ichannel is your destination for award-winning Canadian and international documentaries. Explore the frontiers of science and the outer limits of love and sexuality. Journey from the criminal underworld to the pinnacle of political power. Come face to face with the famous – and the infamous.

Week of May 20

D-DAY: THE STORY OF THE CANADIAN ASSAULT TROOPS
Monday May 20
When Allied forces landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944, Canadian troops were assigned one of the toughest objectives, right in the heart of the British sector. Despite the odds, the Canadians made it further inland on D-Day than any of the other forces involved in the taking of this historic bridgehead. Produced and narrated by Cliff Chadderton, who fought in Normandy with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, this fascinating documentary recalls the horror and heroism of D-Day through the eyes of ordinary Canadian soldiers who landed on the beach in that terrible and unforgettable dawn.

OPERATION CHARNWOOD: THE CANADIAN BATTLE FOR CAEN
Tuesday May 21
The invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 would give the Allies a desperately needed foothold in France. The next big battle was to dislodge the Germans from Caen, a strategically crucial city in northwestern France – and it was there that Canadian forces would record one of their proudest achievements of World War Two. This hour-long documentary tells the full story of this grueling month-long battle – which included aerial bombardments, tank battles, artillery duels and, in the final stages, hand-to-hand fighting – and recalls the role of Canadian infantry regiments in one of the Normandy campaign’s pivotal victories.

TAKE NO PRISONERS: THE NAZI SS IN NORMANDY
Wednesday May 22
During the Normandy campaign of 1944, more than 130 young Canadian soldiers were taken prisoner by the 12th SS Hitler Jugend. They were marched behind German lines, interrogated and then brutally gunned down as they stood disarmed and helpless. This award-winning documentary is an unflinching investigation of an oft-forgotten atrocity, drawing upon British and Canadian records as well as rarely seen German SS archival material.

MADE IN CANADA
Thursday May 23
Made In Canada is an intimate exploration of the shifting landscape that confronts those who aspire to work in the Canadian film and television industry. The hour-long film tells its story through the eyes of Scott Boyd, and up-and-coming young documentary filmmaker undergoing an “early-life career crisis” as he struggles to determine whether there’s a future for those who dream of making films in Canada.

MICHAEL HAYDEN: A PASSION FOR DISCOVERY
Friday May 24
Dr. Michael Hayden is a world leader in the understanding of genetic mutation. Working at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Hayden and his team developed the first guidelines for predictive testing for Huntington’s Disease – guidelines that have been adopted worldwide as a template for predictive testing for many other genetic disorders. Following an approach he calls “extreme genetics,” Dr. Hayden and his team study rare genetic illnesses to decipher the basis of more common ones. They have played a lead role in the study of an exceedingly rare condition known as Tangier’s Disease, and have identified the key gene controlling “good” cholesterol, a breakthrough that has led to new approaches for controlling a key risk factor in heart disease and stroke. This hour-long documentary traces the path that led Dr. Hayden from the townships of South Africa to the leading edge of genetic research.