American Doctor

TIFF 2026 is fully underway, but I stepped away from the action to watch a documentary at the Hot Docs Cinema. American Doctor (trailer) was on my radar for a bit, but it just worked out that the screening this weekend was the only one that I was able to attend. Here is the description from the Hot Docs Cinema website:

Three US doctors on the ground in Gaza risk everything to save lives and expose the horrors they encounter. Despite their differing backgrounds—Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian—the physicians are steadfast in providing emergency medical care amid a growing humanitarian crisis while at the same time demanding action and accountability from their government. Director Poh Si Teng doesn’t censor what she witnesses in Gaza lest she engage in what one of the doctors calls “journalistic malpractice.” Filmed in several hospitals under siege, the documentary captures the unfolding chaos of emergency medicine in a devastated healthcare system, where physicians must make unfathomable triage decisions while confronting danger themselves. Moving between frontline medical care and the corridors of government power, American Doctor explores the moral responsibilities of healthcare workers in times of conflict and the fragile intersection of medicine, politics and humanitarian action. 

Vivian Belik 

wikipedia, iMDb 

TIFF 2026

The first weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival 2026 is finishing up. I have seen four films and have two more to go. Here are the six that I got tickets to (description courtesy of of the film's TIFF page):

1. The Smell of Apples (dir. John Trengove)

In 1974, in an insulated and sunny white apartheid South Africa, 11-year-old Marnus (Dawian van der Westhuizen) lives his best life. His amazing father (Hilton Pelser) plays a lot with him, his beautiful mother (Maude Sandham) is a devoted spouse, his friend Frikkie (Wian Carstens) is almost a brother and his nanny Doreen (Celeste Matthews Wannenburgh) discreetly takes care of everyone.

But when Mr. Smith (Alejandro Goic), a secretive Chilean colleague of his father, turns up at their home, the peaceful harmony of Marnus’s idyllic life is suddenly shattered. In just five days, his wonderful world begins to crumble. Realizing that the beauty around him is actually tinged with cruelty and oppression, Marnus comes to see that everything he once believed was nothing more than a mirage.

Adapted from South African writer Mark Behr’s 1993 bestselling novel, The Smell of Apples offers an intimate and radical insight into the apartheid regime from the perspective of those who benefited from it — whether they were aware of it or not. Behind every privilege and advantage lies a sordid truth that everyone prefers to ignore. By facing that reality head-on, director John Trengove offers us not only a brilliant exploration of human baseness, but also a stark reminder that responsibility is shared with those who pretend it does not exist.

CLAIRE DIAO

TIFF, cercamon, wikipedia, BALDR

2.  Lemonade (dir. Kim Bartley)

After years in Ireland’s foster care system, Danny is required by law to leave the home that has been his world. On the day he turns 18, he finds himself alone in a tiny Dublin studio apartment, working an entry-level factory job, and navigating the bewildering freedoms and responsibilities of adulthood. As he struggles to find his footing — and a way back to the younger brother he was forced to leave behind — the reappearance of his former social worker Josh (Barry Keoghan, TIFF ’24’s Bring Them Down and Bird) offers both an unexpected lifeline and a painful reminder that trust, once broken, is never easily rebuilt.

Drawing on a distinguished documentary career, including time spent alongside young people living on society’s margins, writer-director Kim Bartley brings humanity and compassion to her first narrative feature. Yet Lemonade never settles for the conventions of grim social realism.

Instead, Bartley observes Danny tenderly, discovering warmth, humour, romance, and gentle beauty in everyday moments while refusing to define him by the circumstances that have shaped his life. Lewis Brophy is a revelation as Danny, carrying the film with extraordinary authenticity, honesty, and emotional intelligence as he adroitly traverses the fragile threshold between adolescence and adult life. Co-star and executive producer Keoghan is a grounding force as the social worker who knows all too well the challenges Danny faces.

Lemonade is ultimately less about the failures of a system than the resilience and dignity of a young man determined to build a life on his own terms.

JASON RYLE

TIFF, wikipedia, iMDb 

3. The Final Act (dir. Sophie Deraspe)

With growing access to medically assisted dying in jurisdictions worldwide, many of us are facing the kind of moral and ethical questions we may prefer to avoid lest they challenge us too deeply. And however we may answer those questions, there’s no denying the choices that we or our loved ones make about how to depart the world of the living carry profound weight. 

In her extraordinary new documentary, filmmaker Sophie Deraspe approaches the subject with grace and sensitivity. Part of what makes The Final Act so remarkable is the balance that the director — whose films Antigone (TIFF ’19) and Shepherds (TIFF ’24) both won the Festival’s Best Canadian Feature prize — strikes between the film’s two carefully integrated components. 

The first is a philosophical enquiry into humankind’s attitudes toward death and dying, with invaluable contributions by big thinkers like American social psychologist Sheldon Solomon. In the second, Deraspe’s film brings viewers into the lives and final moments of a variety of subjects who have decided to undertake medically assisted death. 

Achieving an uncommon degree of intimacy while maintaining all the respect and reverence such moments deserve, Deraspe creates a space for contemplation. Yet for all the weight that The Final Act itself possesses, the film is suffused with great warmth, beauty, love, and lightness, too. 

JASON ANDERSON

TIFF, wikipedia, iMDb

4. Tangles (dir. Leah Nelson)

Sarah Leavitt’s graphic memoir Tangles: A Story about Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me comes to life in hand-drawn 2D animation, in director Leah Nelson’s deeply moving feature debut. 

Set in San Francisco in the ’90s, Tangles follows the story of Sarah, a young woman whose life is just beginning to tip into the stuff her dreams are made of — new opportunities to illustrate, a new romance with a bad-ass motorcycle-riding girlfriend named Donimo — when the pull of responsibility calls for her. Sarah’s lively mother Midge is battling Alzheimer’s disease, and the rest of the family is struggling to come to terms with the diagnosis. 

The animation is perfectly paired with an incredible cast. Sarah is voiced by Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Enough Said, TIFF ’13) is unforgettable as Midge, Bryan Cranston (The Upside, TIFF ’17) voices Midge’s husband Rob, Beanie Feldstein plays Sarah’s sister Hannah, and Samira Wiley is Donimo.  

Levity — the film’s top-notch supporting voice cast also includes comedians Seth Rogen, Bowen Yang, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, and Pamela Adlon — balances the heavy material, as Sarah tries to make sense of what’s happening with her mom’s failing mental acuity and the sudden, daunting role reversal of caring for a parent. 

Tangles deals with memories, family, and, most importantly, love, rendered in black and white animation, with bursts of colour. A film about memories, this one will stay with you.

KELLY BOUTSALIS

TIFF, wikipedia, iMDb

5. Re/Pair (dir. Lacey Schwartz Delgado)

“I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say that now we’re in a crisis around Black and Jewish community,” says Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors who sits in discussion with her former camp counselor, Rabbi Susan Goldberg. This is just one of many riveting talks that are staged in Re/Pair between members of American Black and Jewish communities.

Filmmaker Lacey Schwartz Delgado has a stake in both identities, a personal history she explored in her documentary Little White Lie. Here, she creates a lively format to foster communication, by pairing up prominent Black and Jewish personalities from across different disciplines in conversation with one another. They include writers W. Kamau Bell and Adam Mansbach; commentators Van Jones and Batya Ungar-Sargon; actors Harry Lennix and David Schwimmer — to name a few of the 19 different pairings. Their conversations are interwoven into a wide-ranging discourse characterized by respect, candor, and humour.

The flow of topics brings up historical moments both good and bad. The civil rights alliance between Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Heschel reminds us of the common causes these communities once found. Now how do we process divisive moments that trigger deep hurt, including the polarizing debates around Israel and Palestine? Today, as hateful demagogues push ideas like “replacement theory,” we can see how racism and antisemitism are continually twinned together. Re/Pair doesn’t offer simple solutions. But it does demonstrate the need for us to move away from our social media feedback loops and hold our own dialogues where listening is as important as speaking.

