Welcome to POV‘s destination for Hot Docs 2022! Bookmark this page for word on the beat at festival with reviews, interviews, and features from #HotDocs22.
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The Displaced Narrator
The displaced narrator gives enigmatic voice to essay films by speaking offscreen.
Scrappy Ideas
Stacey Tenenbaum’s documentary Scrap explores objects tossed and found while visiting sites of waste, refurbishment, and upcycling.
Canada Selects Eternal Spring for Oscar Race
Canada selects Eternal Spring, directed by Jason Loftus, as Canada's official submission in the Best International Feature Oscar race.
Exploring Our Connectedness
Sean Stiller's documentary Returning Home follows Orange Shirt Day founder Phyllis Jack-Webstad and considers the environmental impact of colonialism by observing its effect on salmon populations.
On Beautiful Scars and Reconnected Roots
An interview with director Shane Belcourt about bringing to the screen musician Tom Wilson's story, journey with his Indigenous identity, and what that says about them as artists.
Shooting War Review: Photographing the Front Lines
Patrick Dell observes the art and weight of photojournalism in Shooting War by sharing the experiences of visual reporters who document the atrocities of war.
Eskape Review: A Journey of Family History and Healing
In Eskape Neary Adeline Hay recounts a journey from Cambodia to France after the fall of the Khmer Rouge with her mother, Thany Lieng.
Comedy Punks’ Reg Harkema and Nick McKinney on Documenting Hometown Humour
An interview with The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks director Reg Harkema and producer Nick McKinney on chronicling the iconic Canadian comics.
Srđan Keča on Museum of the Revolution and Documenting Paradise Lost
An interview with Museum of the Revolution director Srdan Keca about his documentary that explores an abandoned monument of hope and the lives of those within.
Bigger Than Trauma Review: Sisters in a Struggle
Bigger Than Trauma is an incredibly moving film, at times difficult to watch, and gives a voice to the women who were ignored and forgotten.
The Thief Collector Review: Murderers, Thieves, or Bad Writers?
The Thief Collector engages those who are looking to have some fun by playing detective and drawing tenuous conclusions.
Sam Now Review: Generational trauma sensitively rendered
Reed Harkness has made a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime film with Sam Now, which is filled with intimate family footage.
Eternal Spring Named Overall Audience Favourite at Hot Docs
Eternal Spring directed by Jason Loftus named the winner of the overall Hot Docs Audience Award as determined by the public votes.
Corrupted Review: Waves of Chaos
Juan Cifuentes Mera’s Corrupted is a harrowing probe into mental breakdown that plays out in nonstop fragments of consciousness.
Eternal Spring Leads Hot Docs Rogers Audience Award Winners
Eternal Spring, directed by Jason Loftus, wins the Hot Docs Rogers Audience Award for Canadian film while Okay! (The ADS Band Film) and Unloved are runners-up.
Il Posto Review: In Search of a Steady Job
Il Postoo / A Steady Job observes Italy's job market in a state of crisis and asks what it says about society when we afford so little security to frontline workers.
Pakucha Review: In Praise of the Sacred Alpaca
Tito Catacora’s documentary Pakucha pays tribute to the sacred creatures of alpacas and signals the higher power they evoke.
Once Upon a Time in Uganda Review: Welcome to Wakaliwood
Cathryne Czubek’s Once Upon a Time in Uganda is a tale of tenacity, a tumultuous friendship, and a wild look at Wakaliwood.
Who We Will Have Been Review: Grief, Millennial Style
In Who We Will Have Been, Erec Brehmer explores the death of his girlfriend, Angelina Zeidler, by reflecting upon photos and videos.
Geographies of Solitude, Blue Island Top Hot Docs Winners
Geographies of Solitude, directed by Jacquelyn Mills, wins Best Canadian Feature Documentary at Hot Docs.
Nasim Review: Life in Moria
Nasim, directed by Ole Jacobs & Arne Büttner, observes an Afghan refugee and her family as the wait in limbo in a camp in Moria, Greece.
Band Review: Meet Your New Cult Favourites
Band is the zany story of Iceland's Post Performance Blues Band and their pursuit of stardom after years of roughing it in dives and near-empty venues.
The Killing of a Journalist Review: Ripped from the Headlines
Matt Sarnecki finds the perfect meeting point between journalism and documentary while exploring the 2018 murder of Ján Kuciak in The Killing of a Journalist.
