Hot Docs 2019 - Page 5

Because We Are Girls (Canada, 85 min.) Dir.: Baljit Sangra Programme: Persister (World Premiere) Because We Are Girls begins with three adult sisters, and a secret. Though we know something has happened to

Behind the Shutters (Belgium, 50 minutes) Dir.: Messaline Raverdy Programme: World Showcase At the start of her pregnancy, director Messaline Raverdy moves into her grandmother’s house. While there, she speaks to the

Born in Evin (Germany/Austria, 98 min.) Dir. Maryam Zaree Programme: Persister (International Premiere) Maryam Zaree opens her extraordinary film by narrating a Talmudic story that immediately bonds you to her and sets

Red Moon (Belgium, 95 min.) Dir. Tülin Özdemir Programme: Persister (World Premiere) Beautifully, intimately and with great compassion, director Tülin Özdemir turns her lens towards the women of her family, specifically her

On the President’s Orders (UK, 71 min.) Dir. James Jones and Olivier Sarbil Programme: World Showcase (North American Premiere) Shot with the stark precision and chiaroscuro tones of a Michael Mann film,

Illusions of Control (Canada, 87 min.) Dir. Shannon Walsh Programme: Canadian Spectrum (World Premier) I don’t know why Hot Docs programmers hype this film as testimony to human resilience in the face

The Valley (Italy/France, 72 min.) Dir. Nuno Escudeiro Programme: International Spectrum (World Premiere) Many docs are using the power of the camera to provide snapshots of the global migration crisis. These films,

Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts (USA, 91 min.) Dir. Nick Zeig-Owens Programme: Nightvision (International Premiere) Pardon the pun, but the Trixie Mattel doc is a bit of a drag. Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts goes behind

A Woman’s Work: The NFL Cheerleader Problem (U.S.A., 85 min.) Dir. Yu Gu Program: Persister (International Premier) Look closely at those cheerleaders strutting their stuff every Sunday for National Football League teams. They’re all