THOM POWERS

TIFF, iMDb

6. Rehearsals for a Revolution (dir. Pegah Ahangarani)

Celebrated Iranian actor Pegah Ahangarani’s breakout performance came at a young age in The Girl in the Sneakers (1999). Her career flourished over the years, appearing in approximately 40 films before pivoting to stepping behind the camera. Ahangarani’s debut feature is grounded in the Iranian concept of yād — mining memory — through an essayistic form, weaving together home movies, family photographs, and news broadcasts to construct a vivid portrait of Iran’s modern history in the four decades since the revolution.

Balancing the personal with the political, the film unfolds in five chapters, each devoted to a figure who shaped Ahangarani’s life: her revolutionary filmmaker father, Jamshid Ahangarani; her beloved teacher, Shermin Sarra; her uncle, Rashid; her close friend, Amir; with the final section dedicated to her young daughter, Lily. Each chapter confronts seismic turning points in Iranian history — moments when hope and the promise of change were palpable — from the 1997 election of Mohammad Khatami and the 2009 protests to the persistent oppression of the current regime and the ongoing destruction from U.S. and Israeli missiles.

Now living in exile, Ahangarani grapples with her role in the ongoing struggle — one that is resolute and unwavering. She clings fiercely to hope and to the “people who didn’t give up, who rehearsed for the revolution,” remaining steadfast in the fight for justice and freedom.

The winner of Cannes’ L'Œil d'Or documentary prize, Rehearsals for a Revolution skillfully fuses the political with the personal, resonating powerfully with current events.

THOM POWERS

TIFF,  wikipedia, iMDb, Sony Pictures

Lists of films from festivals past

...I just felt like listing the different films that I've seen at festivals in the past couple years. 

 

Hot Docs 2022

(descriptions based on what I could find in the internet) 

 

Aftershock - In October 2019, 30-year-old Shamony Gibson tragically died 13 days following the birth of her son. Two months later, the film team began documenting Shamony's surviving mother, Shawnee Benton Gibson, and bereaved partner, Omari Maynard, as they began to process what happened and figure out their new normal.In April 2020, 26-year-old Amber Rose Isaac, died due to an emergency c-section. Within weeks of Amber's death, Omari reaches out to Amber's surviving partner Bruce McIntyre and a lifelong bond is formed. Together, Omari and Bruce begin the fight for justice for their partners with their families and community by their side, while caring for their children as newly single parents.The film witness these two families become ardent activists in the maternal health space, seeking justice through legislation, medical accountability, community, and the power of art. Their work introduces a myriad of people including a growing brotherhood of surviving Black fathers, along with the work of midwives and physicians on the ground fighting for institutional reform. Through their collective journeys, the film brings us to the front lines of the growing birth justice movement that is demanding systemic change within our medical system and government. Trailer

 

The Exiles - Brash and opinionated, Christine Choy is a documentarian, cinematographer, professor, and quintessential New Yorker whose films and teaching have influenced a generation of artists. In 1989 she started to film the leaders of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests who escaped to political exile following the June 4th massacre. Though Choy never finished that project, she now travels with the old footage to Taiwan, Maryland, and Paris in order to share it with the dissidents who have never been able to return home. Trailer

 

The Last Lap Dance - The film first reveals the struggle to close the strip clubs in Tel Aviv, from the point of view of the strippers, and documents the first public struggle of sex workers in Israel, a struggle that was almost completely ignored by the media. A follow-up film over the years that reveals to the audience a different and unfamiliar view of sex facts in Israel and of the organizations that struggle with them. 

 

***

 

TIFF 2023

(descriptions based on Festival write-ups)

 

Backspot - There are a lot of movies about cheerleaders, but Backspot is out to do something different. It goes behind the phony smiles of its young athletes to explore the ambition and drive that defines them. Sure, Toronto DJ and filmmaker D.W. Waterson (TIFF Filmmaker Lab ’22) still brings an irrepressible energy to the obligatory scenes of young women pushing themselves to perform dizzying feats of agility and strength. But Waterson and screenwriter Joanne Sarazen (TIFF Micki Moore Resident ’19) know their characters are still just kids, dealing with the same insecurities and challenges as everyone else. They might launch themselves into the air like superheroes, but one wrong move will bring them crashing to the ground. Riley (Devery Jacobs, who also produced) can’t afford to make that wrong move. The ferocious competitor and furious perfectionist finds herself under pressure when she and her girlfriend Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo, TIFF Rising Star ’23) are both selected for an elite cheer squad. As the diamond-hard coach (Evan Rachel Wood) and her assistant (Thomas Antony Olajide, TIFF Rising Star ’21) put them through their paces, Riley’s anxiety escalates, and a compulsive behaviour intensifies. Something’s going to break… but whether it’s physical or emotional is anybody’s guess. A decade after her revelatory turn in Jeff Barnaby’s Rhymes for Young Ghouls (TIFF ’13), Jacobs has grown into a performer who holds the screen like no one else. She understands that acknowledging one’s vulnerability is a formidable strength, and Backspot is about watching Riley figure that out as well. TIFF film page. Trailer.

 

The Movie Emperor - Andy Lau is the consummate screen legend. With a career spent traversing genres, Lau has shown he can melt hearts, dispatch bad guys, and scale the heights of art house cinema. He is also one of Asia's biggest pop stars. And so he’s perfect to play a megastar looking for a change in this insightful send-up of the movie business from director Ning Hao. Lau Wai-Chi (Lau) is a Hong Kong movie star with legions of devoted fans and a constant eye on his competition. His fame has drawn him inside an ever-tighter circle, where all he can do is keep his body perfect and worry what other star is snagging an award or a big role that should be his. Vulnerable and sensing the need for a new image, Lau is persuaded to take the starring role in a humble indie drama where the protagonist is a village pig farmer. Lau and the director — played by Ning Hao himself — agree this foray into miserabilist cinema will be just what foreign film festivals crave. As Lau begins the painstaking process of learning how to play the role convincingly, we witness a series of pitch-perfect take-downs of film industry pretension. Like Robert Altman's The Player, the satire here is merciless, but still allows for genuine feeling. Lau proves brilliantly adept at sending up the anxieties of millionaire movie stars while also revealing the sensitive soul of an artist. Smart, entertaining, and gorgeous to look at, The Movie Emperor is a joy to watch... especially at a festival. TIFF film page. Trailer. 

 

Sing Sing - Based on the real-life arts rehabilitation programme founded at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Greg Kwedar’s new film follows a troupe of incarcerated actors who work on a play as part of a theatre workshop at the prison. Every six months, the men gather in a circle of chairs, often looking to Divine G (Colman Domingo) to help decide their next play. When he recruits a new member called Divine Eye, he gets more than he bargained for. The group’s dynamic begins to shift as Divine Eye suggests they do a comedy for the first time, prompting the men to throw out a jumble of wild ideas — from pirate ships to Roman gladiators to Old West gunfights. Flustered at first, Divine G quickly starts to see Divine Eye’s discomfort with the vulnerability required for what seems like a silly pursuit. While planning for his own clemency hearing, he tries to forge a connection with Eye, as the men collectively unpack the pain of their experience while undergoing the joy and escape of creativity. Domingo gives one of the most memorable and affecting performances of his career, bolstered by a cast made up almost entirely of formerly incarcerated actors and alumni of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts programme. Their participation brings an authenticity to the group’s founding principle that human dignity must be a part of the justice system. Directed with a dynamism that matches the charm, mischief, and compassion of the men themselves, Sing Sing recognizes the value of a place we can gather in which to discuss, debate, and create, wherever that may be. It’s an ode to art as a process, much the same as life, through which we can strive to better understand ourselves and each other. TIFF film page. Trailer. 

