film – Page 78 – A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity

“The Long Way Back “: Some Reflections on an Indie Film

Breaking Glass Pictures (BGP) in Philadelphia has an interesting portfolio of films they have sent my way over the past few years. Not all are great but some are gaspingly delightful and not to mention the LGBTQ film inventory they have. And they don’t carry the Hollywood slop I have little interest in. In theContinue reading ““The Long Way Back “: Some Reflections on an Indie Film”

“I’m Wanita”: Wanita’s Big Chance!: Toronto Hot Docs

This is my last Hot Docs Film to be reviewed and after seeing so many serious and less than cheerful documentaries I came across one from Down Under “I’m Wanita” that is a bit more relaxing than being enshrined in doom. Wanita, a hard drinking and party animal and former sex trade worker is aContinue reading ““I’m Wanita”: Wanita’s Big Chance!: Toronto Hot Docs”

Markdale Dies and Is Reborn Thanks to Obscenely High Toronto Real Estate Prices

Two hours from Toronto lies the town of Markdale. Jesse McCracken takes us there to film his father and grandfather and Markdale. After all this is where he grew up and drifted away from this town of 1,500 in the Grey Highlands Municipality. There is no doubt the town was on the verge of totalContinue reading “Markdale Dies and Is Reborn Thanks to Obscenely High Toronto Real Estate Prices”

“The Last Forest” (A Última Floresta): The Next Step Genocide? Toronto Hot Docs

The Yanomami indigenous people live in Northern Brazil and in Southern Venezuela. They have been there for at least 1,000 years which is 500 years longer that the nation states of Brazil and Venezuela. The greed of gold, oil natural resources and hydro electric projects threatens the indigenous way of life. The processing of goldContinue reading ““The Last Forest” (A Última Floresta): The Next Step Genocide? Toronto Hot Docs”

“Any Given Day”: Insider’s perspective on mental illness; Toronto Hot Docs

Director, writer and producer Margaret Byrne takes us down a road that is a long journey where it seems impossible to ever reach a happy destination. The road we travel upon is mental illness in Chicago where Chicago’s Cook County offered a specialized probation for mental illness diagnosed detainees. A special court geared to provideContinue reading ““Any Given Day”: Insider’s perspective on mental illness; Toronto Hot Docs”

“The Doll”: Iran’s Progressive Morals on Display: Toronto Hot Docs

In today’s “progressive” Iran a 35-year-old father Alireza who considers himself a “enlightened traditionalist” considers marrying off his 14-year-old grade 9 daughter Asal to Soroush a medical student in university. If it wasn’t so sad and disgraceful it might be a comedy. As we hear from various relatives about the pros and cons of theContinue reading ““The Doll”: Iran’s Progressive Morals on Display: Toronto Hot Docs”

“Archipelago”: A Dreamy and Poetic Journey: Toronto Hot Docs

Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s “Archipelago” is an animated dreamy poetic journey in which 12 different animators show their style of animation. The narration is at times poetic and very fluid. This in contrast to an old newsreel narrated in a 1950’s style. I think the newsreel was called “Les ÎIes de St. Laurent” taking a voyage fromContinue reading ““Archipelago”: A Dreamy and Poetic Journey: Toronto Hot Docs”

“Kimmapiiyipitssini”: The Scourge of Fentanyl and Opioids in the Kainai Blackfoot Community in Southern Alberta: Toronto Hot Docs

“Kimmapiiypitssini” in Blackfoot in short means empathy and involves giving kindness to each other and feeling for others and you are blessed if you show it. Perhaps for me it is a vital component of mindful living. Aa one police officer on the Blackfoot Reserve in Southern Alberta muses what would our people be likeContinue reading ““Kimmapiiyipitssini”: The Scourge of Fentanyl and Opioids in the Kainai Blackfoot Community in Southern Alberta: Toronto Hot Docs”

“Ostrov – Lost Island”: Misery and the New Tsardom: Toronto Hot Docs

The Russians have perfected the art over the last hundred years of criticizing authoritarian power through allegory in literature and poetry. Sometimes they get away with it but sometimes with novels from Solzhenitsyn like “Cancer Ward” or “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” it goes too far for the authorities to tolerate. InContinue reading ““Ostrov – Lost Island”: Misery and the New Tsardom: Toronto Hot Docs”

“About Endlessness”: Dare I Interpret?

This is a film that the director likes to taunt you into trying to interpret what it means. Yes a Swedish-Norwegian-German production puzzling you and challenging some sort of interpretation. No this is not “The Joker” or “Black Panther”. Instead you may be asking:” What the hell is going on here?” And that can beContinue reading ““About Endlessness”: Dare I Interpret?”