Moby is the perfect subject for a documentary. Everyone knows who he is and yet, he has remained a mysterious figure. His face isn’t well known and his love life isn’t a matter for gossip. While he’s had huge hits, Moby isn’t associated with a group of influential musicians although people might know that he
Meet Raymond Martin, or Ray, as everybody calls him. Ray lives in Toronto. The closest thing to a fixed address that Ray has is the intersection of Lakeshore Boulevard and Jameson Avenue in Toronto’s east end. It’s where he panhandles daily. Director Michael Del Monte, following up his popular Hot Docs Audience Award winner Transformer,
Imagine someone has just handed you a plain box containing a 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, but with no image or description of what the finished brainteaser should look like. Then a voice, speaking from nowhere calmly says, in a British accent, “Don’t worry, sit down, and I will explain exactly how this all fits together.” Such
Is there any sight quite as romantic as a sunset? Dominque Keller provides three portraits of enduring love in Love: The Last Chapter. This sweet slice of life doc observes a trio of relationships in a retirement home. Keller’s study of love in the golden years shows audiences what the vows to commit through sickness
An interview with visionary Bruce Mau about design, changing, and re-imagining the world. The designer's life and career is the subject of the documentary Mau by Benjamin and Jono Bergmann.
While the cheeky name reflects punk icon Poly Styrene’s self-reflexive wit, this doc reveals that she was anything but forumlaic.
Meet Josephine, Nightmare, and Jay. They’re three Danish goths in their early 20s who are learning how to feel confident in a society that doesn’t embrace their dark style and satanic spirit. Dark Blossom is a rebellious coming of age story with a defiant tone and proudly counter-cultural essence. Blossom is a unique and offbeat
If one factor marked the Hot Docs 2021 more than any previous live or online iteration, it was the weight of industry. On one hand, the festival’s decision to release all 220 selections at 9am on opening day of its second virtual edition was probably great for public audiences who could watch films at their
The international juries at Hot Docs this year favoured slow cinéma vérité If the feature winner Ostrov – Lost Island exemplifies the limitations of the art form with its lethargic portrait of an impoverished community, then Silent Voice typifies observational cinema at its best. Winner of the Mid-Length Feature prize, Silent Voice is a courageous
This documentary about three mothers on the brink of being released from prison creeps up on you. At first, it seems a fairly pedestrian account of visits to the jail, the goings on inside a program designed to help women adjust in the outside world, and the many anxieties the women feel about reuniting with