Skin Review: The Art of Protest
One of the most beautiful films of this or any year, Skin (Pele) is a city symphony, an evocation of what life is like in Belo Horizonte.
Sirens Leads Hot Docs Audience Award Race as Canadian Titles Go Dark
Hot Docs Audience Award race masks the Canadian titles in the race for the Rogers Award going into the festival's final weekend.
Okay! (The ASD Band Film) Review: Scrappy, Screechy Fun
Okay! (The ASD Band Film) follows the Toronto-based band of Jackson, Rawan, Spenser, and Ron to learn how music guides their journey with autism spectrum disorder.
Reason Review: Detective Patwardhan
Reason is a mystery story with Anand Patwardhan as the detective. It’s the perfect role for a documentarist to play.
The Queendom, A Woman’s Path Lead Hot Docs Forum Winners
Hot Docs Forum announces winners, with $40,000 in first look Pitch Prizes, including The Queendom by Otilia Portillo and Paula Arroio Sandoval.
The Balcony Movie Review: The COVID Years, Seen from Above
The Balcony Movie is Paweł Łoziński's view of the COVID-19 pandemic, seen entirely from the vantage point of his apartment's balcony doors.
Who We Will Have Been Tops Hot Docs Audience Award Update
Who We Will Have Been, directed by Erec Brehmer and his late partner Angelina Zeidler, moves atop the Hot Docs Audience Award rankings.
Blue Island Review: Welcome to the Island of Depression
Blue Island explores what it means (and has meant) to be a Hongkonger over the last 150 years in the shadow of mainland China.
We Feed People Review: Hungry for Hope
In We Feed People, Ron Howard profiles celebrity chef José Andrés as he strives provides relief to the hungry through World Central Kitchen.
Il Buco Review: Exploring the Boundless Mysteries of the Natural World
Michelangelo Frammartino's Il Buco ponders the intangible mysteries of existence as curious researchers explore caves with wonder.
Boylesque Review: Queen of the Night
Boylesque, directed by Bogna Kowalczyk, profiles Andrzej Szwan, who performs as Poland’s eldest drag queen Lulla La Polaca at 82 years young.
Batata Review: An Extraordinary Work Ten Years in the Making
Batata is an extraordinary film because Noura Kevorkian stuck with it, even as the human drama changed, and the politics of the situation became more dire and complex.
Shelter Review: On Finding Your Roots and Home
In the beautifully shot Shelter, Tess Girard returns to Horning’s Mills, the small town in Ontario where she spent so much of her time while growing up.
Geographies of Solitude Review: Mills Constructs True Art
Inspired by Sable Island and its one constant human inhabitant Zoe Lucas, filmmaker Jacquelyn Mills has constructed a work of art with Geographies of Solitude.
Eternal Spring Is New Leader in Hot Docs Audience Award Race
Animated documentary Eternal Spring is the new leader in the Hot Docs Audience Award rankings with the May 4th update.
Nathalie Bibeau Goes Fishing with The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith
Nathalie Bibeau discusses her true crime mini-series The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith and injecting nuance into a genre that audiences have seen many times before.
Just Animals Directors Saila Kivelä and Vesa Kuosmanen on Art and Activism
Just Animals directors Saila Kivelä and Vesa Kuosmanen discuss their film about animal rights and an activist's ability to inspire change.
Silent Beauty Review: Ending the Cycle
In Silent Beauty, Jasmín Mara López confronts the sexual abuse she faced at the hands of her grandfather and uncovers a dark family secret.
Ketevani Kapanadze on How the Room Felt and Safe Queer Spaces
Ketevani Kapanadze discusses the documentary How the Room Felt and entering the intimate safe spaces of queer people in Georgia.
Beautiful Scars Takes Lead in Hot Docs Audience Award Race
Hot Docs Audience Award race sees Shane Belcourt's Beautiful Scars, about rocker Tom Wilson and his journey with his Mohawk roots, debut in first.
Relative Review: Giving Survivors a Voice
Relative's exploration of so-called less violent sexual assaults and how they’re managed makes for a unique entry into the documentary canon.
Hunting in Packs Review: She, Too.
Hunting in Packs observes how three women--Michelle Rempel Garner, Pramila Jayapal, and Jess Phillips--navigate the "old boys' club" of politics.
Barri Cohen’s Unloved Confronts a Painful Past
Barri Cohen's Unloved: Huronia's Forgotten Children is a personal study that confronts a legacy of abuse and injustice in an Ontario institution.
