Planet B-Boy

I watched Planet B-Boy.
It was on my list of movies to see during Hot Docs, but the timing didn't work out right. It ended up getting 2nd place in the Audience Choice Award, so it must have been good.
I found out that it was playing in the city, so I immediate made plans to see it. I didn't want to miss it the second time around.
The trailer looked awesome.
I have to say, while the movie was good, it wasn't compelling.
I could follow that the director wanted to create a little bit of a storyline on top of the fact that there were crews gunning to be the best in the world, but it was very minimally flushed out. For full props, I would have wanted not only crazy-cool breaking (OMG - I was flipping out...these people were sick!) but also that extra oomph. The background of the genre was sufficient, but more about the journey and impetus for each of the crews and their members would make it worthy of the hype.
Still a nice way to see some high-calibre breaking. I forgot how much I love watching this art-form.

-picture courtesy of www.planetbboy.com

Eleven Minutes

Eleven Minutes (official site) is a documentary about the lead up to Jay McCarroll's debut fashion show. Known for being the first winner of Project Runway (I only watched Project Runway Canada, so I have no background on this guy) he made the big leap to Bryant Park (albeit the smallest tent) for September 2006.
Clearly a man who loves attention, but has a wavering self-esteem - as demonstrated by his animated introduction to the screening, Jay was open and honest throughout the documentary. So candid in fact that the audience was privy to an odd story about Kelly Cutrone of People's Revolution.
Walking out of the screening, I overheard one lady say to her companion, "It was fun, but you couldn't have been expecting anything insightful." Strangely enough, I was. Maybe I take everything too seriously, and assume that anything as such a wonderful festival such as HotDocs would be just as deep, even if on a light subject matter.
The audience seemed like a much different crowd than other shows that I've been to. Lots of whispering during the documentary, laughter (some of which was warranted, but others a little superficial) and the questions after the movie for Jay and directors, Michael Selditch and Rob Tate were just as shallow as the film that was presented. I guess the subject matter draws a different crowd than the other shows that I've seen.
Not to say I didn't appreciate learning more about the fashion industry and what goes into producing a fashion show. I also appreciated Jay's sweet nature, but unless you want a really light movie, I'm not sure this movie is the most stellar.
The documentary was shot quite casually. Sometimes the cameraman (often one of the directors) could be heard casually asking questions to the subjects, other times shots went in and out of focus. The film was even a little grainy, not that super saturated colour and picture perfect quality stuff.
I thought his collection was very nice. There were pieces that even I'd be interested in wearing. It was really colourful, but I still liked it. I'm sure if I really tried, I could get some pieces, but I'm not ready to dish out that cash and really go out there to seek it out. Unfortunately, there were no distributors that picked up his line. I love watching designers sketch. The colours and fabrics that he chose were yummy. Even the jewellery and shoes and he partly designed were very nice.
Oh, and I still really want to go to a fashion show. A big, legit one. I think it would be fascinating to see what's on the runway, feel the vibe of the crowd and people watch.

I think this may have been my last documentary for the festival. I might look into something for the weekend, but I'm not sure if it'll happen. I had a great time and got to see some wonderful documentaries. I will definitely participate in the festival again next year. Conveniently timed with the arrival of spring weather, it was nice to be downtown and visiting other theatres in the city. It was also nice to see crowds of people out and about. I enjoyed picking up the free Toronto Star newspapers as well. I've sure missed those crosswords.

Memory Books

It's almost over, but is it too late to spread the word that daytime shows are free for students and seniors? Way to go HotDocs!

I suppose they figure that the daytime shows will be sorta empty - which this one was. Too bad, because it was a great topic to have a documentary about.