 

*** 

 

TIFF 2024

(descriptions based on Festival write-ups)

 

Little Jaffna - Lawrence Valin’s feature debut is a crime drama that tells the story of Michael — played by the director himself — a young police officer from a Tamil family, living in Paris, as he’s tasked with infiltrating a local criminal enterprise that’s funnelling money to the Eelam liberation movement back home in Sri Lanka. Stern and always suspicious, Puvi (Puviraj Raveendran) heads a local gang that’s part of this scheme, every one of his troupe clad in vibrant clothes that match their vivacity. When Michael jumps in to help them during a fight, he’s brought into the fold, soon meeting with Aya (Vela Ramamoorthy), a former Tamil Tiger and the leader of this whole organization — who waits for him on a rooftop with a cricket bat. Puvi and Aya become pivotal figures in Michael’s life, as friend and father figure respectively, complicating his task as the group’s next clandestine move inches closer. Increasingly confronted by what’s happening in the homeland and the reality of how France treats Tamil immigrants, Michael’s identity and loyalty are tested, pulled between the community he has finally found, and the reality that his mission is to dismantle it. Valin’s first feature recalls Ladj Ly, another breakout director from France. Great casting, dynamic action, and sociopolitical storytelling make Little Jaffna a memorable showing, not just for the thrill of Michael’s journey, but also for the energy and colour that new voices bring to the screen. TIFF film page. Trailer. 

 

My Sunshine - Following his auspicious 2018 debut, Jesus, Hiroshi Okuyama’s latest feature, My Sunshine, is a beautifully crafted tale centred on two adolescent figure skaters who swirl through budding emotions and never-before-experienced motions of the soul with the same grace and trepidation that characterize their movements on the ice. This touching and simple story, set on a small Japanese island, follows young hockey player Takuya (Keitatsu Koshiyama), proficient skater Sakura (Kiara Nakanishi), figure-skating tutor Arakawa (Sōsuke Ikematsu), and his boyfriend (Ryûya Wakaba). Takuya, a shy boy with a stutter, doesn’t feel at ease playing hockey with his schoolmates but is completely taken by Sakura’s graceful figure skating and decides to start following her coach, former champion Arakawa, just to be near her. As the story unfolds against cold and beautiful winter sceneries, it strays away from typical sports movie clichés and focusses on the bond of friendship that forms between its three protagonists. Capturing interpersonal dynamics and the subtle sensitivities typical of adolescence with insight and empathy, the film often recalls the cinema of Kore-eda Hirokazu and establishes Okuyama as a rising talent in Japanese cinema. As director, writer, cinematographer, and editor, Okuyama delivers a work of simple elegance. His exquisite and rigorous aesthetic sense is applied with precision to the composition of each frame, rendering the snowy landscapes and indoor ice rinks with a delicate and ethereal beauty, much like his narrative. A testament to Okuyama’s evolving artistic voice, My Sunshine underscores the relevance of quiet, introspective storytelling. TIFF film page. Trailer.

 

Really Happy Someday - Before he transitioned, Z (Breton Lalama) was a rising star in Toronto’s musical-theatre scene; his Éponine in Les Misérables is still the stuff of local legend. But now, with testosterone injections affecting his voice, Z must figure out how to sing in his new register in order to return to the thing he loves most — and, in the process, integrate his past and present selves. With the encouragement of his partner Danielle (Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah), Z finds Shelly (Ali Garrison), a vocal coach who can help him retrain his instrument. But until he can get back to auditioning, Z needs a day job — and he winds up as a barback at Squirly’s on Queen West, working for Santi (Xavier Lopez), who, as it happens, turns out to be very sympathetic to his situation. Really Happy Someday is a small movie, made by a tiny team. Director J Stevens and Lalama wrote and produced it together; Stevens also acted as cinematographer. The narrative is drawn from Stevens’ and Lalama’s own lived experiences, told as authentically as possible. Indeed, Z’s retraining sessions with Shelly are more or less real: Garrison is a veteran voice coach, and when Z hits a note he didn’t think he could reach, the amazement on his face belongs to the performer as much as the character. But Really Happy Someday isn’t just about a person learning to sing again. It's about community, and identity, and learning to live in a skin that finally feels like your own. TIFF film page. Trailer.

 

Rez Ball - With her third feature film, director and co-writer Sydney Freeland shares a deeply inspiring and energetic account of overcoming adversity and finding one’s purpose. Based on a remarkable true story and set in the sprawling and beautiful Navajo Nation, Rez Ball follows one unforgettable season in the lives of the Chuska Warriors boys’ basketball team. Fronted by the charismatic local hero Nataanii Jackson (Kusem Goodwind), the team is searching for a way out of its current losing streak, which frustrated community members blame on Coach Hobbs (Jessica Matten), herself a former basketball star. But Nataanii is struggling with the tragic deaths of his mother and sister and, after a devastating turn of events results in his passing, the team is left even more bereft and rudderless. The heir apparent to lead the team is Nataanii’s best friend, Jimmy Holiday (Kauchani Bratt), whose own family and financial struggles threaten to derail his hoop dreams. As their slump continues, Hobbs, Jimmy, and the rest of the team must find a new path forward. Inspired by their language and culture, they develop a uniquely Navajo twist to playing basketball — which they dub “Rez Ball” — leading to an unexpected win streak that keeps alive their hopes of competing for the state championships. With a tender and assured lens, Freeland explores complex and sensitive topics with grace and care as she draws out impressive performances from her cast, including a radiant Bratt in his debut performance. The film is executive produced by NBA superstar LeBron James and co-written by Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo. TIFF film page. Trailer.

 

The Wolves Always Come at Night - Seamlessly blending documentary and fiction, The Wolves Always Come at Night is a timely reminder of the sometimes tenuous foundations of the places we call home. Born to generations of herders in Mongolia’s immense Bayankhongor region, young couple Daava (Davaasuren Dagvasuren) and Zaya (Otgonzaya Dashzeveg) are raising their four children as they were brought up: with an intimate connection to the land and the animals they share their lives with. After an unexpectedly severe sandstorm leaves a devastating impact in its wake, Daava and Zaya must make a once-unthinkable decision that will irrevocably change their family’s lives. With herding now untenable, they relocate to the city for work, as hundreds of thousands have done before them. For Daava, this includes selling his beloved stallion whose absence leaves a lingering hole in his heart. Once in Ulaanbaatar, the family sets up in the ger district, a sprawling yurt settlement on the city’s outskirts where most of the former herders now live, and where overpopulation and pollution thrive. Director Gabrielle Brady lays bare the emotional ruptures of climate change and urban migration on Mongolian herders, told through the experiences of one family. Dagvasuren and Dashzeveg, also credited as the film’s co-writers, are revelatory. The quiet heartbreak they endure is etched on their faces as they drift ever further from the herding life and culture they deeply love, yearning for a day they can return to their home and hoping, likely in vain, that it doesn’t cease to exist. TIFF film page. Trailer.

 

***

 

Hot Docs 2025 

(descriptions based on Festival write-ups)

 

#skoden - When director Damien Eagle Bear started his journey as a filmmaker, the first person he interviewed was Pernell Bad Arm, a homeless man he encountered while filming at a Lethbridge, Alberta shelter. Years later, Eagle Bear encounters Bad Arm’s face again—online, in a meme. Initially used disrespectfully by non-Indigenous people, the image was soon reclaimed by Indigenous memers, who added the popular Rez catchphrase “skoden” (from “let’s go, then”), transforming it into a rallying cry. The meme went viral. Revisiting his early recordings, Eagle Bear delves into the story of the man behind the image, speaking to Bad Arm’s family members and friends. His story reveals the complex relationship between Lethbridge and its unhoused Indigenous population, offering a poignant humanist perspective on Canada’s growing street community. Trailer

 

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore - A trailblazer in Hollywood, now Marlee Matlin gets to tell her story in full. Her legacy was cemented when she became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award for her starring role in Randa Haines’s Children of a Lesser God. Beyond her ground-breaking performance, however, Matlin’s fight for representation in the film and television community became paramount. In her filmmaking debut, director Shoshannah Stern shines a light on American Sign Language speakers who have continually sought space in cinema, a medium that rarely brings their work to the fore. Through candid and open dialogue, Matlin covers some of the difficult moments in her life while also unpacking the impact she has had in an industry that has made her carry the weight of an entire community. Trailer 

 