Rojek Review: The Burning Questions
In Rojek, Zaynê Akyol offers a haunting and poetic interrogation of the violence waged on Syria by ISIS and looks the beast in the eye.
Don’t Come Searching and the Art of Letting Go
Director Andrew Moir and producer Michelle Serieux discuss their film Don't Come Searching and using the COVID-19 pandemic to find the true heart of their story.
Deconstructing Karen Review: Waking Up White Women
Deconstructing Kare is also an invitation to take responsibility and to become more active in the fight against racism.
Batata Holds Top Spot in Hot Docs Audience Award Race
Noura Kevorkian's documentary Batata holds strong in Hot Docs Audience Award race, while Chase Joynt's Framing Agnes debuts at number two.
The Art of Silence Review: Silence Is Indeed Golden
The Art of Silence is a fitting celebration of an artist who could bring joy and meaning to the lives of many around the globe without saying a word.
Make People Better Review: Mad Scientist or Scientific Scapegoat?
Make People Better is an intriguing examination of a scientist who was hung out to dry by a community who helped elevate him in the fist place.
Category: Woman Review – What Is Female?
Category: Woman has subjects who are passionate advocates, its story is infuriating and it has an undeniable power of its own.
Queer My Friends Review: Searching for Self-Love
In Queer My Friends, a filmmaker chronicles her friend's coming-out story and turns the camera on herself to consider how tradition stifles us.
Eternal Spring Review: Animating an Awakening
Eternal Spring is an animated documentary in which Chinese artist Daxiong revisits his participation in a 2002 hijacking of a TV station.
Batata Takes Lead in Hot Docs Audience Award Race
Batata, directed by Noura Kevorkian, debuts in first place in the Hot Docs Audience Award rankings while Navalny comes in at number two.
5 Dreamers and a Horse: Hoping Against Hope
With its keen observational style, 5 Dreamers and a Horse is a lyrical vision of the deep-seated need for hope, for something aspirational.
Meeting Point Review: Building the Past
A beautifully layered work, Meeting Point captures the importance of understanding the various ways the past shapes a family’s present and future.
Sara Taksler Revisits the Holocaust with the ‘Jewish Forrest Gump’
An interview with How Saba Kept Singing director Sara Taksler on filming the extraordinary life of Holocaust survivor David Wisnia.
How the Room Felt Review: To Occupy a Safe Space
Ketevan Kapanadze's documentary How the Room Felt intimately occupies the safe spaces queer people create for themselves in Georgia.
Jackie Torrens on Bernie Langille, Murder, and Miniatures
An interview with Jackie Torrens on Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille and investigating family stories through miniatures.
For Your Peace of Mind, Make Your Own Museum Review: Curation Meets Transformation
For Your Peace of Mind, Make Your Own Museum, directed by Pilar Moreno and Ana Endara, vividly captures the artistic spirit of Senobia.
This House Review: Hope, Grief, and a Ghost Story
This House gives its victim a voice in death through Miryam Charles' assured filmmaking style and hybrid approach to true crime.
Okay! (The ASD Band Film) Leads Hot Docs Audience Award Race
Hot Docs Audience Award Rankings for April 30 see Okay! (The ASD Band Film) in first place, followed by Crows Are White and Fire of Love.
Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille Review: A stranger than fiction mystery
Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille is a true crime mystery that uses miniatures to get to the root of the affair.
Million Dollar Pigeons Review: A Soaring Crowd-pleaser
Gavin Fitzgerald's Million Dollar Pigeons is one of the most engaging and unconventional sports films you will see this year.
Nelly & Nadine Review: Love Conquers All
Who expects a lesbian love story to begin in a concentration camp? Nelly & Nadine surprises by finding love in the unlikeliest of places.
Daniel Roher Talks Navalny and the Canary in the Coalmine
Daniel Roher gains extraordinary access to Russian politician/political prisoner Alexei Navalny.
Embracing An Elephant—Hot Docs Returns
Canada’s finest documentary festival is back : Marc Glassman offers Hot Docs highlights including Zero Position,
Fashion Babylon Review: You Better Werk
In Fashion Babylon, Gianluca Matarrese captures the last days of Paris's haute couture scene by observing influencers like Violet Chachki.
Mila Aung-Thwin Wins Don Haig Award
Mila Aung-Thwin wins the Don Haig Award at Hot Docs. The award recognizes the Midwives producer for a history of work and mentorship.
The POV Hot Docs ’22 Hub!