Memory Books takes a look at the program initiated by the National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (NACWOLA) where infected mothers have the opportunity to purchase a memory book (director, Christa Graf was on had to answer questions and mentioned that each book cost the equivalent of 10euros!!! That's huge!!!) to create with their children.
The books are intended to be for one child, so there may be more than one book per household. Mothers are encouraged to engage in discussions with their child and write in the books (or have a scribe if they are unable themselves) in Ugandan or English (whichever they prefer). On each page, short headings are given to prompt mothers on what to write about...family history, the beginnings of the child's life, goals for their child, etc. Pictures can be drawn, photos can be pasted
The cinematography and score for the documentary was wonderful.
We met a variety of characters. Mothers, nurses, children and orphans. We were privileged to sit in on writing sessions, hospital visits, times to reminisce.
One criticism for the documentary is that it didn't really flow well. Sometimes it seemed disjointed and jumped from idea to idea. Also, I felt that certain moments were scripted, which is horrible to say based on the topic of the piece. I doubt that it was, but some moments just seemed crafted for the screen. I will be optimistic and hope that someone was just really good at piecing together all of the "best" parts.
It is such a wonderful idea. Many Ugandans have embraced the program, mostly in the rural villages. HIV/AIDS is a horrible epidemic and while citizens of all ages are being educated more and more about the illness there is still a slight sense of embarrassment and restraint when dealing with the topic. This program gives women an opportunity to feel empowered and take their destiny into their own hands. Increased morale, acceptance, time with family, discussions about heritage and history, there are so many ideas that are raised from this program. One could even say that in a community with an oral tradition, this not only keeps memories alive longer, but encourages literacy in Ugandan youth.
I'm still disappointed that a book costs so much to purchase and I hope that other countries adopt this idea and run with it.
Want to read about it the initiative? I Die, But The Memory Lives On, by Henning Mankell may touch you in some way. It touched the director of the documentary enough to have her create this film.
This was a moving documentary that makes me want to do more in life.

Letter to Myself and Bevel Up: Drugs, Users and Outreach Nursing

Another rush line...another double billing.

Letter to Myself was short and it seems that I don't really like short documentaries. I mean, it was okay, but similarly to Kids&Money I thought that this documentary just skimmed the surface. Both movies had a lot of potential, both failed in my mind. The title and the description of the documentary lend itself to be a great production. It ended up being a short glimpse into the lives of two drug addicts and their attempt at coming clean. Simple insight into the life of an addict and signs that everything is going wrong were explored, but that's about it. The deeper meaning behind the whys and next steps were missed. In the end, this movie ended much earlier than it should have and became a teaser for the documentary to follow.

Bevel Up: Drugs, Users and Outreach Nursing (official site)...now this was GOOD. This documentary was created to be part of a interactive DVD that could be used as a educational tool. Apparently there are no classes about this topic in nursing programs in the country.
The documentary follows the street nurses of Vancouver and some of the people that they watch over.
At first I was a little confused. Why were these nurses providing users with needles and mouthpieces? Weren't they encouraging drug use this way? They were also giving out condoms and conducting blood tests, but providing users with the tools they needed to get high confused me. I suppose it's still a common cause of discussion, but I get it now. I'm still not really sure how I feel about it, but I get it. They were providing a safe and sterile environment to continue their lifestyle. They were educating how to continue their lifestyle in the most healthy manner possible. If the user themself wasn't ready for a lifestyle change, there was nothing that these nurses could do to get them to that position. In the event that they did want to clean up, they would have someone whom they trusted to help them down that pathway. And bottom line, they were providing health-care. Health-care and a safe lifestyle, whatever that may be. In the post-screening Q&A with superstar street nurse Caroline Brunt, she stressed that she had nothing to do with the illegal drugs. One may find it confusing that she encouraged a user to get their next fix, but in the short window of time that the nurses have to deal with users and decide what's best for them, sometimes getting them to be where they're most comfortable gets better results. She did ask the user to exit her van however before shooting up.
The street nurses work together with the police. Apparently they work very well together, although I'm not really sure how the dynamic works. These nurses see illegal things happening, but I guess they turn a blind eye to it? That, I'm not really sure how it works out.
It was interesting to see the different people that the street nurses work with. The mixture of characters. I don't know how it works. What do they do? How does time pass for them? They seem so matter of fact about their lifestyle and are completely aware of the risks and dangers. They seem very open and wiling to take advice from the street nurses (everyone is on a first name basis, phone numbers and contact information is given out...you can imagine the trust level that's been built over time). I'm not really confused about it all, but intrigued.
Lots to think about of course.
As I mentioned before, Caroline Brunt was on hand to answer questions and talk about the DVD. Director, Nettie Wild was also there to chat. They showed us some of the features of the DVD and I agree that instead of creating a 5 hour documentary which could cover all of the important issues, the current documentary which provided a great overview and provided enough insight to get you going for a night of thinking was a sufficient length. The extras on the DVD were an excellent was of providing more background and interviews with experts in the field. They were both very passionate about their work and the audience was eager and engaged in the discussion. It's too bad that we had to get out of the theatre as there was another documentary about to play. I wanted the discussion to go on all night.
I hope to read more about these nurses in Vancouver and their successes. I'm not sure where I stand on some of the issues that arise in their line of work, but I still support them whole-heartedly.
And I feel like I can't do this documentary justice. Especially since I'm exhausted and I can't keep track of my thoughts anymore.

