The National Film Board of Canada, so often on track with its support of documentaries, has four superb films on the 2010 Hot Docs program. The NFBC four have a wide range of subjects and represent a broad spectrum of documentary filmmaking style. Here's the list:
- The "Socalled" Movie - Filmmaker Garry Beitel follows musician Josh Dolgin as he synthesizes Hip Hop and Funk with Klezmer in various venues from Montreal to the Ukraine. Dolgin is talented, quirky and hilariously self-effacing, which makes him an ideal subject for a profiling documentary that engages rappers c-Rayz Walz and Chilly Gonzales, and virtuoso musicians like trombonist Fred Wesley (of James Brown band fame), violinist Sophie Solomon, and Klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer in the musical mix. The film is an upbeat treat!
- Life With Murder - John Kastner's gripping documentary coverage of a family-wrenching murder case that took place in a suburb of Detroit is a combination of gripping thriller and profoundly disturbing psychological drama. It's the story of parents who decide they must hold their family together, although they know that their only son murdered their only daughter and further disturbing facts keep being revealed to them. The intimate candor captured in this observational film is extraordinary, and you will not forget these troubled characters and their way of handling unwanted truths.
- Flawed - Andrea Dorfman's charming 12-minute short may be entitled Flawed, but it is anything but. In fact, it's just about perfect! In it, Dorfman reveals through voice over narration her own self-esteem issues about body image -- her nose, in particular -- that are brought clearly into her conscious when she falls in love with a plastic surgeon who 'fixes' patients' flaws. The voice over is illustrated by animated post cards, hand drawn on screen, that punch up or play in counterpoint to events and images that are described verbally. After Dorfman draws lots of noses, you know roses are equally fragrant to each. This film is delightful. Everyone should see it.
- Grace, Milly, Lucy...Child Soldiers - Filmmaker Raymonde Provencher bears witness to the devastating situation in Uganda, where thousands of young girls are kidnapped from remote villages and are forced to become soldiers in the Lord's Resistance Army, as well as wives to its rebel commanders. With babies strapped to their backs, they are forced to raid villages, and maim, burn, and kill villagers. Grace, Milly and Lucy are among those who've escaped, and the film follows them as they try to gain community acceptance, restore their sense of self identity, raise awareness and organize to prevent other children from suffering as they have.
If you're at Hot Docs, I strongly recommend that you see these films. Or, keep checking with the National Film Board of Canada, to see when they will be available on television, on line or DVD.
Comments