Find all our coverage from the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival right here: reviews, interviews, and breaking news from the fest.
The Personal Is Political at Hot Docs
The Changing Face of Europe includes Just Animals, How the Room Felt, Bigger Than Trauma, and Atomic Hope as docs personal and political.
Desert Space Review: Making Meaningful Contact
thoughtful and effective film, Desert Space understands that the most profound connections are not found in the stars, but closer to home.
Terre Femme Review: Found Footage Film Provokes Feminist Thought
Courtney Stephens' found footage film Terra Femme is an unforgettable cinematic experience that defies easy categorization.
All of Our Heartbeats Are Connected through Exploding Stars Review: Cosmic Connections
Just let Jennifer Rainsford's All of Our Heartbeats Are Connected through Exploding Stars wash over you.
A Marble Travelogue Review: What’s Set in Stone
Sean Wang’s A Marble Travelogue tackles environmental degradation, the complex nature of globalisation and the increasing homogenization of culture.
Frankie Fenton Talks Atomic Hope and Going Nuclear
Director Frankie Fenton discusses his Hot Docs premiere Atomic Hope: Inside the Pro-Nuclear Movement and a controversial side of the climate change debate.
Jacquelyn Mills on the Sounds and Textures of Sable Island
An interview with Geographies of Solitude director Jacquelyn Mills about documenting the Zoe Lucas with the natural elements of Sable Island.
Jennifer Baichwal on Into the Weeds and the Roots of Wonder
Into the Weeds director Jennifer Baichwal on telling the story of Dewayne Lee Johnson, the Monsanto company, and its collective stakes.
Still Working 9 to 5: How a Comedy Classic and Workplace Sexism Endure
Still Working 9 to 5 filmmakers Gary Lane, Larry Lane, and Camille Hardman discuss the enduring legacy of 9 to 5 in the lens of #MeToo.
Baruchel, Rempel Garner Lead Hot Docs Guest List
Hot Docs 2022 guests include The Kids in the Hall, Jay Baruchel, Michelle Rempel Garner, Abigail E. Disney, and filmmaker Christine Choy.
Hot Docs Hot Sheet: All the Films We’ve Seen So Far
Hot Docs 2022 highlights include Fire of Love, Navalny, Framing Agnes, I Didn't See You There, Midwives, The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales, Gabor, and more.
All Eyes on Europe
Hot Docs' The Changing Face of Europe, a partnership with European Film Promotion, spotlights diverse snapshots from the continent with global perspectives.
Embracing Gabor
Joannie Lafrenière captures Hungarian-Canadian photographer Gabor Szilasi with an appropriately curious eye.
Raymonde Provencher Tells Stories that Need to Be Told
Raymonde Provencher is the subject of Hot Docs 2022 Focus On retrospective for her career documenting urgent human rights stories with compassion and care.
Hot Docs Announces Change of Leadership
Erin Lau and Paul Lewis to serve as interim co-executive directors as Heather Conway transitions to advisory position.
Hot Docs Announces 2022 Deal Maker Projects
Hot Docs announces 35 projects to compete in this year's Deal Maker program, which will feature online pitch sessions on the industry side.
Hot Docs Industry Programming Focuses on Diversity and Equity
Hot Docs Industry programming features Christine Choy and a spotlight panel on the findings of racial disparity at BC's Knowledge Network.
Hot Docs 2022 Line-up Includes Baichwal, Cohen, Hoolboom
Hot Docs 2022 line-up includes the opening night selection of Jennifer Baichwal's Into the Weeds and the premiere of Barri Cohen's Unloved.
The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks Review – Laughter, Revisited
The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks is a fun documentary by Reg Harkema that explores this history, highs, and lows of the comedy group.
Hot Docs Adds Navalny, Exiles to Special Presentations Line-up
Sundance winners Navalny, The Exiles, Midwives, and Framing Agnes are among the 15 new Special Presentations titles announced by Hot Docs.
Coming Soon: Issue #116!
Highlights from POV Magazine's 116th issue, featuring Hot Docs '22 selections, archival docs and the elements, diary docs, b-ball, and more!
20 Projects Tapped for Hot Docs Forum
Hot Docs announces 2022 Forum pitch projects, including new documentaries from Bob Moore, Brett Story, Reid Davenport, and Sam Soko.
First Hot Docs Titles Include Sundance Favourites
Hot Docs unveils first special presentations titles for 2022 including Fire of Love, The Talented Mr. Rosenberg, and I Didn't See You There.