Mr. Nobody Against Putin - Pasha works as a teacher in a small Russian town. Beloved for his goofy and progressive attitude, he provides safe haven for his students, who find themselves in an otherwise regressive and stoic society. With Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine comes a new directive from the government: teachers must begin spreading state-sponsored propaganda. Pasha, also the school’s videographer, is tasked with recording sessions of this indoctrination and sending video proof to state representatives. Horrified by the transformation of his school and his community, he begins to capture other scenes: the rise of fanatic nationalism, the militarization of children’s groups, and the enacting of authoritarian laws. Pasha is faced with a dilemma. What should he do with the footage that reveals Vladimir Putin’s cruel regime? He can either delete it and keep quiet or share it with the world. He chooses the latter and so becomes the world’s friendliest whistleblower. Filmed in secret over two years, Mr. Nobody Against Putin is an incredible tale of bravery and standing by one’s beliefs in the most suffocating of circumstances—even when doing so means leaving all you love behind. Trailer

 

Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man - “Growing up in Siksika, masculinity was all around me but was unclear. Now, using my lens, I seek to find clarity.” Grounded on the land that has provided for his ancestors since time immemorial, filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway, addresses the past by looking forward with generations of Blackfoot men who are rebuilding culture and community in their work and recreation. Each of them has a unique journey and story to share about the challenges they face. Important introspective questions frame thoughtful observations about what modern masculinity does and doesn’t look like, especially for those who have been stigmatized and misunderstood. Roping cattle, singing, playing hockey and participating in Ceremony all play distinct yet important roles in how these men support each other. Artists, athletes, ranchers and many others share vulnerable and authentic reflections on their lives that culminate in an exceptional vérité portrait of kinship and resilience for these Siksika sons, fathers, husbands and brothers. Trailer 

 

Spreadsheet Champions - This charming documentary follows six students representing their countries in competition at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in the Excel section, the most prestigious and challenging element of the competition. Each a national champion, these students from Australia, Cameroon, Greece, Guatemala, the United States and Vietnam travel to Orlando, Florida, where a win could offer life-changing academic and career opportunities. The competition provides the chance for them to compete and be challenged by other students, all of whom are the smartest kids in their class and come from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. The film highlights the importance of the support the students receive from their families, friends and each other, while these incredibly talented young minds learn to handle the ups and downs of setback and failure—not through formulas and data-handling, but by living the experience. Trailer 

 

The Last Ambassador - It is Manizha Bakhtari’s conviction that one day soon, she, her family and all refugees from Afghanistan will be able to return to their beloved homeland. Since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, she remains her country’s only female ambassador, even though she is no longer recognized by its current government. From her (now unofficial) office in Vienna, and despite constant threats to her safety, Bakhtari defiantly fights gender discrimination, secretly educating Afghan schoolgirls through her Daughters programme and relentlessly mobilizing the international political community to join her cause. A devoted mother and wife, she is also the daughter of the renowned Afghan poet Wasef Bakhtari. Through extraordinary access, The Last Ambassador leads us to an understanding of why Bakhtari is risking her life. The film intimately captures a woman deeply committed to her people, her culture and her land, which is so close, and yet unreachable. Bakhtari reminds us that we cannot continue to look away from the women of Afghanistan. Trailer 

 

***

 

TIFF 2025

(descriptions based on Festival write-ups)

 

Between Dreams and Hope - A window into the burgeoning underground queer community of Iran, Between Dreams and Hope centres on a young pair with dreams like many others — to live joyfully without restrictions on their love. Azad (Fereshteh Hosseini), a trans man, and his partner Nora (Sadaf Asgari) thrive amongst like-minded friends, a haven of self-expression and acceptance, in bustling Tehran. They live blissfully, but when Azad takes steps towards medically transitioning, he is troubled to learn that his estranged father must grant his permission or the process would be halted indefinitely. Although wary, the couple travel to Azad’s hometown to plead their case to his family. The return is not welcome, and when Azad disappears during a row, Nora must find her lover, with little assistance or care from the local authorities. With this stunning and unspeakably brave entrant into the queer canon, Farnoosh Samadi (180° Rule, TIFF ’20) highlights the supreme tension between Iran’s so-called radical youth who engage with queer identity and feminist ideals — amongst other revolutions such as the ongoing “Women, Life, Freedom” movement — and the restrictive violence of conservative generations supported by the overarching regime. Harnessing daring and memorable performances from Hosseini and Asgari, and shooting even the most despairing moments with empathy, Samadi’s eye is gripping and sincere. As the stakes escalate, the film balances a tragic potential outcome with deep-rooted love, never absolving hatred as a thing of the past and crucially, never submitting to desolation in the face of tyranny. TIFF film page. Trailer

 

Dinner With Friends - With so many major distractions like kids and careers, adult friendships are hard to maintain, reducing in-person quality time to a minimum. That is the basis of Dinner With Friends, the feature debut of Sasha Leigh Henry (Sinking Ship, TIFF ’20; Bria Mack Gets a Life, TIFF ’23). Channelling films like The Big Chill, Husbands and Wives, and Past Lives for inspiration, Dinner With Friends follows eight longtime friends as they meet up for dinner parties — sometimes after months have passed — that often end in surprise announcements and hurt feelings. Henry, alongside frequent collaborator Tania Thompson, takes topics that are realistic and mundane, like caring for aging parents or sitting in city traffic, and uses those as launching points for major drama and full character developments. Fittingly, we only ever see the group together, with the exception of the first scenes introducing long-married couple Joy (Tattiawna Jones) and Malachi (Alex Spencer) as they debate whether to put in the effort to reunite the friend group. Once together, long-held tensions and inside jokes lend authenticity, suggesting these friends have spent their twenties together. Dinner With Friends offers a look inside this set of millennials, with full access to their group chat and a seat at their tables, begrudgingly hosted by anyone except for the Type A Joy. TIFF film page. Trailer 

 

Meadowlarks - Based on her 2017 documentary Birth of a Family, acclaimed filmmaker Tasha Hubbard has turned to drama for the first time. With Meadowlarks, she takes the story of four siblings, separated as babies, who are reuniting 50 years later during a week spent in Banff. Kicking off with awkward small talk, gifts, and forced bonding events, the one brother and three sisters do their best to get to know one another after decades apart. Their forced separation at birth was part of the Sixties Scoop, the term given for the then-common practice of removing Indigenous children from their families, often without consent, and placing them with the child welfare system. While documentaries have covered this topic over the years, nothing has ever fictionalized the experience of uniting as adults and coping with the consequences. To tell her story, Hubbard has assembled a terrific roster of Indigenous acting stars to play the siblings, including Michael Greyeyes (40 Acres, TIFF ’24), Michelle Thrush (Bones of Crows, TIFF ’22), Carmen Moore (Unnatural & Accidental, TIFF ’06), and Alex Rice (On the Corner, TIFF ’03). Their surname translates to Meadowlarks. An emotional journey handled with care, respect, and beauty — one of the Birth of a Family siblings is credited on Meadowlarks as executive producer while Hubbard is a Sixties Scoop survivor — Meadowlarks will leave you in tears, hugging your family members closer. TIFF film page. Trailer

 

Powwow People - Visionary director Sky Hopinka’s Powwow People invites audiences into the vibrant orbit of a powwow. And not as detached observers but as welcomed participants. Both a celebration and a radiant assertion of sovereignty, Hopinka’s second feature immerses viewers in a globally iconic First Nations event, rendered here with a cinematic language that defies easy categorization. Eschewing conventional documentary structures and narration, Hopinka deploys direct verité with subtlety and atmospheric precision to open intimate spaces where dancers, singers, and drummers prepare to enter the circle. Among them: a charismatic emcee, a Two-Spirit dancer imagining new futures, and a host of intergenerational presences that mark time in gesture, regalia, and rhythm. Shot over three days and unfolding across the arc of a single one, the film moves from daylight into darkness, where the participants’ arrivals, preparations, and performances braid memory, motion, humour, and cultural resonance, culminating in a mesmeric 30-minute unbroken shot of a Northern Traditional dance special. A multidisciplinary artist and academic whose work has reshaped the aesthetics of Indigenous cinema, Hopinka continues to reconfigure how we look at, listen to, and witness Indigenous experiences. With Powwow People, he subverts the extractive lens of ethnography, co-organizing the powwow itself and inviting the dancers, vendors, singers, and spectators into a consciously constructed collaboration for film. This is not a document of a powwow. It is a powwow in cinematic form. TIFF film page. Trailer 

