Documentary

Synopsis

Once Upon a Journey tells the story of a unique media studies program at Laurier Macdonald High School in the east end of Montreal. The overwhelming majority of the students in this school are second and third generation Canadians, most of Italian descent.

They interview older family members to write and design a professionally printed book based on the immigrant experiences of their relatives. But Once Upon a Journey goes beyond the classroom into the homes and lives of several of the students. From eating disorders in the midst of a rich Italian food tradition, to discovering dark family secrets to intergenerational conflict between a strictly raised mother who feels lost raising her two Canadian born sons, Once Upon a Journey portrays the joys and challenges of growing up in a community that bridges two different cultures and value systems.

Directors

David Finch & Maureen Marovitch

Writers

Marike Emery & Maureen Marovitch

Producers

Marike Emery
David Finch

Camera

Richard Burman
David Finch
Andre Khabad
Maureen Marovitch

Editor

Seth Poulin

Narrator

Patrick Watson

Original Music

Pierre-Yves Drapeau

Original Broadcaster

CBC Newsworld