Bell Media Preps Tragically Hip Doc

TORONTO: Banger Films has begun production on a 4K documentary chronicling this year’s cross-Canadian concert tour by The Tragically Hip for launch on multiple Bell Media platforms in 2017.

Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier are directing the doc, which is being made in association with Shed Creative (a division of Universal Music Canada). The film is tentatively titled Man Machine Poem, following the group as they embarked on a multi-city Canadian tour in the wake of lead singer Gord Downie’s brain cancer diagnosis. It will air on The Movie Network, MUCH and CTV before being exclusively accessible on CraveTV. There will also be a Canadian theatrical release.

“We are incredibly honored to share this amazing moment in Canadian history with the band and viewers across the country,” said Randy Lennox, the president of broadcasting and content at Bell Media. “Man Machine Poem comes from a dream team behind the camera and we know they’ll show Canada a side of The Hip we’ve never seen before.”

“We have filmed hundreds of hours of footage from the tour and beyond,” said Scot McFadyen, co-founder of Banger Films. “This stands to be a powerful cinematic music doc that captures a nation’s love for a band whose music and lyrics embody the Canadian spirit.”