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Hot Docs 2011: Hollywood Complex
Hollywood Complex Directed by Dan Sturman and Dylan Nelson 2011, USA, 85 mins. For every face we see in a film, TV show, or commercial, there are thousands of others who auditioned. Thousands. They say...
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Hot Docs 2011: Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles Directed by Jon Foy 2011, USA, 88 mins. “Toynbee idea / in Kubrick’s 2001 / resurrect dead / on planet Jupiter” – this message, appearing in colourful...
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Hot Docs 2011: Knuckle
Knuckle Directed by Ian Palmer 2011, Ireland/UK, 97 mins. Knuckle did not start begin life as a documentary. Rather, director Ian Palmer met a bare-knuckle fighter at an Irish Traveller wedding in the...
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Hot Docs 2011: No Entry No Exit
No Entry No Exit Directed by Marelle Klein and Julie Kreuzer 2011, Germany, 82 mins. This is the trouble with fairness: nobody can agree exactly on what is fair. This is the disagreement at the crux of...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘Beauty is Embarrassing’ is neither
Beauty is Embarrassing Directed by Neil Berkeley USA, 2012 Chances are, you haven’t heard of Wayne White. Quiet and unassuming, White could go for a walk in downtown Los Angeles and be completely...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘China Heavyweight’ is an emotional contender
China Heavyweight Directed by Yung Chang Canada, 2012 In 1959, Chairman Mao banned Western-style boxing for being too American and too violent. Thirty years later, the ban was lifted. Although...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘Big Boys Gone Bananas!’; Episode Two – Fredrik Gertten...
Big Boys Gone Bananas! Directed by Fredrik Gertten Sweden, 2011 Not so long ago in a country not so far, far away… A Swedish journalist publishes a fiery polemic against a large, multi-national...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘Buzkashi!’ is almost as unscrupulous as its antagonist
Buzkashi! Directed by Najeeb Mirza Canada, 2012 For centuries, shepherds in Central Asia have been driving their flock to greener pastures under the constant threat of attacking wolves. To protect...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘The World Before Her’ is essential viewing at this year’s...
The World Before Her Directed by Nisha Pahuja 2012, Canada, 90 minutes Consider director Nisha Pahuja a master of the loaded title. ‘The World’ is India, a billon strong, chaotically democratic, and...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘Herman’s House’ a deeply moving account of penitentiary life
Herman’s House Directed by Angad Singh Bhalla Canada, 2012 Today is April 24th 2012. Last week marked the 40th anniversary of Herman Wallace’s initiation to a punitive epoch in solitary confinement....
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘The Invisible War’ is eloquent, bold, and devastating
The Invisible War Directed by Kirby Dick 2012, USA, 93 minutes Kirby Dick’s latest investigative documentary begins with a simple title card stating that all statistics used in The Invisible War come...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry’ overshadowed by its subject
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry Written by Alison Klayman Directed by Alison Klayman USA, 2012 A good documentary requires a good subject but can sometimes be overwhelmed by a great one. Such is the blessing...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘The Job’ is resonant, wry, and unexpected
The Job Directed by Didier Cros 2012, France, 94 minutes An audience watching The Job may be forgiven if they think, at first, that this documentary is about an elaborate practical joke. Ten job...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘The Ambassador’ a brave, darkly funny exposé
The Ambassador Written by Mads Brügger and Maja Jul Larsen Directed by Mads Brügger Denmark, 2011 As strange as it might sound to some people, documentary filmmakers are often exceptionally brave...
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Hot Docs 2012: ‘Meet the Fokkens’ offers a charming, unusual personal narrative
Meet the Fokkens Written by Gabrielle Provaas and Rob Schröder Directed by Gabrielle Provaas Netherlands, 2011 There is a long tradition in documentary film of personalizing unusual individuals. In...
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Hot Docs 2013: Festival Preview [April 25th to May 5th]
Hot Docs 2013 is just a week away – and Sound on Sight will be providing extensive coverage of the festival this year. Readers can expect a barrage of reviews – beginning well in advance of the event...
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Hot Docs 2013: ‘Free The Mind’ Questions Whether Peace Surpasses All...
Free The Mind: Can You Rewire The Brain Just By Taking A Breath? Directed & Written by Phie Ambo Denmark, 2012 Neuroscientists have formed a pretty clear picture of what a healthy brain looks like...
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Hot Docs 2013: ‘Tales From the Organ Trade’ performs a surgical critique of...
Tales From the Organ Trade Directed & Written by Ric Esther Bienstock Canada, 2013 The prospect of going under the surgeon’s knife terrifies most human beings. And rightly so. Despite the...
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Hot Docs 2013: ‘Doris Payne’ captures the inextricable link between its...
The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne Directed by Matthew Pond & Kirk Marcolina USA, 2013 The movies have taught us a great many things. How to “meet cute”. How to sing in the rain. How to squint into...
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Hot Docs 2013: ‘Trucker and the Fox’ takes a walk on the wild side of...
Trucker and the Fox Directed & Written by Arash Lahooti Iran, 2013 There is no denying the role other animals have played in fueling our species’ dubious ascent to world mastery. We have eaten...
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