 

Steve - Director Tim Mielants and Oscar winner Cillian Murphy reunite, after Small Things Like These and Peaky Blinders, for a powerful adaptation of author and screenwriter Max Porter’s bestselling 2023 novella, Shy. It’s the mid-’90s. Steve (Murphy) is the passionate head of a crumbling “last chance” reform school for teenage boys. With meagre resources, overstretched staff, and a mounting sense of futility, Steve must navigate one pivotal and precarious day made more tense by the arrival of a documentary news crew profiling the school, and the result may prove to be more exposé than commendation. The school is part institution and part last-ditch social experiment conducted in a shoddy rural manor house run by tired adults who believe their students still have something to offer the world. The boys, meanwhile, navigate an uneasy border between volatility and vulnerability. Mielants captures this tension and the quiet ruptures of the day with raw immediacy, shifting between verité-style footage (complete with interviews) and intimate glimpses of private moments. Fights break out, staff flounder, and mistakes are made as Steve clings to the belief that things will turn out well. Murphy, in a performance that glows with haunted conviction, anchors a remarkable cast. Jay Lycurgo is extraordinary as Shy, a young man fighting the undertow of his own mind, pulled between despair and the faintest flicker of possibility. Tracey Ullman and Emily Watson bring grounded, aching depth to roles shaped by care and compromise. Steve is a bruised elegy for institutions under siege and a character study shaped by the courage of those who persist within them; a chamber piece of forceful commitment, lost boys, and stubborn acts of hope. TIFF film page. Trailer

 

The Secret Agent - Brazilian filmmaker and TIFF veteran Kleber Mendonça Filho delivers one of the year’s greatest films with The Secret Agent, a sly, genre-bending political thriller starring Wagner Moura in a brilliant performance as Marcelo, a technology researcher on the lam in 1977 during Brazil’s notorious military dictatorship. The film begins with Marcelo headed to the northern city of Recife — the filmmaker’s oft-portrayed hometown — seeking asylum and to be closer to his young son. Arriving during the raucous celebrations of Carnival, Marcelo is welcomed by a colourful community of political refugees, yet an insidious atmosphere of surveillance, paranoia, and danger encircles him. Mendonça Filho spotlights corruption everywhere, from the sleazy local police chief and his ruthless deputies to the director of the state identification archives where Marcelo is simultaneously working, hiding, and searching for his mother’s official ID card. Told in three parts, and toggling between multiple timelines, The Secret Agent reveals its plot in a puzzle-play of intrigue and information that reflects the ways in which truth is often concealed and memory contradicted under oppressive regimes. The film functions as a précis for the authoritarian playbook. Yet, it is also a thrilling and pleasurable neo-noir steeped in Mendonça Filho’s love for and knowledge of cinema, with film references including Jaws (screening this year as part of TIFF Classics). The film was shot with Panavision anamorphic lenses and vintage camera equipment, replicating the visual style of the 1970s.Winner of multiple awards at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and driven by a grim, hypnotic tension, The Secret Agent is essential viewing. TIFF film page. Trailer

 

Whistle - You can whistle while you work, whistle like a lark, or whistle in the face of danger. There’s a reason so many expressions use the word to evoke joy conquering gloom. Surely, we can use more of that. In this delightful film, we meet some of the world’s virtuosos as they gather to compete in the Masters of Musical Whistling competition. At the helm is competition founder Carole Anne Kaufman, who operates the Hollywood event as a labour of love. She alternates between charm and grit to manage fraught finances, technical mishaps, and tender personalities. Filmmaker Christopher Nelius is attuned to the comic aspects of putting on a show with hints of Waiting for Guffman. Indeed, the whistling contestants are a bit quirky, but they’re also talented and charming. Among the international participants are Japan’s Yuki Takeda, a regular contender who has repeatedly come in second; Spain’s Ayna Ziordia Botella, the daughter of a circus performer, who has nurtured hopes of winning since childhood; Molly Lewis, a Los Angeles–based performer who whistled in the movie Barbie and recorded the album On the Lips; and Jay Winston, who gave up on Broadway dreams to teach at a New Jersey high school. Whistle joins the beloved subgenre of competition documentaries exemplified by titles such as Spellbound, Air Guitar Nation, and The Speed Cubers. The allure of these films is that we enter a world where people master a skill more for love than money. These whistlers may never achieve fame and fortune, but they will win a place in your heart. TIFF film page.

 

You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way) - On June 1, 1972, a humble production of a hit musical retelling of the Book of Matthew officially opened its run at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in downtown Toronto. As for what happened next, that may be most accurately expressed by the subtitle for Nick Davis’ celebratory documentary, You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way). And that’s no empty boast about a bunch of singing hippies. Based solely on the bright futures of so many of the talents who formed the cast during the 14-month run — Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, and Jayne Eastwood plus musical director Paul Shaffer — Godspell’s impact and influence cannot be overstated. The improvisational element of the musical itself helped foster a unique sensibility that comedy fans would soon recognize in Saturday Night Live, SCTV, and countless other TV shows and movies. As Davis’ film reveals, the Toronto Godspell was a hugely formative experience in the lives of the participants, too. With its deft mix of engaging interviews with surviving participants, animated recreations, and other means of compensating for the scarcity of original archival materials (if only audience members had smartphones in 1972), You Had to Be There brings this special time back into the present with an irrepressible sense of joy. TIFF film page. Clip

This Place

 

 

Last night, I watched the world premiere of This Place, been screened as part of TIFF 2022. It was an amazing way to start my TIFF 2022 experience and return to the festival as the last time I attended was 2013.

It's become pretty clear that I gravitate towards films with themes of identity, culture, and coming of age. I also like over the top spy and heist films, but I'll get to those later in the festival.

I am also leaning in pretty hard to issues of race. BIPOC stories are particularly interesting to me. 

This film checked off a lot of boxes for me and the bonus was the fact that it was set in Toronto (which I obviously have a strong affinity towards).

While the film explores some very serious themes, there were quite a number of light moments as well. I would hope that the film would be similarly received by any audience, but it was such an enthusiastic crowd at this premiere. The film was incredibly well-introduced by director, executive producer, and co-writer V.T. Nayani. And co-lead, executive producer, and co-writer, Devery Jacobs sent a video introduction as she couldn't be in attendance. The Q&A was also incredible, with thoughtful questions and insightful answers. It really was the perfect TIFF experience.

As I said, a great start to TIFF.

Picture courtesy of www.tiff.net
 

Bones of Crows

I just got home from watching Bones of Crows at TIFF 2022. It just so happened that I was at the first public screening of the film. I feel like I was part of history. 

I had selected the film because of the content. I have a lot to learn. And while this film delivered on that front, it's also an incredible piece of art.

Watch this film. 

Picture courtesy of www.tiff.net

Ramblings (April 29, 2021)

What to say. I am definitely feeling pandemic fatigue. While I certainly am privileged to be in a low-risk household, be able to work from home, have a stable and comfortable income, and have access to a vaccine (I got my first Pfizer shot yesterday), living through a pandemic isn't terribly enjoyable. I am doing my best to follow the government mandated guidelines and thus do not have the interactions, distractions, and stimulation that, even as the introvert that I am, turns out I appreciate. Anyway, nothing to be done about it. Just doing my part and hoping that things will evolve for the better.

