profile of an unlikely warrior in the battle against globalization.
Peter Bruno, a long haul trucker from Bowmanville, Ont., was in Memphis when Hurricane Katrina lashed the Mississippi Gulf Coast three years ago. Heartbroken by the devastation and determined to help, he set about mounting a one-man relief mission. This hour-long documentary tells the story of his extraordinary errand of mercy.
Eighteenth-century philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg interpreted the Bible in a whole new light, inspiring a maverick religious movement that would establish deep roots in the Canadian prairies. In this documentary, filmmaker Michael Hamm (whose grandfather was a founder of the Swedenborgian faith in Western Canada) examines the legacy of the spiritual trailblazer who has been called the “Buddha of the North.
Through the centuries, women have commanded armies, governed empires, scaled mountains and ventured into space. But Aviel Barclay plans to accomplish something no other woman has ever done: to create a Torah scroll. Why has this soft-spoken Vancouver artist and calligrapher taken on a task that challenges centuries of Jewish tradition? That’s the question posed by this documentary - an account of one woman’s spiritual journey, and a portrait of a faith community struggling to balance progress with tradition.
In 1995, a young Tibetan monk named Gyalten Rinpoche traveled 1,000 miles on foot from Tibet to India, on a quest to bring Buddhist teachings to the Western world. This haunting documentary by Vancouver filmmaker Geoff Browne recreates Rinpoche’s journey, recounting the incredible but true story of a serene, simple man who walked across the very rooftop of the world for his faith.