In this episode of Face2Face, David Peck sits down with acclaimed Canadian actor Colm Feore for a thoughtful and engaging conversation on the power of storytelling and the importance of National Canadian Film Day. Together, they explore what makes Canadian cinema unique. They talk about its authenticity, its sense of community, and its ability to reflect who we are. Feore shares insights from his own career, highlighting the value of participation, curiosity, and simply “trying” as a way of connecting across cultures. This is a rich conversation about film, identity, and why our stories matter, now more than ever.

For more info on National Film Day head here: www.canfilmday.ca

Photo: Ann Baggley.

Colm Feore is one of Canada’s most acclaimed and versatile actors, with an extraordinary career spanning film, television, and stage. Born in Boston and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Feore has become a defining presence in Canadian arts and culture.

A longtime leading figure at the renowned Stratford Festival, he is celebrated for his powerful performances in Shakespearean roles including Hamlet, King Lear and Richard III. His work on stage is matched by an impressive screen career, with roles in internationally recognized films such as Chicago, The Red Violin, Thor, and Bon Cop, Bad Cop, as well as television appearances in The Borgias, House of Cards and The Umbrella Academy.

Feore is a multiple Gemini and Canadian Screen Award winner and has been widely recognized for his contributions to the performing arts. Known for his depth, intelligence, and emotional range, he brings a rare authenticity to every role.

A passionate advocate for Canadian storytelling, Feore continues to champion film and theatre that reflect the country’s diverse voices and shared cultural identity. His work embodies a deep commitment to the craft of acting and the enduring power of story to connect, challenge, and inspire.

David Peck is a writer, speaker, and award-winning podcaster who works at the intersection of storytelling, social change, and meaningful dialogue. As the host of Face2Face and former host of Toronto Threads on 640 AM, he has published over 800 in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most compelling thinkers, artists and storytellers, including Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Polley, Raoul Peck, Werner Herzog, Chris Hadfield, David Cronenberg, Jason Issacs, Gillian Anderson and Wade Davis. With a background in philosophy and international development, David brings a thoughtful, globally aware perspective to every conversation.

He’s a published author and experienced keynote speaker, known for creating spaces where complexity is welcomed and ideas come alive. Whether moderating panels, hosting live events, or speaking on issues ranging from ethics to media, David’s work is grounded in a deep curiosity about people. At heart, he simply loves good conversation — and believes it’s one of the best ways we grow, connect, and make sense of the world.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Face2Face, David Peck sits down with magician, historian, and thinker David Ben for a wide-ranging conversation about curiosity, illusion, and the deeper intellectual life behind magic. At the heart of the discussion is Ben’s extraordinary collection, now housed at The Lilly Library at Indiana University, a vast archive spanning more than a century of magical history. Together, they explore magic as a “prism” for understanding the world, touching on ethics, problem-solving, and the power of wonder. This is more than a conversation about magic, it’s about how we see, ask questions and make meaning.

David Ben was the sole protégé of Ross Bertram (1912-1992), one of the great sleight-of-hand artists of the twentieth century. While studying magic with Bertram, David also graduated from the University of Toronto (BA), the University of Western Ontario (LLB), and the London School of Economics (LLM). He flirted briefly with a career in tax law but abandoned it in 1990 to pursue his passion for performing, writing and community.

David is now recognized as one of the world’s foremost sleight-of-hand artists. Theatrical works he has developed have been staged at the Shaw Festival, Theatre ROM, the Charlottetown Festival, Soulpepper Theatre, Luminato, the Canadian embassies in Paris and Tokyo, the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, and elsewhere. He has made numerous television appearances and was the subject of the award-winning documentary “A Conjuror in the Making.”

David has written several books and has contributed articles and reviews to the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and many other publications. He is the co-founder and artistic director of Magicana, a performing arts organization and registered charity, and he uses learning, practicing, and performing magic to help disadvantaged children, to fight isolation in seniors, and to help unlock creativity, innovation, and problem solving.

