The Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF) returns to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. The festival, which is quickly becoming a film buff’s destination for one-stop shopping on the circuit, offers another strong slate of documentaries alongside Canadian dramas, Oscar hopefuls, and festival favourites.
Audience looking to catch up on documentaries can dive into a robust slate of hits from the circuit, as well as several other hidden gems that even avid festivalgoers like have had few chances to see. (Films on my catch-up itinerary include The Riot Report, Mourning in Lod, and The Last French Canadian.) There are also two documentaries in the 10-title WIFF Prize in Canadian Film competition, which offers a $25,000 cash prize to the winner. Besides these two homegrown docs, which are two of the most-talked about films from the circuit, there’s also a healthy slate of Canadian and international docs, including Blink, Fly, and Sugarcane presented in a new partnership with National Geographic.
Here are 20 documentary highlights for WIFF’s 20th birthday!
In Competition
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story
Headlining the music doc front at WIFF this year is festival favourite Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story. The film by Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee tells the story of the R&B singer who broke ground on the Toronto music scene during the 1960s as an out Black transwoman in the spotlight. Despite Shane’s popularity and captivating voice, she virtually disappeared from public life until shortly before her death in 2019. The doc features a wealth of archival photos of Shane, and while the amount of video footage of her is extremely limited, the filmmakers pull off a tricky feat of making Shane an active presence in the doc as rotoscope animation brings her to life for visual materials. Meanwhile, the soundtrack invites a new generation to discover an authentic voice. This toe-tappingly great music doc offers an overdue appreciation of Shane’s music and legacy. Read more about Any Other Way in our Spring/Summer cover story.
Russians at War
After being unfairly disowned by the board of broadcaster TVO amid intense controversy at the Toronto International Film Festival where protesters who hadn’t even seen the film decried it as Russian propaganda, festivals like WIFF may be the only chance to see works like Russians at War. The mob’s take is hardly accurate, though. This film is a portrait of the Russian army that Putin wouldn’t want you to see. Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova goes to the front lines of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine to capture her home country’s offensive moves through the eyes of soldiers enacting them. She observes an army in disarray and a sense of growing disenchantment among the soldiers. She also learns the range of motivations for why the soldiers fight, from patriotism, loyalty, or economic necessity—with all reasons riddled with various filters of misinformation. Kudos to WIFF for letting audiences see the film and decide for themselves. Read more about the film in our interview with Anastasia Trofimova.
Only at a Festival
Eno
Few films can bill the “one of a kind” experience that Eno offers. Gary Hustwit’s innovative portrait of musician/producer Brian Eno will never be the same twice. The film uses a computerised system that draws upon hundreds of hours of material to produce a unique take on Eno’s life and work. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure type of story that pulls from a seemingly endless array of pages ripped from their books and left in a bin for the algorithm to select. But the experience immerses audiences in the meaning of Eno’s work, rather than offering them a conventional cradle-to-grave narrative. Plus, it’s the ultimate cutting edge doc about the role of artificial intelligence in an uncertain frontier of filmmaking. Read Marc Glassman’s review from Hot Docs.
The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal
The Canadian documentary event of the year continues its tour, transforming movie theatres into rock concerts as it brings the story of The Tragically Hip to audiences around the country. While folks can watch the four-part series on Prime Video, the festival screenings offer the full experience by playing the doc in two parts with an intermission. Get ready to embrace all the hits and all the feels at as director Mike Downey gets the all five members of the band to recall 40 years of the Hip. Rare archival footage captures the early jams in dive bars, but the candid interviews are equally rare for a group of musicians who often had the luxury of keeping the conversation focused on their music. The doc screens at WIFF with Mike Downie, guitarist Rob Baker, executive producer/Hip manager Jake Gold, and producer Bryn Hughes in attendance. Read more about No Dress Rehearsal in our current cover story.
Food and Drink
Born Hungry
Fans of foodie doc series like Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown will want to tuck into this story of Toronto-based chef Sash Simpson. Director Barry Avrich (Without Precedent: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella) finds a moving account in Simpson’s amazing story as he shares his journey from being a runaway child on the streets of India to a top chef opening his own high-end restaurant. Born Hungry is a beautiful story about family, heritage, perseverance, and second chances as Simpson makes a pilgrimage to India to search for his birth family. Along the way, he takes in local flavours and ingredients, finding inspiration for his work back home, but he also gains a deeper appreciation for the mother who adopted him and 30 other children while building a network to support orphans. The food’s the hook, but the heartfelt story is what you’ll savour.
Crush: Message in a Bottle
Every good food doc deserves a wine pairing, so look no further than the local vintage with Crush. This doc by Maya Gallus (The Heat) takes viewers on a wine tour of the Niagara region. The film visits vineyards where winemakers and growers share how they develop the terroir that lets the taste of their wines evolve over time. Crush looks at the human element entailed within each bottle as the experiences and philosophies of vintners and growers inevitably shape what goes into the earth and the practices used to produce and ferment the wines. Ontario’s come a long way from Baby Duck, and this doc offers a portrait of a region aging like fine wine!Read more about Crush in this essay on wine docs.