I am not so motivated to be active, which kind of sucks. It's gone in waves (like a lot of things). There were a couple stints of regular activity, including youtube videos and scheduled exercise routines. Since I've moved back into my own place, I haven't felt keen on doing anything and haven't forced myself to do it (which just might be the only way to ensure that something happens at this point). I tried to do a couple longer walks and regular trips to the grocery store is another way I get out and walk. I even did a little bit of stairs in my building (a little limited though given that we only have access to certain floors in our building). For a couple weeks, I've gone for (a) bike ride(s) on the weekend. I often hope that once I'm out and about, I feel better and am glad that I got going, but it doesn't always end up that way (which is tough, because then there really isn't that payoff that you hope to get). I like moving and I think I've always been relatively active, so this feels different. Admittedly, a lot of my activities have been scheduled (e.g., classes) so there's some accountability or added incentive in terms of the cost and commitment, but I still would have thought that any activities would feel good. So it's a little disappointing that I'm not getting the (endorphin) kick that I would have expected. I suppose there will always be things in life that you don't necessarily enjoy, but you still (need to) do them.

I have been thinking about that recently. How much in my life will I need to take action? Do something that I don't particularly feel like doing. Take risks (or what feel like risks to me). Push myself out of my comfort zone. I've been reflecting on that because I feel that up to recently, things have been going ok. I'm sure in my life thus far, I'd done things all of the above. But I am currently at a place in my life that I'm not loving life as much as I used to. So, (in adult life) does the balance change in terms of the amount of 'the stuff above' that you need to do to maintain the same 'love of life'? While life wouldn't always be a cake-walk and nothing's perfect, I'm having a hard time figuring out whether I need to (force myself to) step up more (than I want to), or that there's something else in my current like that I can change that will make the difference that I'm hoping for.

I'm going to change the topic now.

I've been passing the time by watching TV shows (and then often falling down the youtube rabbit hole to watch featurettes, cast interviews, and panels). In addition to whatever shows that I've kind of been keeping up with whenever they're available to be streamed on TV provider's websites (e.g., Grey's Anatomy, Law and Order SVU, Big Brother, Survivor), I had started watching Fresh off the Boat (even before the pandemic started and was just waiting on the final season), Cheer, The Good Place, Chef's Table - Volume 1, Never Have I Ever, Schitt's Creek, Black-ish (although now I just have to wait), Mixed-ish (again, just have to wait), Grown-ish (although, it's my least favourite of the 'ish' world and I'm not sure I will continue with it), Kim's Convenience, and most recently, Superstore. There might have been others that I can't seem to remember anymore. Anyway, I need to find a new show. I had watched some full-length films towards the beginning of the pandemic, but I'm finding the length of them to be too much of a mental commitment for me right now. That doesn't mean that I haven't watched 3-5 episodes of shows back to back though. Somehow the shorter burst are just easier for me to take in right now. I also found that I was more interested in watching films that were comedies or generally, lighter content. Seems the same for my TV shows.

After watching the trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which I'm kind of excited to watch that when it comes out (#representationmatters - but more about that later), I was thinking that I could go through the Marvel Comic Universe films from the beginning in preparation. I've only watched 3 or 4 films from the list so I'm clearly not big follower/fan, but I think it might be a fun activity. I like action films, I like big blockbusters, watching them in relatively close succession might be fun to try to look for Easter Eggs or make whatever rudimentary connections I can not really knowing much about anything. I'm not sure that I will watch all of the films, but got recommendations from friends who know and might instead work my way through their curated list. We'll see how it goes.

In addition to the brain fog from the pandemic, I have brain fog from attending to race, equity, identity (and whatever other words fit - I'm still working on my vocabulary). Though it's been building for a couple years now (I mean, realistically, it's probably been brewing for my entire life, but the past 6 years saw some intense acceleration), this year (I follow the academic calendar, not the Gregorian calendar), I've had the time and space to engage with these issues more explicitly and meaningfully. Some times are really great (a weak word, but I'm not sure what would make the most sense here - again, I'm still working on my vocabulary and identifying emotions), other times have been quite difficult and overwhelming. As a result of life and world events, I'm getting an extra influx of ____ (media, attention, resources, etc.). It's a work in progress. But through that, I've consciously realized that (here's the connection to the above) #representationmatters (to me), so am keen to find ____ (TV shows, films, media, etc.) to engage with that will fill that need. And I am now conscious of why I got excited about the animated film Mulan and Michelle Kwan back in the day. And more recently, when jumping on the Raptor bandwagon, getting particularly excited when Jeremy Lin got on the court (I know I missed Linsanity). So yeah, I'm excited for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. 

And even looking at my list of TV shows that I've recently taken up indicates that I'm _____ (craving? interested in? excited for?) options with people of colour. And I'm always connecting more dots. When going through the full catalogue to create my short-list of films to watch at festivals, films about identity seemed to come up. I remember the first time that it came up as a key word when I was going through my short list and didn't quite understand what it meant and was perplexed as to why it seemed to be a pattern for me. But it does make sense. Turns out, I've been grappling with my identity for well, I guess it would have to be my lifetime (consciously or not, and actively or not). And if I think back and reflect on my life, it really has been a common thread. One of the last times that I spoke with a therapist, she had commented on this theme. In particular, she spoke about my tension of being a first generation Canadian, and daughter of East Asian immigrants. So race and gender of course factor into my experience and my journey to clarify my identity and place in the world.

I think I'll stop there.

Isle of Dogs

I recently went to see Isle of Dogs, the newest (animated) film by Wes Anderson. I'm quite late to the Wes Anderson game. The first film of his that I saw was Grand Budapest Hotel. Afterwards, I went back in time and watched a couple other films of his and really enjoy the whimsical style with interesting character artists.
When I saw the trailer for Isle of Dogs, I knew I'd probably enjoy it. I was right.
The film takes place 20 years into the future in Japan. After an outbreak of canine flu, all dogs have been exiled to Trash Island. A young human ventures to the island in search of his trusty four-legged companion and some of the exiled pups help out.
It's hard for me to describe why I liked the film. I know that I enjoyed the soundtrack. I thought the animation was good. I enjoyed the quirky nature of the film. I liked the heart and life that the characters (canine and otherwise) had.
I think I'm going to fall down the rabbit hole of youtube now. Watch some Q&As and such to appreciate the film even more.

Picture courtesy of www.isleofdogsmovie.com

EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library

EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library is the latest film by legendary documentarian Frederic Wiseman. It is 197 minutes in length. And worth the watch.
When I told people that I was going to the screening, people laughed. Why would I want to watch a film that was that long? Well, I wasn't the only one. The screening was sold out (the rush line was so long that I doubt everyone in the line got in). And it's been showing at basically every film festival (e.g., Venice, TIFF, Zurich, Hamburg, Rio, Busan, Vienna...).
With a film this long, I wonder what could be cut. I wonder why the filmmaker decided not to cut more (because, obviously, there were more than 197 minutes of footage shot). I mean, 197 is a long time to be watching a film. But it's not the longest film that I've seen. At TIFF 2013, I watched At Berkeley (also by Wiseman) which was a whopping 244 minutes. I thought it was mediocre. I wanted more about academic life...less about their activism history. I also took a nap during the screening.
Full disclosure, I also took a wee nap during the current film, but I don't think it was out of boredom. It was a Sunday afternoon, it was a dark room and I was sitting in a comfy chair. The sound of the film was relaxing. On my way out of the theatre, I hear another person say that they closed their eyes at a couple points as well. So that made me feel better. I don't know how long I was actually out for, but I don't think I missed anything important. I guess that's the bonus of such a long film.
As I reflect on this film, I feel like I watched someone's PhD dissertation (which, coincidentally, can also be a product that the creator finds difficult to cut). I felt like, it was a product of a lot of research and exploration and synthesized into a nice package that gave me all the best bits and I have a well-rounded sense of the topic.
Simply put, the film lets the viewer in to the world of the New York Public Library and shares the wide variety of efforts, initiatives, events, programs that it has to offer. I think it might be a little strong to say it this way, but in some way, it does feel like a love letter to the NYPL. The film was caring, kind, warm...I felt good. There were many moments where I was smiling. That led to laughter. Filmed in 2015, we learned of book clubs, afterschool tutoring programs, afterschool robotics programs, carer and tot programs, active-for-life programs, speaker series (including conversations with Elvis Costello and Ta-Nehisi Coates), technology classes, job fairs, galas, meet the author events, art exhibitions, lecture series, internet access initiatives, musical concerts, and guided tours. We learned of specialist branches (e.g., Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture, Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library). Not only was the film about the NYPL, but it too let us explore New York. The diversity that exists, the different neighbourhoods. To see Harlem, Chinatown, and Midtown. We could compare and contrast the splendour of the 5th avenue location
to the warm and cozy, small neighbourhood location. We were invited to think about the different patrons, including (but not limited to): readers, tourists, students, learners, the homeless, parents, new immigrants. We not only saw what the public sees, but went behind the scenes too. From books being sorted for delivery to different branches, to Board of Trustee meetings and other admin and staff meetings to discuss the vision and direction of the NYPL. It was clear that the NYPL works closely with many organizations to provide what they believe will be the best possible product to patrons.
I was very impressed with everything that the NYPL has to offer. The efforts that it takes to be for the people. It makes me curious about what my local library system has to offer and why I am not taking advantage of their programs.
I thought it was a great film.

