In the third episode of our Creative Nonfiction Film podcast season, Philippe Falardeau discusses Lac-Mégantic: This is Not An Accident is a four-part documentary series about the catastrophic 2013 trainwreck in Lac-Mégantic, its inevitability, the aftermath, and the government failure to change safety requirements to avoid another "accident" in future. Lac-Mégantic had its world premiere at the HotDocs Film Festival where all four episodes were screened back-to-back.

The Lac-Mégantic rail disaster was the fourth-deadliest rail accident in Canadian history (47 people died) and the deadliest involving a non-passenger train. The documentary Lac-Mégantic not only chronicles the disaster and its devastating effects on the town Lac-Mégantic, but also how blame was handled and how similar disasters continue to happen.

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You will also find an AI-generated transcript in the show notes.

Useful links

• Watch our masterclass with Philippe Falardeau and Mina Shum
• Read our interview with Philippe Falardeau on My Internship in Canada

More on creative nonfiction

Download a FREE excerpt from Subjective Realities here.

Get your copy of the ebook Subjective Realities: The art of creative nonfiction film here.

Get your copy of the ebook In their own words: Documentary Masters vol. 1

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Related Episodes

Members Only Episodes

• Bonus Episode 25: This is Going to Hurt and physician mental health
• Ep. 41: In the Loop and My Internship in Canada: Political satires
• Ep. 67: Frederick Wiseman’s Ex Libris and City Hall 
• Ep. 95: No Ordinary Man and John Ware Reclaimed: Reclaiming history in documentary (Members only)

Free Episodes

• Ep. 99: Creative Nonfiction with Penny Lane and Carol Nguyen
• Ep. 123: Sundance 2022: Creative Nonfiction

Credits

Host Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row. Find her on Twitter @bwestcineaste.

Email us at contact <at> seventh <dash> row <dot> com.

This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.