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Some of the documentaries I see at the festival don’t really fit into any of the themed groupings I create for reviews, while others are films I disliked so much that I leave their reviews for last so as not to taint the filmmakers’ Hot Docs exposure/coverage. These are...
There’s no shortage of documentaries about bold, brave women around the world taking a stand, fighting for change, and making a difference. And Hot Docs programmers always do a great job of bringing many of these films to its audiences. Here are six from this year’s lineup. 32 Meters...
Inner-city kids in north Philadelphia learn horsemanship alongside valuable life skills through their participation in an urban riding club in Fletcher Street, co-directed by Jannat Gargi and David Darg. We posed our Qs à la mode to Jannat and David, and here’s what they shared! If we had to...
Whether it’s your pals, your partner or your parents, documentaries about family and friends can shed light on the complexities and challenges around relationships of all stripes. Here are nine such films screening at the festival this year. Birds of War (6/8) Co-director Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak...
Five midwives from around the world share their stories of how and why they’ve devoted their lives to helping women through childbirth in director Nance Ackerman’s The Delivery Line. We posed our Qs à la mode to Nance, and here’s what she shared! If I had to describe my...
Unsurprisingly, some of the most entertaining documentaries at the festival are the ones about entertainers and artists, and this year’s fest is packed with fabulous films about game-changing talents carving their unique paths. Here are seven I saw and really enjoyed! Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions (7/8) Bold. Daring....
Director Banchi Hanuse’s Ceremony examines the cultural and traditional importance of ooligan to British Columbia’s Nuxalk First Nations, probing the connection between colonialism and the ooligan’s mysterious disappearance. We posed our Qs à la mode to Banchi, and here’s what she shared! If I had to describe my film using...
In Searching for Drug Peace, director Alisher Balfanbayev profiles activist and dispensary operator Dana Larsen and his ongoing battle to decriminalize illicit drug use in Canada. We posed our Qs à la mode to Alisher, and here’s what he shared! If I had to describe my film using only...
Director Poh Si Teng follows a trio of U.S. physicians — one Jewish, one Muslim, one Zoroastrian —as they bring their skills and supplies to a resource-strapped hospital in Gaza in American Doctor. We posed our Qs à la mode to Poh, and here’s what she shared! If I...
Telling a compelling and satisfying-for-the-viewer story in 30-ish minutes or less is a skill, and one that (sadly) not every documentary filmmaker possesses. From racers and riders to dancers, dreamers and a Hungarian rooster that becomes a local celebrity, here are 16 the shorts — of varying degrees of...
In TCB: The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing, co-directors Louis Massiah and Monica Henriquez profile the titular visionary author, activist and academic. We posed our Qs à la mode to Louis and Monica, and here’s what they shared! If I had to describe my film using only three...
Co-directors Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak chronicle the evolution of their relationship from professional collaboration to romantic partnership in Birds of War. We posed our Qs à la mode to Janay and Habak, and here’s what they shared! If we had to describe our film using only three...
