Motel (Canada, 57 min.) Dir. Jesse McCracken Programme: Canadian Spectrum (World Premiere) Jesse McCracken strips away the postcard perfect image of Niagara Falls in Motel. This compassionate and restrained observation doc
Keep Reading32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide (USA, 85 min.) Dir. Hope Litoff Programme: Artscapes (World Premiere) In 2008, photographer Ruth Litoff took her own life. Her sister, director Hope Litoff, returns to Ruth’s
Keep ReadingSpettacolo (USA, 89 min.) Dirs. Jeff Malmberg & Christina Shellen Programme: World Showcase Capturing the inhabitants of a small Tuscan village as they prepare for their annual play, Jeff Malmberg and
Keep ReadingLife to Come / (La vie à venir) (Belgium, 75 min.) Dir. Claudio Capanna Programme: World Showcase (North American Premiere) Born severely premature, twins Eden and Léandro struggle to survive in
Keep ReadingWhitney: Can I Be Me? (UK, 100 min.) Dir. Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal Programme: Special Presentations (Canadian Premiere) Like Amy and What Happened, Miss Simone?, Whitney: Can I Be Me?
Keep ReadingFlames (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
Keep ReadingStill 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,
Keep ReadingBill 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
Keep ReadingPhoton (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
Keep ReadingSeveral 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
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