The movies! The stars! The excitement! The first five days of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival felt like a true comeback. After the challenges of the COVID-19 from 2020 to 2022, and the writers/actors strikes muting the buzz last year, TIFF 2024 let the festival recapture the magic of the pre-pandemic years. TIFF was back in top form. And then it bellyflopped.
The major gaffe happened at the midpoint of the festival when protests erupted over the inclusion of Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova’s anti-war documentary Russians at War. Protesters, who by all accounts hadn’t seen the film given the inaccuracies of their characterizations of it, decried the doc as Russian propaganda and picketed the first press and industry screening, which preceded the public events by several days. Which is a shame, since it’s a strong (if flawed) film and one example that showed how 2024 marked an exceptionally notable year for TIFF Docs. The programme tackled numerous hot topics and social issues with a politically engaged and artistically elevated slate. It was one of the best years for docs at TIFF and more films deserved attention. [Update: the film screened at TIFF on Sept. 17.]
Then after the board of Ontario public broadcaster TVO ditched support for the doc, TIFF issued a statement standing by the film and defending it as a provocative take on Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. (Ironically, TVO seemed a hero for freedom of expression only hours early in the Industry Conference panel “The State of the Canadian Film Industry.”)
But then Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who also hadn’t seen the film, bought into the misinformation campaign of the uninformed protesters and denounced both the doc and the festival for allegedly white-washing Russia’s crimes (which it doesn’t). As she legitimatized the mob and gave the controversy traction, Freeland essentially threw public funding for political art under the bus—an affront to this lefty film critic who believes that everyone should watch a film before reviewing it, although I can appreciate the pain that Ukrainian-Canadians may feel over the film’s premise.
And then TIFF capitulated to the online mob and “paused” screenings of Russians at War. The festival organizers, like the Russian soldiers in Trofimova’s film, basically blew themselves up. While Russians at War isn’t exactly a hill I want to die on, the implications of its censorship are. Simply put, every artist and journalist in Canada should be on high alert.
While the festival backtracked on its decision late Sunday night and issued a brisk statement in the final hours of the festival noting that screenings of Russians at War would resume on Sept. 17, the damage was done. Festival brass let a “nontroversy” overwhelm the conversation and take attention away from worthy films and issues.
More significantly, TIFF failed to support the right to artistic expression that are at the core of festivals. The latter should have been an easy route given that everyone who has actually seen the film agreed that it’s not propaganda, but rather a portrait of an army in total disarray.
A tale of two controversies
Moreover, if TIFF’s alleged concerns for security were true, they didn’t jive with what was happening elsewhere at the festival. For example, when I left the world premiere of The Freedom of Fierro—a poignant consideration of the failures of the carceral system, police officers and the canine unit were waiting to sweep Cinema 4 ahead of the premiere of the Palestinian doc No Other Land, which was screening next. That screening happened with no alarm bells from the festival.
The mishandling of Russians at War proved especially frustrating because the highlight of TIFF’s strong first half was its delivery of an equally controversial documentary, The Bibi Files. Directed by Alexis Bloom and produced by Alex Gibney, the doc offered a provocative distillation of the failures of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including extensive evidence of corruption. The doc, which screened twice to full audiences, was a talking point of the festival, especially for its rare interrogation footage of Netanyahu that showed insight into his wily character.
With this film and perhaps the most controversial current geopolitical topic on the table, the screenings of The Bibi Files proved tense. But to the credit of everyone involved—especially Bloom, Gibney, and TIFF Docs programmer Thom Powers—people actually showed up to watch the film and engage with the filmmakers. These conversations were emotionally charged, but they happened. TIFF handled The Bibi Files’ work-in-progress premiere with aplomb and showed that festivals are at their best when they use film to engage audiences with difficult conversations. It’s a shame they didn’t learn from their own success.
Lost in the shuffle?
Ironically, docs that got overwhelmed by the Russians at War conversation included Temporary Shelter by Ukrainian first-time filmmaker Anastasiia Bortuali. The compelling doc might have been a better object of focus for anyone looking for stories from Ukraine as Bortuali observed a year in the lives of Ukrainian refugees in Iceland. The doc proved especially notable for its artful depiction of post-traumatic stress disorder as the volcanos of Iceland had the refugees reeling when they realized that they escaped one land on fire for another.
The same went for Sudan, Remember Us, a rousing tale of activism by Hind Meddeb. The film, much in the spirit of TIFF Docs favourite The Square, harnessed the energy of citizens in the fight for democracy. It’s a productive essay about the value of protest and democracy in action.
Also worthy of attention was Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc’s tale of a troubled family in Tata. The two-pronged film offered an exposé of an abusive workplace as Vdovîi agreed to help her father gather evidence against an employer who mistreated him. Beyond the juicy hidden cam footage, though, Tata proved a revelatory work as Vdovîi observed that the case failed to correct her father’s own streak for abusive behaviour. As she readies to bring a child into the world, she reflects on the consequences of domestic violence that echo throughout generations.