Picture courtesy of: www.ridm.ca

Maman Colonelle

Maman Colonelle (official website here) is a film about Colonelle Honorine, a member of the Democratic Republic of Congo's police force. Her specific role is to protect children and combat sexual violence. The film follows Colonelle Honorine for four months in 2015 on a new assignment in Kisangani, a region that is still reeling from the Six-Day War (2000) and where some community members believe in witchcraft. Colonelle Honorine, new to this community works to both support women survivors of the war who have lost their husbands and children, and care for children who endure physical and mental abuse as their parents try to rid them of their "wizardry".
Maman Colonelle has been quite successful and going around the festival circuit (e.g., Berlin, HotDocs). The screening that I attended (with English subtitles) wasn't sold out - the theatre was maybe 50% full.
The director was unable to attend the festival, but prior to the screening, we watched a video recorded message from Dieudo Hamadi to introduce his film and tell us a little bit more about the context and follow up information. He shared that he knew of Colonelle Honorine prior to coming up with the idea for the film and due to the sudden re-assignment and budget constraints, the film was shot quickly and simply. He shared that upon watching the film, Colonelle Honorine said, "c'etait bien", but that's it. It was difficult for him to tell what she really thought. Colonelle Honorine has recently been reassigned to a smaller locale, a post that the filmmaker shared seemed to be a demotion of sorts, relating to some of the struggles of his country and priorities.
The film is short and sweet. Unlike the other films that I've seen during the festival, there is a resolution at the end, which brings some hope to a challenging situation. I was able to learn about a culture and context that I otherwise would not have on my radar.
I would definitely recommend this film.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.andanafilms.com

A Modern Man

A Modern Man (official website here) is a documentary about Charlie Siem. I wasn't aware of him prior to the watching the film, but the topic seemed compelling and had just enough hint of "hits close to home" for me to be intrigued.
Some keywords that come to mind: drive, ego, emotions, giftedness, happiness, identity, independence, loneliness, perfectionism, pressure, recognition, relationships, reputation, selfishness, solitude, and success.
This film was in the documentary style of "getting to know a character" by following his life for a period of time but also with direct interactions through interviews. This is, in contrast to other documentaries (like, DPJ) where we're just privvy to the context/topic, but are silent/invisible spectators.
The Q&A with director Eva Mulvad, was great. A little bit too much of audience members giving commentary rather than asking questions (there was one gentleman who went on for awhile leading so audience members getting a little restless), but Ms. Mulvad did a great job of responding to each, describing what she found interesting in her protagonist and giving more insight into his world and character.
Although much of the Q&A centered around the issues of focus in the film, Ms. Mulvad implicitly spoke of her film making process and artistic choices that she made. While, for the most part, I'm more interested in getting more in depth into the topics of the films, I find it interesting when filmmakers talk about their craft. Typically, it's enlightening and I'm reminded of my naivety in that, of course, every choice the filmmaker makes is intentional and with purpose. Perhaps in reference or inspired by another film (e.g., Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation), to affecting the emotion of the audience in relation to the content being explored (e.g., starting with cold and seemingly frivolous opulence at the beginning of the film to closer, more intimate shots alongside violinist onstage during performances).
This film ended quite suddenly as well. It is a trend? Ms. Mulvad indicated that she had struggled with how to end the film. Ultimately, I think about some of the films that I've been watching and really there is no "better way" to end the film. Lives continue. There is no end point. There is no resolution. If the topic of the film doesn't naturally build to a specific event, moment, time...if the film is just a moment in time of something bigger...then, how else could you end the film?
Anyway, I enjoyed this film. Hard to say if the film was really that good, or that I just connected with the topic. Maybe a little of both. Ms. Mulvad expressed how she hoped that the audience would watch the film not as a spectator of someone else's life, but to be introspective and reflect on  the relevance of these issues in our current society. Based on the level of engagement of the audience during the Q&A, I think the film had an impact. Bonus - there's some great music in the film too. I'd definitely recommend the film to others.

Picture courtesy of: www://danishdocumentary.com/

DPJ

So I really don't know what was going on with the first film that I saw, but this one went rush, so people are definitely going to the festival.
This is a Quebecois film. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. My sense is that the topic of this film is also something that people are keen on. I noticed that there were some young adults in the audience who were talking notes during the film. Comments from audience during the Q&A indicated that there were quite a few folks from the DPJ and related organizations/fields/partners in attendance.
This film is about the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse, which is Quebec's child protection services. I'm undecided about whether the film is focused on cases, or workers of the DPJ. In the Q&A, the filmmaker indicated that he started the process focusing on the youth, but then turned his focus on the workers. I think he does both angles justice. The film provides a great "behind the scenes" look at what the DPJ does. From supporting the very young, to those nearing adulthood. It presents issues with compassion really not putting blame on anyone for challenging circumstances. And ultimately, I think that's what the DPJ is trying to do - support the youth and do what's best for them. Not pointing fingers, but creating solutions and finding the best plan for the youth.
The film ended abruptly. I wanted more. Or closure. But how else could the film have ended? It made the point very clear, there's no ending. The youth's journey goes on. The workers jobs continue. Cases are ongoing. There is no "the end".

So the intro to the film was in French. The Q&A was too. I mean, I have been wrestling with a lot of things recently and really reflecting hard about this and that, but the experience of going to this screening was another example of how things are different. It's hard to quantify how much I was able to comprehend. The movie have English subtitles that I read, but I also listened to the French dialogue. All of the questions asked during the Q&A happened to be asked in French. For the most part, even though dialogue was quick, I was fine during the Q&A but I was starting to feel a little fatigued and can't say for sure that I followed 100%. But was it that I wasn't following, or that I was picking and choosing what to take in. And living in this bilingual context is funny too - I find that if I have conversations in French or am in a French environment like I was for the screening, it's more challenging for me to recall it later on or even discuss it with someone else in English. In the moment, I feel like I am taking it in, but as soon as the moment passes, a part of it is lost. I suppose this might be an indication that I'm not fully fluent in French? Anyway, I think about belonging and access. I think about community. I think about a lot of things.

But ultimately, I liked this film and would recommend it to others.

