Elder rights lawyer and hundreds of aggrieved families take on the for-profit nursing-home industry. Helene Klodawsky’s Intuitive Pictures/NFB feature doc Stolen Time begins national theatrical tour in March.

February 27, 2024 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Helene Klodawsky’s riveting feature-length documentary Stolen Time, co-produced by Intuitive Pictures and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), will be opening in cinemas across Canada starting March 21 in Vancouver.

A compelling call for justice, Stolen Time follows charismatic elder rights lawyer Melissa Miller as she takes on the corporate for-profit nursing-home industry—an industry notorious for its lack of transparency and accountability. As the legal battle unfolds, families, frontline caregivers and change-makers chronicle an urgent crisis with ramifications—and inspiration—for us all.

Stolen Time will kick off a national theatrical tour in Vancouver, followed by Montreal, Edmonton and Toronto. Most screenings will be accompanied by panel discussions or Q&As.

National screening schedule

• Opening Thursday, March 21, at the VIFF Centre in Vancouver
  • Followed by a panel discussion on March 21 with:
  • Sara Pon, staff lawyer and researcher at Seniors First BC, and co-chair of the BC Adult Abuse and Neglect Prevention Collaborative;
  • Bruce Devereux, recreation therapist with 32 years of experience in the not-for-profit aging care sector;
  • Julia Henderson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia, and Chair of the North American Network in Aging Studies.

• Opening Friday, March 22, at the Cinema du Parc in Montreal
  • Followed by a panel discussion on Saturday, March 23, with:
  • Patrik Marier, Professor of Political Science at Concordia University and the Scientific Director of the Centre for Research and Expertise in Social Gerontology (CREGÉS) of the West-Central Montreal CIUSSS. His latest book, The Four Lenses of Population Aging: Planning for the Future in Canada’s Provinces, explores the multiple challenges of planning for an aging population;
  • Laurel Young, Graduate Music Therapy Programs Coordinator and Associate Professor at Concordia University. She is Associate Director of engAGE: Concordia’s Centre for Research on Aging, with over 29 years of clinical, research and advocacy experience, with a focus on aging, dementia and end-of-life care.
  • Sandra Smele, sociologist and Coordinator of Inclusive Aging, Diversity, Health and Well-Being at the Centre for Research and Expertise in Social Gerontology (CREGES). She has contributed to several research projects on long-term residential care and is passionate about improving living and working conditions at long-term care homes.
  • Moderated by Kim Sawchuk, Professor at Concordia University’s Department of Communication Studies, whose work focuses on the intersection between age, aging and communication technologies. Co-founder of the Critical Disability Studies Working Group (CDSWG) at Concordia.
  • More info: cinemaduparc.com/film/le-temps-dérobé  

• Opening Sunday, March 24, at the Metro Cinema in Edmonton
  • More info: metrocinema.org/production/stolen-time

• Tuesday, April 2, and Wednesday, April 3, at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto
  • Presented as part of Doc Soup, a screening series from Hot Docs.
  • Filmmaker Helene Klodawsky and elder rights lawyer Melissa Miller will be in attendance, with a Q&A on both nights.
  • Doc Soup will also be streaming Stolen Time online for subscribers.
  • More info: hotdocs.ca/whats-on/films/ds-stolen-time

About the film

Stolen Time by Helene Klodawsky (85 min)
Produced by Ina Fichman for Intuitive Pictures Inc.; Ariel Nasr for the NFB
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/stolentime

• Stolen Time chronicles Miller’s most challenging case yet: a mass tort representing hundreds of families fighting some of the world’s most powerful long-term care corporations. 
• Her adversaries stand accused of neglecting their vulnerable charges as they reap huge profits. Booming elderly populations worldwide add urgency to holding these corporations to account.
• In Stolen Time, desperate families turn to the courts as a last resort. We witness surprising testimonies and images from researchers, advocates and, most notably, frontline caregivers whose work is often undervalued but disproportionately blamed for what goes wrong. The film is a rare inside look at a crucial legal battle and an emerging elder justice movement.
• The film is currently screening at the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, which runs February 21 to March 2. Other festival selections to date include the Atlantic International Film Festival in Halifax, the RIDM Montreal International Documentary Festival and the Victoria Film Festival.
• Helene Klodawsky has explored the documentary art form for over 35 years. The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, Hot Docs and the Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois are among the many festivals that have honoured her work.

About Intuitive Pictures

Intuitive Pictures is a Montreal-based company dedicated to producing quality creative documentary and narrative features and series, and interactive projects. They have developed an expertise in international co-production and collaborate with partners worldwide. Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy-nominated and Peabody award-winning producer Ina Fichman, founder and president of Intuitive Pictures, has been producing high-profile documentaries for 30 years. Her creative documentaries have played at Sundance, Berlin, Hot Docs, RIDM, CPH:DOX, Venice, SXSW, TIFF and others. Ina recently produced the acclaimed and Academy-nominated documentary Fire of Love, which premiered at Sundance 2022, where it was sold to National Geographic and subsequently released by Neon in the US, Dogwoof in the UK and MK2. Other films include 7 Beats Per Minute (SXSW 2024), Adrianne & the Castle (SXSW 2024), The Bones, Stolen Time, Stray, The Gig Is Up, Blue Box, Inside Lehman Brothers, Gift, The Oslo Diaries, Laila at the Bridge and The Wanted 18.

About the NFB

Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.

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