Green Porno

I forgot to mention that as a little added bonus, the folks at Hot Docs screened Isabella Rossellini's, Green Porno before All Together Now.
These short little vignettes about bugs were hilarious and educational at the same time. I heard someone comment that maybe the shorts were produced for educational purposes, but I'm not sure if some of the content is appropriate for children. For example, the earthworm short talked about the 69 position. Hmmm. Other than specific terminology, they would be a great way to learn more about insects.
I really liked them. Alight way to gain a better understanding of insects. If someone wants to educate adults about a topic in a way that they'll never forget - this would be a great way to do it.

All Together Now

So the story goes...George Harrison and Guy Laliberte both rolled in the Formula 1 circle. Schmoozing ensued and LOVE was born.
All Together Now is the documentary (worldwide premiere - yippee Hot Docs!) about the creation of this Cirque du Soleil show.
WATCH THIS FILM.
I don't know much about the Beatles. Seriously, I starting thinking that the documentary was a nice tribute to George Harrison with all the insightful interviews they had with him and then flipping to moments where it was just Olivia Harrison...well, the interviewee was actually Ringo Starr - who is hilarious by the way. Yikes. But I do know a fair number of their songs. And I can appreciate good music.
I love Cirque du Soleil. I'm always on the edge of my seat watching them. I love the drama, the music, the costumes, the talent. There were lots of great shots of rehearsals and the production itself.
The audience had the pleasure of watching the creative process happen. The "tampering" of the Beatles' music and the potential backlash (which turned out to be less of a deal than one would think). The constant tiptoeing with the Apple Corps Ltd. (which also turned out to be less of a deal than one would think).
Only a small part of the documentary followed the path of a performer, and I feel that while it was a nice idea, either they needed to flush it out more or just leave it out completely. There were enough other plotlines to keep the audience entertained.
There was a strong sense of family and relationships in this documentary. Wives, husbands, fathers, sons (Dhani Harrison is a splitting image of his dad) - it was a touching idea.
Each member of the group was well represented. Two by wives (Olivia and Yoko) and two by themselves. It seemed as though the wives really wanted the legacy of the their husbands to ring loud and clear. They had a vested interest in the show and often made their strong opinions known. I don't know if it was the case, but the documentary made it seem like these two voices rang louder and more critically than those of Ringo and Paul. It was very nice to hear the supportive nature of the living members and the happiness etched on their faces throughout the premier of the show. Both Ringo and Paul had very memorable words describing the show and their experiences. You'll have to see it for yourself.
Dominic Champagne had the difficult task to create the show and make everyone happy. He did a wonderful job.
The best part of film festivals is the chance to hear people associated with the film speak. We were all delighted to have the filmmaker, Adrian Wills and Giles Martin (great accent - yum), son of Sir George Martin chat and answer questions.
I hope that the documentary will show up on the TV, but if not, it'll be available on DVD June 24th.

