Volunteers unleashed (2015)

Q CAmera Productions original Content

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Once the domain of international NGO’s, like CUSO or Peace Corps, overseas volunteering has privatized and gone mainstream, attracting millions of young travelers. "Volunteers Unleashed" follows volunteers to South America, Southeast Asia and Africa, showing how “voluntourism” has become the fastest growing and the most contentious travel sector.

Leading this story is 22 year old Pippa Biddle, who after a series of voluntourism experiences over 6 years, posted a critical blog. It went viral, with over 15 million hits, and instantly launched her as the poster child against privileged young white women volunteering overseas.  

 In Tanzania we follow a new intake of western volunteers as they travel, party and  volunteer. Among them are volunteers eager for experience who find themselves beyond their depth and potentially risking a patient's life. 

 In Cambodia, a former UK Police Detective Eric Meldrum, and investigative reporter Juliana Ruhfus, show the link between the volunteers working in orphanages, and the exploitation of the very children they have come to help. In an Ecuador animal refuge, we see a profit-driven voluntourism company prey on volunteers’ good intentions.

 Volunteers Unleashed shows dramatically that going overseas with good intentions, does not guarantee good will be done. 

 

The Dolphin Dealer (2008)

Created, Written, & Directed by Brad Quenville

Produced by OMNI Films

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The Dolphin Dealer tells the story of a former dolphin trainer turned dolphin trader, Chris Porter, who went to the remote Solomon Islands where locals hunt dolphins and use their teeth for currency to buy brides. As a lucrative alternative to killing them, Porter began trading live dolphins to overseas dolphin resorts. Though caught up in a storm of controversy with dolphin campaigners like  Ric O'Barry (The Cove)  trying to shut him down, Porter provided full access to his captive dolphin operation.  Porter’s only condition was that as well as telling the animal rights and environmentalist’s points of view, that he also be allowed to tell his side of the story.  It took five years and self-financing shoots in the Solomon Islands, but eventually with the support of Omni Films, this documentary was picked up to launch CBC’s flagship documentary series, Doc Zone. It can be viewed on the CBC's Website, link below:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/Shows/Doc+Zone/2008-09/ID/1234713011/

Fall Out! (2002)

Created, Written, & Directed by Brad Quenville

Produced by Force Four Productions

“Fall Out!” is a documentary which Brad Quenville created, directed and wrote for CBC’s Roughcuts series telling the story the disbanding of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. It profiles Mike Smith, a former elite soldier, who was so broken by the break-up of his beloved regiment, that he quit the military to get a degree in journalism, just so he could tell this story. The documentary also features former Airborne members including the last interview  with whistleblower, Kyle Brown about the fateful night when Shidane Arone was murdered.

In Bjossa's Wake (2002)

CREATED, Co-WRITTEN, & DIRECTED BY BRAD QUENVILLE

PRODUCED BY FORCE FOUR PRODUCTIONS

"In Bjossa's Wake" explores the shades of grey behind the black and white controversy over moving Vancouver Aquarium's last killer whale, The documentary goes behind the scenes of the Vancouver Aquarium, following staff as they prepare to send away their companion and star attraction, Bjossa, to Seaworld in San Diego.  The documentary also follows the efforts of the animal rights campaigners,  pressing to have Bjossa moved to a sea-pen.  The story comes to a dramatic head the night Bjossa is lifted by crane out of her pool to be trucked away. 

Innocent Tricks (2000)

Created, Written, & directed by Brad Quenville

Produced by Force Four PRoductions

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“Innocent Tricks” was Brad's first CBC Roughcuts documentary, which he created and directed for Force Four Productions.  It features terrific imagery shot by DOP Todd Craddock, great editing by Daan Cramer and music by award winning composer Dennis Burke. The story focuses on two unlikely candidates for the sex trade: Jen, a star student and athlete who came from a good caring family, and Chantal, a 14 year old teen from a strict religious family, who pimped off her young friends in the Vancouver's downtown eastside. The documentary was selected for the Hot Docs Film Festival.