RKS Film: “African Moot”: A Dual Personality Review: Toronto Hot Docs

Ok, what is a “moot”? It is an experience just about all law students suffer or enjoy. It is a mock trial in front of judges based on a fictional case. The judges may be actual judges or legal practitioners. It involves hours of preparation added on to a crushing workload of everyday lectures. SoContinue reading “RKS Film: “African Moot”: A Dual Personality Review: Toronto Hot Docs”

RKS Film: “Sam Now”: The Cycle Repeats

“Sam Now” is a creative adventure into self-discovery that casualties in life often repeat themselves inflicting harm on the next generation. Sam Harkness and his bother Reed had been amateur filmmakers since childhood especially after discovering an old Super 8 camera in their garage. A favourite character in their movies was a superhero “Blue Panther”Continue reading “RKS Film: “Sam Now”: The Cycle Repeats”

RKS Film: “Atomic Hope”: The Bad Boys of Climate Change Advocacy (Toronto Hot Docs Festival)

There is nothing like documentary film to flip you on your head and make you realize that perhaps nuclear power is the most efficient and quick way to reverse climate change. Initially the anti nuclear power people were on the fringe but decades later they are part of the establishment so the pro nuclear powerContinue reading “RKS Film: “Atomic Hope”: The Bad Boys of Climate Change Advocacy (Toronto Hot Docs Festival)”

RKS Film: “Million Dollar Pigeons”: Do You Still Think Pigeons Are Flying Rats?

“Million Dollar Pigeons” is a fascinating look into the exciting (yes I said exciting!) world of pigeon racing. Once a working man’s sport it has morphed into a multi-million-dollar business where recently two million dollars was spent by a Chinese bidder on a pigeon in an auction. The Chinese millionaires are in the auction arenaContinue reading “RKS Film: “Million Dollar Pigeons”: Do You Still Think Pigeons Are Flying Rats?”

RKS Film: “Images of a Nordic Drama”: Battle Royale in the Art World (Toronto Hot Docs Festival)

Norwegian art collector Haakon Mehren is reluctantly led to a barn in 1990 by his friend who has unearthed a huge cache of paintings by unknown Norwegian artist Aksel Waldemar Johannessen (1880-1922). Another collection of his paintings is held by his surviving daughter. Mehren thinking that “treasures in a barn” is a fairy tale isContinue reading “RKS Film: “Images of a Nordic Drama”: Battle Royale in the Art World (Toronto Hot Docs Festival)”

RKS Film: “The Smell of Money”: A Big Battle Against Big Pork Megacorp!

Elsie Herring was a resident of Eastern North Carolina in the United States that fought tooth and nail against the big pork processors in Duplin County. Her grandfather as a former slave purchased tracts of land in the county for farming purposes. The Big Pork Megacorps mushroomed in Eastern North Carolina in the 1980’s andContinue reading “RKS Film: “The Smell of Money”: A Big Battle Against Big Pork Megacorp!”

RKS Film: “Road Trip”: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Panah Panahi has crafted a clever film in the Iranian film “Road Trip”. It is a wonderful film and does not hand feed you. It is delightfully vague and I believe perhaps intentionally so or has Iranian autocracy hardwired Panahi as a matter of survival to be discrete? If you know the repression of IranianContinue reading “RKS Film: “Road Trip”: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”

RKS Film: “Beautiful Scars”: Tom Wilson’s Journey

As human beings when our time comes to pass into the other world we will have collected a series of life experiences. They will range from horrific to ecstatic.  Canadian musician Tom Wilson seems to have experienced the complete range. It is the unpleasant ones that leave scars. A scar is a healed wound butContinue reading “RKS Film: “Beautiful Scars”: Tom Wilson’s Journey”

TEXAS FILMMAKERS AND STORIES TAKE CENTER STAGE AT

EARTHX FILM FESTIVAL 2022, MAY 12-15 Festival Welcomes Directors with Ties to Texas Ben Masters, Raj Patel, John Claiborne Brown, Brandon Holmes, Alejandra Vasquez, and Kathryn Francis  Festival Showcases Powerful Texas Stories of Nature and Conservation, Climate Change, Oil Drilling vs. Property Rights, Boom and Bust Oil, Fast Fashion and more Dallas, TX (April 21,Continue reading TEXAS FILMMAKERS AND STORIES TAKE CENTER STAGE AT

RKS Film: “Peace by Chocolate”: Struggles of All Sorts

“Peace By Chocolate” is based on a true story. The film could have easily taken the route of another food namely cheese but it does not. Yes it has a happy ending but after many struggles between the characters. Tareq (Ayham Abou Ammar) and his family flee war in Syria which has destroyed Tareq’s father’sContinue reading “RKS Film: “Peace by Chocolate”: Struggles of All Sorts”