As part of the 2021 festival, Cannes dedicated a sidebar to “Cinema for the climate.” This group of mostly non-fiction films tackled various storylines that somehow relate to environmental causes. This, combined with a 20€ charge for each attendee meant to offset our carbon footprint, was but one message drowned out during these COVID-sensitive times.
The power of the people resonates strongly in We Are Many. This long gestating—and long shelved—doc from director Amir Amirani chronicles the global protests against the USA’s invasion of Iraq. We Are Many chronicles the lead-up to the fateful day of February 15, 2003 when approximately 30 million people worldwide joined their voices in a
Haynes’ film is quite simply one of the best of the breed. This is easily a definitive portrait of the band that feels like the Velvets’ last testament.
The Mirror Mountain Film Festival, a new event based in Ottawa, showcases Indie, alternative and underground cinema, including some great short documentaries. The selected short docs explore such themes as family, belonging, resilience, and migration. Anne Koizumi touches on all of these subjects in her short film In the Shadow of the Pines (Canada, 2020).
Whether it was his desire or not, Del Close ended his career being known as the man behind the men and women of comedy. Adored by many in the business and respected as a pioneer of modern-day improvisation, Close never took the spotlight but is heavily responsible for the comedic landscape of today. Some of
He emerged on the scene with implausibly good looks, the stuff of matinee idol dreams. He studied in one of the most prestigious acting schools in New York, did plenty of theatre, and was wooed by Hollywood. He was considered a problem on many sets, would do films that were critically acclaimed or sometimes do
Trust a Canadian to make a documentary even if he’s miles from home. Montreal born and bred Jeremy Elkin identified with New York as a youth and, in particular, the amazing street culture that emerged there in the Eighties. Montreal had a small skateboarding scene—it’s hard to build up one in the snowy downtown—and a
Naomi Osaka serves a mean forehand. The public attention to the tennis player’s success, however, has been sharply backhanded. The Netflix mini-series Naomi Osaka, directed by Garrett Bradley (Time) offers a window into the world of a young athlete whose raw power on the court took the world by storm. Shot over two years in