For a bonus WIFF experience: last year, I did a mini wine tour on the way back with stops at Oxley, North 42 Degrees, and Muscedere Vineyards (the latter having an especially great Syrah, pizza, and a vineyard cat).
Family Matters
My Dad’s Tapes
An important—and intimate—conversation about mental health comes in Kurtis Watson’s impressive feature debut. My Dad’s Tapes sees the Peterborough native return home in search of closure as he invites his mother and sisters to discuss a topic that often goes unspoken in their family: their father’s suicide. Watson revisits the disappearance of his dad, who left home and never came back when Kurtis was only eight years old, and considers the impact of stigma and silence on his own struggles with mental health. Key to unlocking the mystery are years’ worth of home videos in which Watson’s father captured family life. The process of revisiting these tapes and memories affords Watson much-needed encouragement to identify the burden of carrying secrets. It seems fitting that these images inspire such an impressive and sensitive feature directorial debut. Read more in the POV review and stay tuned for an interview with Watson.
Blink
A family’s bittersweet tour around the world inspires this documentary from Edmund Stenson and Oscar winner Daniel Roher. Blink follows the adventures of Édith Lemay, Sébastien Pelletier, and their four children as they travel the globe. Three of the kids have been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder that means they will soon lose their vision. Édith, refusing to feel helpless in the situation, picks up on a doctor’s advice to build her kids’ visual memory banks so that they can recall images in their minds after they go blind. The family therefore embarks on a bucket list vision quest to soak up all the visual wonders the world has to offer. They see elephants and giraffes on safari, catch a sunset in the desert, and drink juice while riding a camel. It’s a touching reminder to cherish the world before our eyes. Read more in our interview with Stenson.
Docs Can Be Fun!
Diane Warren: Restless
One film that the POV team will tragically miss in the schedule is this portrait of acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren. The 15-time Oscar nominee and 15-time Oscar loser is the queen of the power ballad. Warren has penned some of Hollywood’s biggest hits from “How Do I Live?” (from Con Air), “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (from Mannequin), and her most egregious loss, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (from Armageddon). Director Bess Kargman goes beyond the movies, though, and looks at how Warren has shaped some of the most influential singers of all time, from Cher to Céline Dion—anyone who knows how to belt out a tune.
American Cats: The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly
Animal lovers will have a lot of fun with American Cats, but they’ll be equally horrified by the practices of pockets of the veterinary field. Director Todd Bieber explores the politics of declawing as Amy Hoggart, best known for her work on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, serves as host in this investigation into the cruel business of partially amputating cats’ toes. The film is very funny as Hoggart meets with a litter of cat-fanciers to understand why pets are so beloved to the point of fuelling a billion-dollar industry. But the humorous approach gives the film an unexpected sneak attack as Hoggart and Bieber infiltrate high-ranking corners of the vet industry and confront declawing advocates in Roger & Me-like moments. Come for the bleps, but stay for the journalistic rigour. Read more in the POV review for the film.
Putting the Planet in Focus
Plastic People
This eye-opening exposé should inspire audiences to change their harmful practices when it comes to single-use plastics. Director Ben Addelman and co-director/host Ziya Tong investigate the hidden costs of microplastics in this factual thriller. The film learns from a chorus of experts how fragments of plastic infiltrate all aspects of natural life—even permeating the brain, which poses grave consequences for humans. But the film is an optimistic cautionary tale as it charts the relatively recent phenomenon of “throwaway living” that popularized practices. The film shows audiences that a problem created by humans can be reversed by them if they’re willing to make some changes from the conveniences that threaten future generations. Read more about the film in this feature by Zoe Cormier.
A House Is Not a Disco
If the unseasonably warm fall weather has you hankering for a beach day, consider getting some sunshine and eye candy with A House Is Not a Disco. This beautifully shot film from Brian J. Smith looks at the summer haven of Fire Island Pines and gains perspectives from generations of queer residents who find the island a safe place to thrive and bump to the beats. The film, part of WIFF’s LGBTQ+ showcase, features warm fun-in-the-sun cinematography as it considers the destination recently depicted in the queer comedy Fire Island, and all the complexity entailed within the creation of a safe haven in a relatively exclusive locale. But it’s also a completely unexpected—and effective—environmental fable as residents consider the impact of climate change on the picturesque haven, which is eroding at an alarming rate. Read more in our review of the film.
Big Screen Essentials
Dahomey
Mati Diop’s poetically provocative documentary follows the repatriation of art stolen from the Kingdom of Dahomey. Voiced by “26,” one of the 26 artifacts being returned to the Republic of Benin from France after being seized from their homeland during an invasion, the film considers the enduring impact of colonialism on culture and identity. Diop lets residents of Benin ask tougher questions of their own once the artifacts come home. The film won the Golden Lion at the Berlin Film Festival this year and is considered a wild card in both the documentary and Best International Feature Oscar races for its provocative de-colonial essay. Read more about Dahomey in our review of the film and stay tuned for our interview with Mati Diop next week!