Docs that bridge divides
A few films that gained traction earlier in the festival, though, were able to enjoy the kind of engaged and informed debates that should have been at the forefront of TIFF. For example, No Other Land made its long-awaited Canadian premiere at the midpoint of the festival and capitalized on a heavy dose of attention it received going into TIFF and connected audiences with a vital work of citizen journalism. The film marked an essential snapshot of Israeli’s forced displacement of Palestinians with gripping footage and a story of resilience told from the heart. The film by Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, and Hamdan Ballal marked an extraordinary feat of unity as two Palestinians and two Israelis joined forces to assert their shared hope for peace. (Read more in our interview with Adra and Abraham.)
Another tale, or series of tales, from Palestine came in the anthology film From Ground Zero. This important assembly of 22 films—a mix of dramas, fiction works, and everything in between—gave a series of untold stories shared through personal lenses. Although the film might have benefitted from tighter curation—only 15 films, say, with the stories assembled in a way in which they played off one another—it proved the power of film in highlighting resilience. The standout of the pack was easily “Recycling,” which showed how one woman economically navigated the water shortage.
Meanwhile, TIFF Docs had an unexpected delight in The Last Republican from director Steve Pink. This portrait of former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger illustrated how engaged and nuanced conversation is still alive in an era of polarized politics. Extremely funny, but also deeply perceptive, the doc found a refreshing antidote to the rhetoric that overwhelmed the festival in Kinzinger’s willingness to enjoy civil dialogue with someone like Pink who doesn’t share his views.
Ditto Men of War, Jen Gatien and Billy Corben’s thrilling portrait of mercenary Jordan Goudreau and his exposé on the Trump administration’s involvement with a failed coup in Venezuela. The TIFF Docs line-up showed with these two works that there’s great entertainment to be found in contemporary America’s dire political situation.
Docs can be fun!
Films like The Last Republican and Men of War also reminded audiences of the power of documentary as a big-screen cinematic experience. TIFF Docs emphasized the relationship between entertainment value and journalistic rigour by opening the programme with Vice Is Broke, Eddie Huang’s bonkers yet incisive take on the downfall of Vice Media. The film smartly appropriated the slick house style of Vice journalism and proved that one actually can tell a substantial story using the self-referential, casual approach that made Vice the envy of media outlets across the land. It was refreshing to see the festival open with a portrait of a storyteller sharing the importance of standing by one’s integrity.
Meanwhile, perhaps no doc quite proved the power of the big screen as Space Cowboy did. This adrenaline-rush of an adventure chronicled the life of skydiving cinematographer Joe Jennings and his zany quest to drop a car from an airplane and nail a perfect landing. Directors Marah Strauch and Bryce Leavitt found in Jennings’ thrills an important story of staying grounded.
In So Surreal: Behind the Masks and Dahomey, Neil Diamond and Joanne Robertson and Mati Diop, respectively, took original approaches to stories of the repatriation of stolen art. Both docs offer uniquely artistic consideration of the enduring impact of colonialism and the ways in which people reclaim the legacy of colonial rule. Both films should have a healthy life on the circuit.
Other highlights included two upbeat docs that offered respites from heavy material without being lightweight. Peter Kerekes’ Wishing on a Star, for one, proved a festival highlight with its offbeat tale of an Italian astrology and her clients looking for love. The doc found a great sense of humour and a universal tale of exploring the limits of one’s comfort zone as Kerekes drolly observed people travelling to all corners of the earth with hopes that the stars would align in their favour.
Similarly, Ted Passon’s Patrice: The Movie delivered a truly imaginative and heartwarming portrait of school crossing guard Patrice Jetter, her partner Garry, and their fight for marriage equality. The doc took a cue from Patrice’s penchant for storytelling and created her world through vignettes in which Jetter re-enacts her story with an ensemble of child actors.
Intimacy and the Industry Conference
Passon’s film proved a highlight of the documentary day at the TIFF Industry conference when he joined Meddeb and Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story director Sinéad O’Shea in discussing how they created such intimate spaces for their characters. Passon described finding inspiration from Patrice’s own interviews and simply getting to know here as a way to fashion the film’s novel design. “She kind of talks in stories,” Passon told the crowd.
He noted that integrating Patrice’s knack for storytelling helped her share her experiences in a way that was “helpful, cathartic, and hopeful.” He said that key to Patrice was having a trauma-informed counsellor on set to help participants and crew members, many of whom also have disabilities, talk through difficult moments in the film. “This art form only exists because of the generosity of our subjects,” said Passon.
O’Seah agreed and reflected that getting the final interviews with 93-year-old Irish author Edna O’Brien, who died this July, where essential for gathering new information about a woman whose life was public record. “You’re hoping to find something that is not in the public domain,” O’Shea said of interview process.