Kids & Money and Emoticons

First movie of Hot Docs...rush seats! All three of the showings of this double bill about our youth were rush, and so I pressed my luck (does anyone else remember that TV show and also has this blur of how the show actually worked?) and got lucky!

Kids & Money takes a look at teens and pre-teens living in Los Angeles and their take on fashion, fortune and fitting in. Maybe it's because of my experiences and the line of work that I'm in, but nothing in the movie surprised me. The documentary felt a little short and just scratched the surface of many issues that teens face these days. I wanted to hear so much more about what the kids had to say. What their parents had to say. Watch more of their lives and analyze their every waking hour. While some kids were completely off base with reality, many others were very insightful for their age. Being a kids these days is difficult. And depending on where you live and where you're from, it can be even harder. Mind you, being an adult can provide for many of the same problems - I'm not sure if we're better equipped to deal with the issues and/or if we're more immune to the effects of society. Based on the description of the movie and some of the reviews that I've read, along with the fact that all of the shows were sold out, I was expecting a lot more out of this film. It provided for a lot of laughs (although I'm not sure what was so funny. I get that some of the comments were funny because they seem so off-base, but that doesn't mean that it's not true or isn't prevalent) but It really was just superficial (no pun intended). I really wanted further investigation into the issues and I didn't get that. It was quite limited. I would recommend watching this if it you happened to flip by it on your TV and you want a smidge of insight into the lives of some of our youth, but other than that, it's no big deal. Unfortunately.

Emoticons followed six young ladies and their involvement with the online world. For communication, for comfort, for advice for friendship, the internet is a powerful tool. This Dutch movie (I do like the sound of the Dutch language. It rolls off the tongue.) was not a light hearted romp like the first feature. Many of the girls turned to the internet in difficult times but after awhile, I felt like the movie was starting to drag. Again, it was a great movie and I got the point of the documentary quite quickly, but it was like something was missing. The a-ha moment. The breakthrough. something. It's fascinating how powerful of a tool the internet is, but, I don't know...this movie was also kind of ______. Maybe it's because I"m starting to get tired, and lazy to type, but although each film wasn't bad - it wasn't stellar.

I was hoping that someone from each of the productions would be on hand to give a little speech and provide a little bit more insight into the film, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. Maybe if I had heard them speak more about what they were trying to get out of the film, their experiences working on the production or even to hear some of the questions being asked I would have a better sense of satisfaction, but no such luck.
Anyway, I'm still happy that I went to the film. It did get me thinking about some of the issues that students go through. Even though nothing new came to the surface (at least to me) it was still a chance to think a little bit about the issues and many just having this extra chance to think about them will help me in the future in a couple different facets of my life.
I'm intrigued to read more reviews of the films now that I've seen them for myself.

Oh, I spoke with a member of the press today and was told that Air India 182 is fantastic, but (even better) it will be playing on CBC television towards the end of June.

Hot Docs

The fun has begun!
The documentary version of the TIFF is upon us and I'm looking forward to being a part of Hot Docs.
I've bought a couple tickets already and need to go rush for a couple more. No prob - I'm a seasoned pro with the rush situation. And to end a weirdo day on a high, I got into my first rush movie - review coming up!

And slightly related, I have recently made a conscious decision to get out there more often. Take advantage of what's going on in the city. I think back to everything that I did on my travels, even if I was by myself and it was in a foreign language. Why, all of a sudden, now that I'm back in Toronto do I need to give all of that great stuff up? It seems silly. I had such a great time out there, why would I stop it. And this city has so much to take advantage of too. Anyway, I digress. Bottom line, I'm going to live it up!