Pedal Power, Cogent/Benger's film on the bicycle revolution, is the subject of Anthony Reinhart's article "Confessions of a Bicycle Hoarder" in the Globe & Mail. Reinhart observes that the film provides a glimpse into the daily life of Toronto's most notorious bike repairman and alleged thief, Igor Kenk. The film is a close-up look at “the villains and visionaries of the new global bike culture."

See the article at:
Globe&Mail article Sept. 8 '09

1. Cogent/Benger's two part series on religion in China, directed by Chris Sumpton and Paul Webster, was re-broadcast on Vision TV June 4th. John Doyle in the Globe and Mail tagged it as one to watch, describing as "excellent".

Very very few people, I suspect, get into documentary filmmaking to make money. Until very recently , that is. Michael Moore's top-grossing Fahrenheit 9/11 ( which made 119 million) changed that for maybe 5 percent of the trade.
Actually Michael has 3 of the top six, according to http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/cha ... ntary.htm;
Sicko and Bowling for Columbine made 20 mill plus each. This company is a huge admirer of MM, even if we find some his ambushes breathtakingly premeditated.
I'm not sure what his greater legacy is; the death of objectivity [or the outing of subjectivity] or breaking the poverty barrier.

But clearly this recession is going to affect the documentary business. We depend on commissioning editors with budgets. Once those budgets disappear( as happened this past week with the regrettable demise of Bob Culbert at CTV) we have one less buyer for Canadian network documentaries. The rumours are that Global and its cluster of channels is in serious financial straits. We were never able to have an intelligent conversation with anyone at Global despite three tries.

It will also be interesting times as budget-slashers "prioritize". How central or peripheral are documentaries to the national cultural scene? When politicians are faced with saving farms and hospitals and schools, how receptive will they be to an argument to save something as ephemeral as a film.

There are two factors that give me hope, neither of them financial. Documentaries record the times, and we have an historic obligation to document this major collapse. In terms of its culprits (Enron) its victims (We are currently shooting Adjustment City; about laid off auto workers in the windsor detroit area) and its social ramifications. We may need to work for nothing or very little, but documentary can be an important mobilising and informative influence in times like these.

The second factor relates to what people need in times of crisis. Think of Woody Guthrie and the Great Depression. The incredible generation of British comedians and singers (Vera Lynn; Peter Sellers; Spike Milligan) who came out of the world war years; Jimi Hendrix and Vietnam; Shosholoza and Hugh Masekela's Stimela , anti-apartheid music generally during those dark times.

Nothing can really stop a committed filmmaker now. It may mean a lot of soft practitioners should start re-training themselves, but documentary is built for rough rides, and will serve these times and find its audience.

This may mean that the next few cogentbenger productions will be displayed on a sheet behind our office on Queen Street West. A cup will be passed. Local establishments will provide hot chocolate.

Public figures, in the end, depend for their legacy on the unknown people whose lives they affected.

In South Africa 1969 I joined a delegation of Christian students from Wits University on a trip to the University of the North at Turfloop, a three hour drive north of Johannesburg. It was a so-called tribal college, the result of the apartheidisation of the Universities. We had planned a day of prayer and discussion about Christianity and Apartheid.

The day started with a service. During the first hymn the police burst in. Women screamed. We were all arrested, about 30 black theological students and eight white students. We were charged with a breach of the General Assemblies Act, which made illegal any gathering of the races for political discussion and for being on Bantu Trust Territory without a permit. At the age of 18 I was accused of being a political criminal.

We were escorted back to Johannesburg in a police convoy. On the way back we passed a forbidding looking building my companion, Jeannette Curtis, described as Pretoria Central. "Winnie Mandela is in there," she said, " and its her birthday" We sang Happy Birthday Winnie. I was too embarassed to ask her who Winnie Mandela was.
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The documentary "Madiba; the Life and Times of Nelson Mandela" has been chosen by the Canadian astronaut Dr Robert Thirsk as one of 5 he will take to the space station in May. Madiba was made by Robin Benger for Mark Starowicz and the Life and Times crew at the CBC Doc Unit.

"I like the fact that Dr Thirsk will be travelling on the Soyuz, a Russian craft, as the Russians were the only world power to support Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress in the bleak early days of the struggle against apartheid. Also, Mandela, who may not be here on earth with us much longer, deserves a place among the stars. Perhaps if all goes kerblooey here on earth some alien entity will discover the doc, play it, and start all over again the Mandela way, with love, forgiveness and respect for all."(Robin Benger)

'Madiba' has been broadcast all over the world, and won a Gemini for best music, a Gabriel, and awards at the New York and Chicago film festivals. The Globe and Mail described it as the best Life and Times ever.

Documentary Description