Fly
Big screens were made for high-flying docs like this one. Fly offers a dizzying, adrenaline-pumping, edge-of-your-seat cautionary tale about the limits of human endeavour. The film by directors Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau whizzes through the air with BASE jumpers around the world. They’re all in search of the next great leap waiting to be discovered. But as the film observes the intensive training and safety measures used by these jumpers, it also witnesses a chorus of adrenaline-junkies who accept that there ultimately is no defying gravity. It’s a portrait of living on the edge and accepting the risks and tragedies that come alongside the thrills and rewards. Read more in our review of Fly.
Women on Both Sides of the Camera
Adrianne & the Castle
A hit at festivals including SXSW, Hot Docs, and DOXA, this documentary marks a unique and ambitious turn of form for Shannon Walsh. Adrianne & the Castle tells the fairy-tale-like romance of Alan and Adrianne St. George. The couple built a monumental tribute to their love through the creation of Havencrest Castle in Savanna, Illinois. Walsh goes inside the castle’s hallowed and immaculately adorned walls to observe how Alan preserves the estate in Adrianne’s absence. The film deftly considers the arts of remembrance and letting go as Walsh engages Alan in the creative process. The film includes dreamy sequences in which Alan and other actors act out moments from the couple’s memory bank. It’s a fitting tribute to a woman who knew that life itself is a work of art. Read more about the film in Courtney Small’s feature and check back for Marc Glassman’s review this week.
Never Look Away
Is Lucy Lawless the breakout doc director of 2024? She could be, as her feature directorial debut Never Look Away proves that Xena: Warrior Princess has some serious muscle behind the camera. So too does her subject, cameraperson Margaret Moth, who fearlessly captured images from the front lines of war for CNN. Moth’s work is the product of a perfect balance of fearlessness, recklessness, and artfulness. Despite all the elements, Lawless shows how she mastered the get-in, get-the-shot, and get-out gauntlet. Moth’s footage receives an exhilarating assembly here as Lawless creates a profile of a maverick journalist that feels appropriately punk. It’s one of the year’s standout docs. Read more in our review of the film and check back soon for our interview with Lawless.
Indigenous Stories
The Death Tour
WIFF features a strong crop of Indigenous stories, including Singing Back the Buffalo, Sugarcane, and Wilfred Buck, but they’re also screening this one that got lost in the festival cycle. The Death Tour whisks audiences up to Northern Manitoba for a one-of-a-kind road movie. Directors Stephan Peterson and Sonya Ballantyne give audiences a memorable ride as they tour with pro wrestlers who offer a travelling show to remote communities. The wrestlers understand what their escapism provides to the people of each community they pass through—especially the young folks who may wrestle with mental health concerns of their own. The film’s knock-out move is its engaging ability to use a sports movie design to confront tough issues. Read more in our interview with Peterson and Ballantyne.
Yintah
This years-in-the-making film chronicles the courageous fight of Wet’suwet’en land defenders as they protect the territory against devastating destruction. Winner of the Rogers Audience Award at Hot Docs, this film by directors Michael Toledano, Jennifer Wickham, and Brenda Michell offers an urgent portrait of the fight to protect the land for generations to come. It’s also an immediate snapshot of the ongoing clash of ideologies as settler practices fail to learn from the consequences of actions that continually fail to listen to the warning signs from the earth. It’s a damning and emotionally draining doc that everyone in Canada needs to see. Read more about the film in our conversation with the directors.
The Art of Protest
Farming the Revolution
Winner of Best International Feature at Hot Docs, Farming the Revolution delivers a provocative story of workers’ rights. Director Nistha Jain and co-director Akash Basumatari observe the movement that began in 2020 as Punjabi farmer Gurbaz Sangha began a protest Delhi in opposition to new farming laws that promised to threaten the livelihoods of hard-working independent farmers who feed a populous nation. The doc offers top tier cinema vérité filmmaking as it captures the swelling show of solidarity between workers and their families as the movement grows and grows, enduring even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when questions of cost, access, and food scarcity underscored the need to keep farmers working.
Union
Here’s another doc at WIFF that gives one reason to plan accordingly. Union is one of the most acclaimed films of the year, but it hasn’t had an easy path. This masterful vérité documentary observes the fight for labour rights in America as the directors follow several players in the Amazon Labor Union as they rally their colleagues to organize. Rather than simplify the story as a tale of corporate greed, Union captures the challenges of unifying a workforce that’s defined by huge turnover rates, precarious work situations, and small pay in the face of the high cost of living. These aren’t easy conversations that the film captures, particularly as the robots that scurry through the Amazon warehouse demonstrate how easily one can be replaced. Read more in Jason Gorber’s review from Sundance.
The Windsor International Film Festival runs Oct. 24 to Nov. 3.
Correction (10/25/2024): This article was update to clarify that it was the board of TVO that disowned the documentary.
