CBC is pleased to announce the launch of new documentary series FIRSTHAND on CBC Television this October. Each week,  FIRSTHAND will introduce Canadians to documentaries from some of the country’s most talented documentary filmmakers. Outspoken and  thought-provoking, these films will take us on entertaining journeys, delve into important issues and introduce us to unforgettable characters and their  untold stories.

The series premieres withThe Woman Who Joined the Taliban on   October 15 at 9 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. NT.The film tells a deeply personal tale of ambition and betrayal, set amidst the  global war on terror. A publishing executive and devout Christian, Vancouver businesswoman Beverly Giesbrecht became drawn to Islam after the events of  9/11 and began a terrifying journey that took her to the heart of Taliban territory in the mountains of Pakistan.

  Other titles this season include:

  Hold Your Fire    TBD

  Hold Your Fire    is a documentary that unflinchingly deconstructs fatal interactions between law enforcement and people who are mentally ill. It shows that police training  actually contributes to these tragedies and searches for the critical moment from which police can be trained to back up and hold their fire. All the  deaths share a common thread: the shootings happened within minutes, if not seconds, of police arriving on the scene - with little time to assess the  situation or attempt de-escalation.

  Reefer Riches  , October 29 at 9 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. NT

  Reefer Riches  is an eye-opening documentary about the corporatization of the weed business. In Colorado and Washington State, it’s been just a couple of years since the  pot biz became legal. The smoke has settled and people are taking stock. Has the business seen a boom or a bust? With legalization just around the corner,  Canada wants to know what lessons can be learned from our friends south of the border.

  Forever Young  ,  November 5 at 9 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. NT

  Forever Young  is a film that challenges our view of aging and reveals new technologies which could significantly extend human life. Death is the ultimate insult to the  scientific mind. While science, technology, and medicine have advanced in leaps and bounds during the past century, humans have still not cracked the most  elemental challenge of them all: how to conquer death and live for hundreds of years. Forever Young will explore the age-old  pursuit of increasing human longevity and reveal where our quest for immortality could eventually take us.

  IF The Poet  , November 12 at 9 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m.

  IF The Poet  is the compelling, against-all-odds story of Ian French, a.k.a. IF, from his humiliating slam poetry debut at age 50, to representing English-speaking  Canada at The World Cup of Poetry in Paris, France just five years later. It’s an unfiltered trip into the mesmerizing heart of competitive slam poetry,  pitting IF against the best poets in the world and the demons of his past.

*Hi-res photography available here.

  -30-

  About CBC/Radio-Canada

  CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on  new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions,  CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight aboriginal languages.

  A space for us all   is CBC/Radio-Canada’s new strategy to modernize the public broadcaster and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians and for future  generations. Through to 2020, it will increase its investment in prime time television programming, and continue to create radio programs of the highest  quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.

  For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the   CBC Media Centre  at   cbc.ca/mediacentre  . Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter   @CBC_Publicity  .

  For more information, please contact:

  Nicola Makoway 
  CBC News & Current Affairs, CBC Radio One publicist 
  nicola.makoway@cbc.ca  (416) 205-7673