We are down to the last couple of days of Hot Docs. It’s been an excellent festival thus far… but there are still many films worth checking out this weekend. How about some suggestions?
Saturday, May 7th
Living With Giants
TIFF Bell Lightbox 4, 3:15pm
The bittersweet story of a young Inuit man, Paulise, and how his affect a community. Beautiful shots of Northern Quebec, a charming young man, and his lovely companions. A personal favourite. Also, directors Sébastien Rist and Aude Leroux-Lévesque have recently been awarded the Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award.
Angry Inuk
TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 6:45pm
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril uses her filmmaking skills to organize and embolden a new tech-savvy generation of Inuit to stand up for their rights. The film currently ranks number 4 in the Top 20 Audience Picks at the festival.
Featurette – Meet the Artists for Angry Inuk on TrailerAddict.
How To Build A Time Machine
TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, 8:45pm
Another personal favourite. Jay Cheel effortlessly merges the story of two men who are fascinated with time travel. How they pursue their interest may differ. Nonetheless, they both are driven by personal tragedies that time won’t heal. A definite feel good film
How to Build a Time Machine Official Trailer from Jay Cheel on Vimeo.
Sunday, May 8th
The Apology
Isabel Bader, 12:45pm
The film in which three former “comfort women” break the silence about their sexual slavery during WWII. There has not been a previous screening where audience did not cry during the film. A much needed story to be told. The film is number 1 in the Top 20 Audience Picks at the festival.
Putuparri And The Rainmakers
Scotiabank Theatre, 4:30pm
The story of one man, Tom “Putuparri” Lawford, who struggles between two worlds as he tries to reconcile his dark past with his brighter (yet challenging) future as the leader of his people—a leader who bears responsibility for reconnecting with ancestral lands, learning about traditional culture and passing the knowledge to the next generation.
Girls Don’t Fly
Isabel Bader Theatre, 9pm
A flight school for young Ghanaian women appears on its surface to offer escape from the patriarchal structures of society; instead, this unpredictable story reveals a confrontation with chauvinism resulting in a powerful and resonant political awakening.
Many more films I’d recommend aside from these, of course. If interested in more Hot Docs titles, box office, and venue information, go to hotdocs.ca.
