National Post (National Edition)
The fact of the matter
ANOTHER BATCH OF TRUE-LIFE STORIES SHINE AT THE HOT DOCS FESTIVAL
After two years of virtual screenings, Toronto's Hot Docs festival returns to in-person offerings this year, while also keeping its online component for viewers across Canada. The 2022 edition features 226 docs from 63 countries, with screenings at venues including the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema and the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Here are just 10 of the many that sound like they're worth checking out.
Into the Weeds
The festival's opening-night film looks at a lawsuit brought against chemical giant Monsanto over its carcinogenic weed-killer, and of the lengths the company went to cover it up. (Directed by Jennifer Baichwal)
Pleistocene Park
Russian geophysicist Sergey Zimov and his son are trying to restore the “mammoth steppe” ecosystem of Siberia as a way to help stave off climate change. All he needs are a few million hardy animals. He's not reinventing the mammoth, but might this be the next best thing? (Directed by Luke Griswold-Tergis)
The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks
A look back at the groundbreaking Gen X comedy troupe, just in time for a new season of their shenanigans, beginning May 13 on Amazon Prime. No less a comedy legend than Mike Myers is clearly smitten by and more than a little jealous of their talents. (Directed by Reg Harkema)
Million Dollar Pigeons
If rats had wings, they'd fly around the world. An exploration of the ultracompetitive, sometimes-bonkers sport of high-stakes pigeon racing, and an introduction to the befeathered participants and their human fanciers. Coo! (Directed by Gavin Fitzgerald)
The Killing of a Journalist
In 2018, crime reporter Ján Kuciak and fiancée Martina Kušnírová were murdered in their home in Slovakia. His reporting on political corruption led to the resignation of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Protests over the deaths drew tens of thousands. And the trial revealed even more planned murders. (Directed by Matt Sarnecki)
Still Working 9 to 5
Grab yourself a cup of ambition as the cast of the 1980 hit comedy 9 to 5 reunites to discuss continued inequality in the workplace. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman are joined by Rita Moreno, Allison Janney and others. (Directed by Camille Hardman and Gary Lane)
Good Life
Fans of the streaming series Severance might be intrigued by this look at Tech Farm, a neo-liberal collective in Stockholm where entrepreneurs live (in micro-apartments) and work (in sprawling communal areas), blurring boundaries between the two. (Directed by Marta Dauliute and Viktorija Šiaulyte) The Talented Mr. Rosenberg
Albert Allan Rosenberg, a.k.a. the Yorkville Swindler, scammed his way into Toronto's high society, living the high life until his arrest in 2013. The film examines his motives and methods, and talks to those who fell for his cons. (Directed by Barry Avrich)
Burial
Lithuania's Ignalina nuclear power plant is being decommissioned. This doc follows the cleanup, a project expected to last multiple lifetimes. (Directed by Emilija Škarnulyte) Screens with Sigurimi, a short documentary about the Cold War era bunkers that pepper once-Communist Albania. (Directed by Luigjina Shkupa)
F**k It Up!
This is not Spinal Tap. But it sounds like it might as well be. Loved by some, hated by many, English punk-rock band Towers of London are known for drinking, fighting (with other bands and sometimes the public), getting banned from festivals at which they play, and screwing up record deals. Like the title says. (Directed by Dave Hills and Glenn Barden)
Calling the Shots
In true Spinal Tap fashion, this lists goes to 11. I'm including this excellent 1988 doc about women filmmakers because it was also the first film I reviewed for a publication, back at the University of Toronto. Hot Docs is also screening 1981's P4W: Prison for Women and 1984's Hookers on Davie by the same filmmakers. (Directed by Janis Cole and Holly Dale)
The Hot Docs film festival runs April 28 to May 8. More info and tickets at hotdocs.ca.