Movies Like Sanctuary

Celling Out

2004

Produced for the "Cellular" Special Edition DVD.

The Metaphor That Became a Room

2025

The Metaphor That Became a Room is a psychological drama exploring identity, communication, and the struggle for self-understanding. Divided into two parts, the film first delves into the protagonist’s frustration with the urge to persuade others, realizing that over-explaining only distorts meaning. A note from the past echoes a hard truth: “Someone’s unwillingness to understand will always outweigh your effort.” In A Symphony of Unfinished Selves, the narrative shifts inward, revealing the protagonist’s fractured identity. Trapped in a metaphorical room built from illusions and contradictions, he reflects on his dual persona—the social facade and the hidden, lost self. The film questions how we see ourselves versus how others see us and whether true self-recognition is possible. Through minimalist dialogue and layered symbolism, the film captures the silent tension between who we are, who we appear to be, and who we long to become.

Never a Backward Step

1966

This feature documentary is a profile of Canadian press tycoon Roy Thomson, whose single-minded attention to business brought him riches, power, and even a baronetcy in England. A native of Timmins, Ontario, Thomson had a tremendous career as publisher, television magnate, financier, and owner of many newspapers, including leading London dailies. The film is a frank study of an equally frank man.

Pandas

2018

In the mountains of Sichuan, China, a researcher forms a bond with Qian Qian, a panda who is about to experience nature for the first time.

Cher & the Loneliest Elephant

2021

"The World's Loneliest Elephant" Kaavan will finally experience freedom, thanks to his biggest champion, the one & only Cher. We'll follow Cher, Free The Wild, Four Paws International, and Kaavan on every step of the trip.

Stuart Hall: Representation & the Media

1997

Cultural theorist Stuart Hall offers an extended meditation on representation. Moving beyond the accuracy or inaccuracy of specific representations, Hall argues that the process of representation itself constitutes the very world it aims to represent, and explores how the shared language of a culture, its signs and images, provides a conceptual roadmap that gives meaning to the world rather than simply reflecting it. Hall's concern throughout is the centrality of culture to the shaping of our collective perceptions, and how the dynamics of media representation reproduce forms of symbolic power.

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day

1968

Winnie the Pooh and his friends experience high winds, heavy rains, and a flood in Hundred Acre Wood.

God Grew Tired of Us

2006

Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees -- Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach and Panther Bior -- as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States.

Powaqqatsi

1988

An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.

Gunda

2021

A glimpse into the raw and simple power of nature through encounters with farm animals: the eponymous Gunda, a mother pig; two cows, and a one-legged chicken.

Monkey Kingdom

2015

A newborn monkey and its mother struggle to survive within the competitive social hierarchy of the Temple Troop, a dynamic group of monkeys who live in ancient ruins found deep in the storied jungles of South Asia.

Koko: A Talking Gorilla

1978

A documentary that follows Dr. Penny Patterson's current scientific study of Koko, a gorilla who communicates through American Sign Language.

Elk Island

1985

This short documentary focuses on a man-made island that became the first federal sanctuary for wildlife in Canada. Situated an hour east of Edmonton, it houses one of the world's densest collections of wildlife, maintained by Parks Canada. Elk Island offers a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes activity of the island.

Les influenceurs sont dans le pré

2024

ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke

2019

This investigation examines the mysterious shooting of soul icon Sam Cooke, whose death silenced one of the most vital voices in the civil rights movement.

Casting By

2012

This essential new documentary pays tribute to the legacy of the late, legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and shines a light on one of the most overlooked and least understood crafts in filmmaking.

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

2025

Vulgar, taunting texts blow up the phones of a teen and her boyfriend. Who's sending them — and why? This twisty documentary reveals the shocking answer.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

2006

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.