RKS Film: “The Killing of a Journalist”: A Filthy Stinking and Deadly Web of Slovakian Corruption (Toronto Hot Docs 2022)

“The Killing of a Journalist” is a documentary chronicling the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancé Martina Kašnírová in Slovakia. Kuciak was in the midst of preparing an investigative report on corruption in Slovakia focusing on VAT and tax fraud centering on Slovakian Mafiaosa Marían Kocner a.k.a. “prominent businessman”. Kocner wasContinue reading “RKS Film: “The Killing of a Journalist”: A Filthy Stinking and Deadly Web of Slovakian Corruption (Toronto Hot Docs 2022)”

RKS Film: “Sexual Healing”: A Tale of Courage and Curiosity

Evelien is a 53-year-old Dutch woman confined to a wheelchair due to spastic scoliosis. She was born premature and the hospital authorities advised her parents not to name her as she would not live long. It became a theme for her life that she shouldn’t exist. She retreated to a state of unhappiness which wasContinue reading “RKS Film: “Sexual Healing”: A Tale of Courage and Curiosity”

RKS Film: “Les bienveillants” (The Benevolents)

“Les bienveillants” is a thoughtful short documentary by Montreal’s Sarah Baril Gaudet. The viewer will have the opportunity to understand the volunteer recruitment process of Tele-Aide a Montreal call centre that specializes in listening to telephone calls from people in mental distress or simply listening to anyone that needs someone to talk to. Tel-Aide wasContinue reading “RKS Film: “Les bienveillants” (The Benevolents)”

RKS Film: “Box of Rain”: Rock n Roll Salvation Thanks to Deadheads

Lonnie Frazier as a 17-year-old accepted a lift from two high school boys that she knew but a lift to her car turned into a violent rape. Not having a trusting and loving home environment to heal in she accepted free tickets to a Grateful Dead concert in Colorado and headed off there with twoContinue reading “RKS Film: “Box of Rain”: Rock n Roll Salvation Thanks to Deadheads”

RKS Film: “The Quiet Epidemic”: Sadness, Rage and Disgust

Ostensibly the American documentary “The Quiet Epidemic” chronicles the steamrolling Lyme Disease (LD) epidemic in the United States but it is far more than that. It is an exposé on the self-destructive greed and failure of the for-profit underpinnings of the American medical system and the moral and ethical corruption if not gross negligence ofContinue reading “RKS Film: “The Quiet Epidemic”: Sadness, Rage and Disgust”

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)”