Filmmaker Michael Melski on The Child Remains, a horror movie based on the true story of the Butterbox Babies

If you grew up on the East Coast of Canada or if you follow true crime stories, there's a good chance you've heard the terrifying true story of the Butterbox Babies. You might even remember the made-for-TV movie CBC produced on the topic more than 20 years ago.

In the 1930s and 1940s, in East Chester, N.S., an unlicensed residence for unwed mothers called the Ideal Maternity Home "sold" babies to outside families. There was a lot of abuse that went on and many newborns died. They were called "butterbox babies" for the makeshift wooden coffins they were placed into.

Michael Melski heard about this story a lot, when he was growing up. As he became a filmmaker, he wondered if this story could become the foundation for a fictional horror movie. Melski got his answer when he made The Child Remains, his first horror film, shot in Nova Scotia, and starring fellow Canadians Suzanne Clement, Allan Hawco and Shelley Thompson.

Today, Melski joins Tom Power live from our studio in Halifax to talk about the film. The Child Remains is in select theatres in Canada now.

— Produced by Alison Broverman

Warning: The video below contains strong subject matter.