Picture courtesy of: www.ridm.ca

Unarmed Verses

The RIDM fell off my radar last year. No idea why. It actually wouldn't have been on my radar again this year, but a colleague mentioned it in passing and I'm back on the bandwagon. Thank goodness.
I went through the entire list of films and narrowed down to about 20 or so that I was interested in. And as one does, I made an excel spreadsheet of the films in order to narrow down even further ruling out ones that conflict with other pre-existing commitments and then seeing how many overlap requiring me to prioritize which films I actually want to see. I'm thinking I'll end up seeing 4 or 5.
Two years ago, when I looked into seeing some films at the festival, I remember many of the ones that I was interested in already being sold out. I don't remember if I had waited until the last minute to get tickets, but I do remember being disappointed that I couldn't get tickets. I only ended up watching one film.
This year, tickets were still available for all of the films that I wanted to see, and the festival had already started. I don't know if there was something weird about the festival two years ago, or something weird about the festival this year (although, it's the 20th edition, so shouldn't there be a lot of interest in the festival this year?)...or even maybe the films that I'm interested in, but the fact that tickets were still available threw me off. Well, I guess it's more the fact that the film that I saw tonight had about 10 people in attendance. I was shocked and disappointed (for the festival and for the filmmakers - who were in attendance and expressed their slight disappointment).
Here are some facts: It was the second screening. It played at Hot Docs this past spring. There, it won the Best Canadian Doc Award. The screening was on a Sunday night. None of that helps me to understand why so few people were at the screening. I have never attended a screening of a film at a film festival with so few people.
Unarmed Verses is a film focusing generally on the Villaways community in the Sheppard and Leslie area of Toronto, but more specifically on Francine, a young member of the community. The film was subtle and I felt ended too early without getting deep enough into the issues, but keywords of: community, race, poverty, youth, and empowerment stand out. In Toronto (and I assume in other cities/towns as well), there have been many "revitalization projects" effecting (/involving?!?) Toronto Community Housing. This film focuses on one such case, but through the lens of a young member of the community. I'm unclear whether her growth is a byproduct of negotiating (for herself and her family) the changes unfolding (or about to come) to her community. Or, her participation in an arts-program that asks her to vocalize and make public her private thoughts, poems, and writing. Or, maybe it's both. And maybe it's the responsibilities that this young lady has thrust upon her, from family members, from other members of the community. It's clear that she not only has mentors to guide her, but she herself is a mentor to other younger members of the community.
It was a nice film, touching upon some important issues, and through voice and eyes of a lovely young lady.
I look forward to the next film that I get to watch as part of the festival.
 
Picture courtesy of www.nfb.ca/film/unarmed_verses/ 

Theatre of Life

It's been awhile since I've seen a film. Too bad. I need to build these outings back into my life.
I went to see the documentary, Theater of Life. It chronicles the Refettorio Ambrosiano, an initiative spearheaded by chef Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana) taking place during Milan's Expo 2015. The initiative brought top chefs from around the world to Milan and challenged them to turn excess food from the Expo into delicious meals. The meals were communally enjoyed by local residents typically residing in shelters, train stations, and the streets.
In the film, we learn about the initiative and marvel the dishes created by top chefs including: Ferran Adria (el Bulli foundation), Mario Batali, Alain Ducasse, Daniel Humm (Noma), and Rene Redzepi (Eleven Madison Park). We learn about some of the diners and their lives. We consider issues of food waste, social justice, and the human spirit.
I found the ending a little abrupt but perhaps it was meant to finish on a contemplative stance. As with many initiatives (including ones in my own life - personal and profession), I wonder how far reaching and continued its impact.

Picture courtesy of www.theateroflifemovie.com

New York (Dec 11-15, 2016)

Leave it to a trip back to one of the cities that gives me life to bring this blog back to life. After a moment this summer where I was feeling particularly burnt out and feeling the benefits of "getting away", I vowed that I would take breaks more often for my mental and physical health. So, in typical form, went through the semester not really taking many breaks (although maintaining a lower level of engagement throughout) and slowly coming to a point when I realized that all signs were pointing to "you need a get-away"!

So, I booked a trip to NYC and now that I've pulled off the get-away band-aid, I hope that it will be easier for me to plan get-aways in the future!
Just walking amongst the crowds was rejuvenating. Window shopping. Visiting landmarks. Snacking. It was all pretty great.
I like to snack my way through the city. With so much awesomeness in one place (including lots of things to do in the evening), I'm often reluctant to take a couple hours out of my evening to have a full sit-down meal. And, why not have multiple smaller meals/snacks throughout the day rather than limiting yourself to just three? So mini-meals consisting of macarons (Laduree), cupcakes (Baked by Melissa), smoothies and falafels (Taim), pizza and pasta (Eataly), burgers and frozen custards (Shake Shack), and add a random sprinkling of other snacks from food trucks and such.

There wasn't anything at Lincoln Center that caught my interest for this trip, but that didn't prevent me from going for a visit. It's neat that there's a hub for the arts. Makes a lot of sense. Place des Arts in Montreal is a similar idea and the city really put a lot of resources into developing the area. Well done, Montreal!
Back to Lincoln Center. One of the reasons I enjoy visiting the building is to marvel at the massive Chagall paintings that they have hanging in the foyer of the opera house. But on this day, they were covered up. I guess you've got to take care of a protect those works of art from their natural predators.

Recently opened in March 2016, the Oculus is a new building in the World Trade Center area attached to the PATH train station to New Jersey. It's is an incredible piece of architecture. Part of the building has lots of shops and connects to office towers, the train and subway system and such. One end where the main entrance to the PATH station looks like something out of a sci-fi movie with the light concrete and the white backbone structure looming above. Robotic masses of people beeping their way through the automated gates and descending to the underground train level. It was cool to watch the "spectacle".

Only steps away is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It is a moving and informative space. The memorial is particularly moving. Seeing the two spaces previously occupied by the Twin Towers has a large impact.
There are moments in history that people tend to distinctly remember where they were and what they were doing at the time. I "think" the first of such events in my lifetime was the OJ Simpson verdict. I remember being in the cafeteria of my high school seated at that circular table in the corner that was typically occupied by cohort.

For September 11th, 2001, I remember being in my bed at my hole in the wall, rented apartment in Kingston while an undergraduate student at Queen's. I was waking up to my alarm clock (the radio) and hearing reports of the events. Still groggy from sleep, I remember hearing the news but not really processing it (although, how does one process such news?). I got up and started my day and received a phone call saying that my education class was cancelled that evening. I was confused why a class would be canceled for an event in the US and especially disappointed because this was to be my first education class of my degree. I had been waiting a long time for this class. I got ready for school and walked into a deserted campus. I remember walking through the student building and seeing news being shown on the TV screens. I was pretty confused about what was going on, but, like many people ended up spending a better part of the day in front of the TV watching updates on the event.

Being so close to the holiday season, the city was well decorated and festive. The big tree in Rockerfeller Center was much more impressive than the one in Place des Arts (sigh), and just facing, Saks had a nice music and light show. Fun times.
Holiday window displays are always incredible as well. Saks had a Nutcracker theme. Bergdorf Goodman always had something decadent. Barney's was humourous this year. And Bloomingdale's and Macy's displayed typical holiday scenes.

I was interested to walk by Trump Tower. Apparently, there are news outlets on site at all times as are the NYPD and the Secret Service. I walked by twice during my visit. Once, I think he was "home", and the other, he was not. This was evidenced by the number of black cars and ambulances parked outside the side door. Both times there were people standing on the sidewalk who wanted to make their presence known. Some were selling buttons. Some wanted to chat with passerbyers to discuss various issues. Others were speaking to whomever would listen about their perspectives.
It will be interesting to see how things continue to unfold. This is another case of an event that I'm not quite sure how to process and what its impact will be on the world.

One thing that has resulted is that citizens have posted messages on the walls of the Union Square subway station.
Some speak to the election specifically. Others to the state of the world. Still others, general messages or ones of a more personal nature/agenda.
I wonder how long the initiative will last.

I always try to see a show while I am in town. I try to see shows that I haven't seen before, and the two that were on my list for this time around were Hamilton and The Color Purple. I really wanted to see Hamilton and made it my priority. But, when tickets are sold out until August 2017 and wanting to pay face value for tickets, I resorted to waiting hours in the cancellations line. While I'm not always willing to give up hours of precious NYC time in a restaurant, I am willing to do so for the prospect of show tickets. Yet, I was unsuccessful, and instead of loosing more time in the city, for my last opportunity to catch a show, I decided to watch The Color Purple and call it a day. The show was fantastic. I'll have to go back and watch the movie again at some point. Or maybe I should read the book. Cynthia Erivo was awesome, but I think the whole cast was fantastic. There were very powerful moments in the show as there were moments for whooping and hollering and smiling and laughing. I'm glad that I was able to catch it before it closes in the New Year.

So, there you have it. A great trip, as usual. I made it to a couple sample sales (including an opportunity to wear a $7000 Marchesa gown - if only I had a place to wear the beautiful frock, I may have actually bought it!) and did a lot of window shopping. There were some beautiful bags and coats, but I returned back home empty handed. Oh, well.