Soferet: A Special Scribe is a documentary about Aviel Barclay, a Vancouver artist and calligrapher who is the first woman to scribe a Torah scroll. A tradition, thousands of years old that began half a world away, is being challenged by this young woman.

This is a tale that asks us to think deeply about the relation between tradition and change, and the difficulties of following one’s own destiny. Aviel’s journey takes us into a world of ancient practices, hallowed rituals and the making of beautiful religious art. Beneath that compelling and visually stunning tale is a story that raises many issues of great urgency for our times.

There were two comments in particular which I believe not only show just how contentious the issue is, but also shows us something quite interesting about how we perceive things which we have a vested interest in it. Both comments arrived on the same day and both from Peace River, Alberta, where the controversy is taking place.

Here are the comments to give you an idea of what I’m talking about:

“We were very disappointed to say the least. Rather than being an unbiased presentation it came across as a promotion for Bruce Power…”

“I found the show completely biased against the Nuclear Industry. The show spent alot of time following two people who are against Nuclear energy and didn’t interview virtually nobody from Peace River who supported the power plant…”

While one viewer thought the film read as a promotion for Bruce Power, another tells us that the show is completely biased against the Nuclear Industry. It’s interesting how the same film can be seen in such opposing lights by two different people in the same community.

While there were a few negative comments that suggested the film was biased there were a number of positive reviews as well from those who thought our approach was very balanced. Feel free to draw your own conclusions, the film can be viewed on The Nature of Things website within Canada. If you live outside of Canada and you’d like to purchase a copy drop us a line at josh@reeltimeimages.ca.

Dr. Buckman along with some wonderful volunteers will be out in the park as part of a test for a science show we are developing, which will entertain as well as inform.

We should have a clip for you soon, and hopefully the show will be hitting your airwaves sometime in the not too distant future.

“Charismatic mentalist Max Maven, once described by Orson Welles as “the most original mind in magic,” will display his skill as a master mind reader…”

This performance is part of a weekend long event Masters of Magic presented by Magicana. Masters of Magic will also feature performances by other talented magicians: Juan Tamariz, Mac King, and Bob Sheets.

For more information check out the Magicana website.

There are a bunch of extra clips from the films and we’re always adding more!

Also check the Upcoming Broadcast section below to see when you can watch our films on TV.

CBC will be re-airing Bugs Bones & Botany: The Science of Crime and My Nuclear Neighbour on The Nature of Things with David Suzuki on July 1st and 8th respectively. And episodes of Enigma are constantly re-airing on HDNET, ONE Channel and Space.

And if you just cant get enough,you can also keep track of our goings on, on the twitter.

The Jesus Cover Up is based on ideas put forward by York University professor Barrie Wilson in his book How Jesus Became Christian. If you havent had a chance to read the book yet, go grab yourself A copy and check out his website.

Our film will take us on a journey to uncover the culprits at the heart of the most important kidnapping in history: what happened to the Jewish Jesus? It’s the coldest of cold cases but we turn our investigators to ferreting out the truth.

Is there a cover-up at the very heart of some of the most powerful religious institutions of the last 2,000 years?
We scour the world for the evidence. We consult the leading experts, both religious and secular. We leave no stone unturned in our quest to discover the truth of this shocking accusation; that almost from its beginning Christianity was hijacked by the person usually identified as its key apostle, Paul. Is there really compelling evidence to support that accusation? What about the clergy, who are aware of this through their studies, but don’t inform their congregations. Is it fair to speak of a cover up?

We are also currently in the works on an informative but also fun, and funny project with Dr Robert Buckman: Medical Oncologist, professor, Author and Television host.

Stay tuned for updates.

If you haven’t seen the film yet it will be airing again July 8th on CBC’s The Nature of Things. Or you can watch it streaming at CBC.

Bugs Bones & Botany: The Science of Crime has also won an award at WorldFest-Houston, taking a Platinum Remy award. You can also check it out at CBC.

Reel Time are looking forward to attending HotDocs here in Toronto and will be travelling west to sunny Santa Monica for The Factual Entertainment Forum in June .

Have a look around, and let us know what you think.
Check here often to keep you up to date with everything thats going on in The Reel Time world.

Full schedule:
Tarot – November 17, 2009 – 10pm ET
Hypnotized! The Trance State – November 24, 2009 – 10pm ET
Madame Blavatsky: Spiritual Traveller – December 1, 2009 – 10pm ET
Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666 – December 8, 2009 – 10pm ET
The Houdini Code – December 15, 2009 – 10pm ET
Silo: Sage of the Andes – December 22, 2009 – 10pm ET
Zombies: When the Dead Walk – December 29, 2009 – 10pm ET