For immediate release Director Deepa Mehta Captures Faces And Voices Of Domestic Violence In Groundbreaking Documentary LET’S TALK ABOUT IT Filmblanc Production in Association with Rogers OMNI Television Features Children of Family Abuse as Interviewers in Intimate Conversations with Their Parents One-Hour Programme Launches World Television Premiere on OMNI .2 Saturday, October 22 at 7 P.M. ET On (TORONTO, September 19, 2005)- ce the innocent and forgotten victims ofdomestic violence, children break the silence and secrecy of family abuse for the first time in Let’s Talk About It, a new documentary directed by Deepa Mehta. Let’s Talk About It is produced by Canada ’s Filmblanc, a rising star in documentary filmmaking, in association with Rogers OMNI Television. The programme will make its world television premiere to English speaking viewers on OMNI.2, Saturday, October 22 at 7 p.m. (ET). Let’s Talk About It launched to the Spanish language audience in mid-September. A compelling and purposeful call to action, the one-hour programme puts a voice and a face to the global epidemic that is breeding a new generation of abusers. Already, over one million Canadian families have experienced some form of domestic abuse this year, according to Statistics Canada. Fusing the structured first-person story-telling techniques of the documentary with the revealing and spontaneous tell-it-like-it-is conversations between parent and child, Mehta has created a chilling landscape with the cautionary tales of three immigrant women who share their stories of domestic violence and the resulting negative impact and influence on their children from their exposure to violence in the home. Mehta’s journey into the dark corners of familial abuse among immigrants is uniquely and cleverly crafted to be the catalyst for open dialogue and discussion among all ethnic and cultural communities. Offering the first ever glimpse into the hush hush world of domestic violence from the perspective of its youngest prey, Mehta arms the subjects’ offspring with video cameras and an assignment to interview their respective parents. Unprompted, their interviews are jolting reminders that silence and secrecy are the domains of domestic violence and the killers of innocence. They are also inspiring profiles of courage, hope and determination. Says Noemi Weis, President of Filmblanc: “Deepa Mehta is a master of the exposé. As a documentary director, she has elevated the issue of domestic violence in such a way that we can no longer turn the other cheek or sweep this growing epidemic under the carpet. Let’s Talk About It reveals the unstudied facet of domestic violence that is born in certain cultural and ethnic traditions and beliefs.” Mehta adds: “Children are our greatest teachers and I hope this film helps to fuel meaningful action and commitment to stop the cycle of family abuse and give voice to every child and parent living in the unspoken despair of an abusive home.” Let’s Talk About It reveals the stories of: Nigerian-born Nneka, whose husband’s final attack was so brutal, he tried to kill the 42 year-old lawyer by throwing her face down on the sofa so she could not breathe. It was the last time he would ever touch her. Amandeep, whose arranged marriage is an accepted practice in her native India, found courage to seek help after her husband’s rage became physical and a source of escalating anger in her son; and Xiomara, from El Salvador, married and pregnant at 16, a frightened teenager who would hide from her violent husband in a game of cat and mouse that would end after a series of punches and kicks caused her to miscarry her first child. Deepa Mehta is one of Canada ’s most prolific and successful filmmakers. Among her many productions, the writer, producer and director is best known for the critically acclaimed Bollywood Hollywood, the award-winning Sam and Me and her trilogy, Fire,Earth and Water, which opened this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. “We are pleased to support another top calibre production from Filmblanc,” says Malcolm Dunlop, Vice President of Programming and Marketing for Rogers Media: Television. “This latest collaboration with Deepa Mehta is sure to reach across diverse communities and spark cross-cultural dialogue on how to resolve the growing problem of domestic violence.” Let’s Talk About It is the second documentary from producer Noemi Weis ’s Filmblanc, a new force in Canadian programming with content of social relevance and moral consciousness. The company’s Gloriously Free , a powerful and eye-opening look into Canada ’s growing stature as the world’s safest haven for alternative lifestyles premiered late last fall on OMNI Television. Gloriously Free was subsequently broadcast on CBC Newsworld's Documentary Special and was recently acquired by premium specialty service HERE TV in the U.S. The programme received its European premiere in early May at the Commonwealth Film Festival in Manchester , garnering high praise from filmgoers and ranking among the most popular offerings. Let’s Talk About It is produced with 100 percent funding from OMNI’s Independent Producers Initiative, a $32.5 million independent production fund and seven-year funding commitment created and made available by OMNI Television for independent producers to create third-language ethno-cultural programming. OMNI Television is the industry’s first and only major source of funding for the independent production of non-official language programming. The documentaries will be broadcast in their original language and transcreated into English as well as a range of other languages. Interested producers may access funding criteria at http://www.omnitv.ca/ontario/info/funds/. Harbourfront Entertainment is handling worldwide rights. About Filmblanc: Filmblanc is an international film production company formed in 1998 to respond to the growing need of commercial production houses and advertising agencies to reach into global markets, and to introduce international clients to the enormous benefits of Canada as a world-class production location. Filmblanc has strong and strategic alliances with a number of overseas film companies. Since launching, Filmblanc has produced commercials and music clips for a number of brand name clients, including Chiclets ( Colombia), Harlequin Enterprises (U.S.), Tropicana Juice (France), Playstation 2 ( Finland), Scotia Bank (International) and Universal Music (France), among others. Two years ago, Filmblanc launched its documentary and television production division. Filmblanc can be reached on the web at HYPERLINK http://www.filmblanc.com FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Filmblanc Media Contact: Margo Raport, (416) 925-6271 rapport@sympatico.ca OMNI Media Contact: Sandy Zwyer - Programme Information Coordinator, (416) 260-3590 sandy.zwyer@rci.rogers.com Rogers Media Inc., a division of Rogers Communications Inc., (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B; NYSE: RG) operates Rogers Broadcasting and Rogers Publishing. Rogers Broadcasting has 43 AM and FM radio stations across Canada. Television properties include Toronto multicultural television broadcaster CFMT, televised and electronic shopping service, the Shopping Channel, regional sports channel, Rogers Sportsnet and the management of three digital television services. Rogers Publishing produces many well-known consumer magazines such as Maclean’s, Chatelaine, Flare, L’actualité, Canadian Business and is the leading publisher of a number of trade publications. All media properties are integrated with their own popular web sites. - 30 -