Superficially, every war is binary in its construction. There is one side versus another, a dialectic of destruction where one side claims the moral high ground. Rules of engagement are often based
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Growing up in the “nice leafy London suburb” of Croydon, filmmaker Khalid Shamis says he was uncertain about his ex-pat Libyan father’s work, travel schedule and especially the contents of his off-limits
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Reviews of the Oscar-shortlisted short docs Hunger Ward, Colette, A Concerto Is a Conversation, Hysterical Girl, and Abortion Helpline, This Is Lisa.
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Notturno is observational cinema at in its most provocative and poetic form. A film doesn’t need any words when the images are so strong.
Keep ReadingFather Soldier Son (USA, 97 min.) Dir. Leslye Davis, Catrin Einhorn “It’s a lot easier being a platoon sergeant than a single father,” says Sgt. First Class Brian Eisch in Father Soldier Son.
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Latvian locals living near the border tell me there’s nothing to see there; even when the region was in Latvia, it was mostly populated by ethnic Russians and subject to Russification policies;
Keep ReadingGolda (Israel/Germany, 88 min.) Dir. Sagi Bornstein, Udi Nir, Shani Rozanes Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir makes two especially memorable comments in the archival excerpts of Golda. She says that she barely
Keep ReadingDesert One (USA, 107 min.) Dir. Barbara Kopple Programme: TIFF Docs (World Premiere) If you think Argo is a thrill ride, you haven’t seen anything yet! Ben Affleck’s hugely entertaining Oscar winning film dramatizes the 1979
Keep ReadingOf Fathers and Sons (Germany, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, 99 minutes) Dir: Takal Derki Programme: International Feature Competition A powerfully disturbing film, Of Fathers and Sons transports you into the daily lives of a Syrian
Keep ReadingFrom the first shot of Jean-François Caissy’s new film, First Stripes, you know you’re in for something more interesting than the usual Hot Docs fare. First Stripes opens with a long tracking shot—inspired, in all
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