The director added that her approach to O’Brien’s story followed her respect for her subject and her preference for avoiding “gotcha” moments that might catch interviewees off-guard. “I think it’s vile. You’re in such a powerful position,” she said echoing Passon’s observation that a subject’s generosity can be the foundation for any good doc. “I want to be humble to the people I interview.”
Docs giving voice
O’Seah’s handsomely assembled portrait of O’Brien and her legacy marked a strong thematic thread to TIFF Docs that connected films with the fight for one’s voice. One saw a similar moral in Leila Amini’s A Sisters’ Tale. The doc chronicled the plight of the director’s sister Nasreen to realize her dream of becoming a singer, which doesn’t prove easy in Iran where women are banned from public performance. The intimate work found in Nasreen’s singing a larger essay about the fight for women’s voices. It’s a powerful assertion of agency as one sister used her craft to give voice to another.
Another doc in conversation with both those films was Raoul Peck’s terrific Ernest Cole: Lost and Found. The film, which won the doc prize at Cannes, offered a strikingly composed tribute to the life and work of South African photographer Ernest Cole. Peck let Cole’s photographs drive the film as the doc flowed like a visual tour through a gallery. The carefully curated selections of Cole’s portfolio gave the film a clear arc, while also letting audiences see Cole’s ability to use his lens to give voice to the voiceless.
Similarly, the extremely entertaining and insightful The Last of the Sea Women, directed by Sue Kim and produced by Malala Yousafzai, delivered a winner by leaning into the aged wisdom of its protagonists. The film about South Korean women known as haenyeo used the talking heads approach to great effect by letting the divers share their stories through playful direct address interviews. The film built towards an unexpected environmental parable while paying tribute to the generations of women who’ve protected the sea. (Check back for our interview with Kim and Yousafzai when The Last of the Sea Women streams on AppleTV+ in October.)
The art of non-fiction
TIFF’s Industry Conference also featured an engaging conversation between the directors of two films in the festival’s competitive Platform programme: Viktor’s Olivier Sarbil and The Wolves Always Come at Night’s Gabrielle Brady. The former shared with the crowd how he leaned into his experience with hearing loss to create a sonic portrait of a deaf war photographer. (Read more about Sarbil’s process in our interview with the director.) The latter related how she worked with a pair of Mongolian farms to create a collaborative hybrid film.
Brady said the hybrid process let her characters have conversations they avoided in life. Staging the conversations with a script developed in collaboration with the two leads allowed them to explore the dynamics of their relationship in an honest way. Similarly, Brady credited the actors’ bravery for revisiting personal hardships, including in the film’s centrepiece sequence in which they lose over half their flock in a sandstorm. Brady noted that the sandstorm wasn’t staged, but rather served as an opportunity for the characters to revisit a turning point in their lives that happened when the cameras weren’t rolling. “You can’t reconstruct things, but you can respond to them,” she said. “The sandstorm hit in the time we were there with them.”
Moreover, there was perhaps no better display of the art of documentary than the TIFF Docs standout Mistress Dispeller. Director Elizabeth Lo’s portrait of a love triangle captivated with its breathtakingly intimate window into a troubled marriage. The film’s a stunning product of perseverance and trust. The respect that Lo afforded all parties in the affair helped to deliver some of the most jaw-dropping material in a film this year.
Observational cinema was also in fine form in Ali Weinstein’s Your Tomorrow with its portrait of Ontario Place and the place it holds for Torontonians. Expect to hear more about that film on the Canadian circuit this fall, along with the extremely perceptive tale of contemporary housing, Living Together by Halima Elkhatabi.
Stars and politics
Other docs managed to stand out thanks to their berths in the Galas and Special Presentations programmes. For one, politics and celebrity had a great marriage in Josh Greenbaum’s Will & Harper. The Sundance favourite played through the roof at the public screening I attended as audiences went along for the ride with comic Will Ferrell and former Saturday Night Live scribe Harper Steele following her transition. The film used a healthy dose of humour to afford audiences a roadmap for allyship.
Among the other star-studded films were a festival’s worth of music docs with People’s Choice Award for Documentary winner The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal easily marking a hometown favourite. Morgan Neville’s Piece by Piece, a biography of Pharrell Williams ingeniously told with LEGO, proved that music docs aren’t stuck to a formula. Admittedly, formula was somewhat evident in Galas Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe and Elton John: Never Too Late, which had near-identical premises as the singers in both docs readied for concerts at venues of historical significance. Elton proved the victor, though, as any similarity simply strengthened the case for Never Too Late.
The bevvy of music docs also strengthened the case for festivals to take a stand for complex and politically engaged works that challenge the status quo. If public funders and festivals shy away from these stories, we’ll all drown in a sea of music docs.
