Flames (USA, 86 min.) Dir. Zefrey Throwell, Josephine Decker Programme: Artscapes (International Premiere) Just what in blazes is Flames? Is it a drama? A mockumentary? A doc? Or is it just self-indulgent nonsense? It might be a little bit of all these things as Zefrey Throwell and Josephine Decker mash Chris Marker with mumblecore.
Canada's Documentary Magazine
Still Tomorrow (China, 88 min.) Dir. Jian Fan Programme: Artscapes (Canadian Premiere) In half of China, things are happening: volcanoes erupt, rivers run dry, political prisoners and displaced workers are abandoned, elk deer and red-crowned cranes get shot. I cross the hail of bullets to sleep with you. -Yu Xiuhua, “Crossing Half of China
Bill Nye: Science Guy (USA, 101 min.) Dir. David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg Programme: Special Presentations (International Premiere) Bill Nye: Science Guy would be a relaxed, amiable film about an eccentric TV personality, were it not for his battles with anti-science anti-intellectuals, including Christian fundamentalists who deny the theory of evolution and are positive
Photon (Poland, 107 min.) Dir. Norman Leto Programme: Nightvisions (North American Premiere) Imagine an elliptical and increasingly dystopian introductory physics lecture delivered by a slightly ornery Aussie version of David Attenborough with the customary PowerPoint replaced by a mashup of_ 2001: A Space Odyssey_ and Jean Painlevé‘s Surrealist nature docs. That will give you
Several of the conversations I’ve had about the current state of documentary in Canada at this year’s Hot Docs have turned on issues relating to both the cultural politics and the political economy of filmmaking. Understanding the larger social, cultural, political and economic contexts that anchor and impact our directors as they make their work
Vancouver: No Fixed Address (Canada, 75 min.) Dir. Charles Wilkinson Programme: Canadian Spectrum (World Premiere) Home ownership in Vancouver has become nearly impossible, and in Vancouver: No Fixed Address, director Charles Wilkinson examines the causes and effects of this critical issue. Unfortunately, his documentary suffers from structural and aesthetic problems, which work against its
Donkeyote (Germany, UK. 86 minutes) Dir. Chico Pereira Programme: Magnificent Obsessions. (Canadian Premiere) A crowd-pleasing tale of an old man with a dream, a dog and a donkey, Chico Pereira’s Donkeyote is a stellar example of documentary-fiction hybrid. Pereira, who hails from La Mancha, Spain, the fictional birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes’ hero, Don
Highlights for Vancouver's 2017 DOXA documentary festival include The Road Forward, No Fixed Address, For Dear Life, and Manifesto.
Bobbi Jene (Denmark/Sweden, 95 min.) Dir. Elvira Lind Programme: Artscapes (Canadian Premiere) Attendees at last year’s Hot Docs festival might have encountered the rhythmic visual babble of Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s “gaga” dancing in Mr. Gaga. This year, festival attendees can experience a virtual sequel created by a former member of Naharin’s Batsheva Dance
Pre-Crime (Germany, 90 min.) Dir. Matthias Heeder, Monika Hielscher Programme: Special Presentations (World Premiere) Billed as a “chilling and explosive in-depth examination into the modern age of policing,” Pre-Crime looks at the increasing use of big data and proprietary algorithms by police agencies around the world to flag and monitor those who are statistically