BEFORE & AFTER
DIRECTOR
Documentary Series for CBC DOCS
2019
From surviving a mass shooting to going to space, some events in life are so impactful, they change everything. Before & After dives into the pivotal moments in our lives that forever change who we are, and how we see the world.
BEFORE & AFTER: CANCER DIAGNOSIS
Tamara O’Brien was a 21-year-old gymnast on the Canadian National Team and had just earned a medal at the World Games. She was on her way to the World Championships when she discovered a lump on the left side of her neck. It was this lump that would turn O’Brien — the rising star athlete she always saw herself as — into a new person, someone she would have to get to know all over again.
BEFORE &
AFTER:
GOING TO SPACE
Looking up at the stars is inspiring, but looking down at Earth is life changing. Dr. Robert Thirsk, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut reflects on his record breaking trip to space that changed his perspective on the meaning of life and humanity.
BEFORE &
AFTER:
HOMELESSNESS
Not long ago, Roger was a proud father with a full-time job living with a woman he loved. Today, Roger sleeps alone outside in downtown Toronto. An unfortunate turn of circumstance has led him to where he is today — but he’s determined to get back to the life he once had.
BEFORE &
AFTER:
MASS SHOOTING
Danielle and Jerry were having dinner with a friend one summer evening when they heard gunshots down the street. Jerry, an ER nurse rushed to the scene to see if he could help the wounded. Danielle decided to follow Jerry, a decision that saved his life and altered hers forever.
BEFORE &
AFTER:
GENDER
TRANSITION
Before she was Maya, she was Markus. Growing up in small town Ontario, she always knew she didn’t identify with her assigned gender. It wasn’t until moving to Toronto and attending her first Trans pride march that she found the courage to finally begin her transition, a choice that ended up saving her life.
BEFORE &
AFTER:
LOSING A SENSE
Whether it’s losing your sight, hearing, or smell, losing a sense is life altering. For Denise, Fred and Kara, it changed their physical experience of the world but it also changed their perspectives on life.