David also tries whenever possible to give back to the community. In 2016, after losing his wife Jan Howlett to brain cancer in 2013, David raised close to $250,000 by having his signature mop of hair shaved off as part of The Princess Margaret Hospital “No Hair Selfie” campaign.

A recipient of the Order of Canada, Ben has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the performing arts and for preserving the cultural and intellectual heritage and legacy of magic.

He lives in Toronto with his partner Jessica Levman, near his children Court and Harrison, and spends his spare time playing the piano, painting, indulging in culinary delights, and acquiring historical Canadian art.

For more info on David visit his site here.

David Peck is a writer, speaker, and award-winning podcaster who works at the intersection of storytelling, social change, and meaningful dialogue. As the host of Face2Face and former host of Toronto Threads on 640 AM, he has published over 650 in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most compelling thinkers, artists and storytellers, including Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Polley, Raoul Peck, Werner Herzog, Chris Hadfield, David Cronenberg, Jason Issacs, Gillian Anderson and Wade Davis. With a background in philosophy and international development, David brings a thoughtful, globally aware perspective to every conversation.

He’s a published author and experienced keynote speaker, known for creating spaces where complexity is welcomed and ideas come alive. Whether moderating panels, hosting live events, or speaking on issues ranging from ethics to media, David’s work is grounded in a deep curiosity about people. At heart, he simply loves good conversation — and believes it’s one of the best ways we grow, connect, and make sense of the world.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, David Peck interviews Tanya Talaga and Shane Belcourt about their film Red Power Rising, which explores Indigenous storytelling, narrative sovereignty, and the ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous communities in Canada. The discussion delves into the importance of reclaiming narratives, the layers of history and human rights within the film, and the distinction between being a warrior and a terrorist. They also address the systemic issues within Canadian society, the need for education reform, and the hope for future generations to thrive through cultural reclamation.

Tanya Talaga is an award-winning Anishinaabe and Polish Canadian journalist, author, and filmmaker whose work powerfully centers Indigenous voices in Canadian public life. Raised in Toronto with deep roots in Fort William First Nation, Talaga spent more than two decades at The Toronto Star, becoming a leading voice on Indigenous affairs. Her acclaimed first book, Seven Fallen Feathers (2017), examined the deaths of seven First Nations students in Thunder Bay and won the RBC Taylor Prize and the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize. She later delivered the CBC Massey Lectures, published as All Our Relations.

Through her company Makwa Creative and her latest book The Knowing (2024), Talaga continues to illuminate history, justice, and Indigenous resilience. For more info on Tanya head here: www.makwacreative.ca

Shane Belcourt is a Métis filmmaker, writer, cinematographer, and musician whose work explores Indigenous identity, urban Métis life, and the complexities of belonging. Born in Ottawa, Belcourt gained national recognition with his debut feature Tkaronto (2007), which premiered at imagineNATIVE and won Best Director at the Dreamspeakers and Talking Stick Film Festivals. His diverse body of work includes feature films, documentaries, and television, including Red Rover (2018), the acclaimed documentary Beautiful Scars (2022), and the drama Warrior Strong (2023).

A four-time Canadian Screen Awards nominee, Belcourt continues to tell compelling stories that blend cultural insight, creativity, and emotional depth in contemporary Canadian cinema.

For more info on Shane head here: www.shanebelcourt.com

David Peck is a writer, speaker, and award-winning podcaster who works at the intersection of storytelling, social change, and meaningful dialogue. As the host of Face2Face and former host of Toronto Threads on 640 AM, he has published over 650 in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most compelling thinkers, artists and storytellers, including Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Polley, Raoul Peck, Werner Herzog, Chris Hadfield, David Cronenberg, Jason Issacs, Gillian Anderson and Wade Davis. With a background in philosophy and international development, David brings a thoughtful, globally aware perspective to every conversation.

He’s a published author and experienced keynote speaker, known for creating spaces where complexity is welcomed and ideas come alive. Whether moderating panels, hosting live events, or speaking on issues ranging from ethics to media, David’s work is grounded in a deep curiosity about people. At heart, he simply loves good conversation — and believes it’s one of the best ways we grow, connect, and make sense of the world.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.