4-18-2008
This year, I managed to sneak in a few pre-fest press screenings. So,
before I get to my actual first day of film-going, some very quick
reviews of:
The Last Continent (4/8) is a Canadian documentary about
a research crew on a schooner in the Antarctic, who head down for more
than a year—where they'll be stuck once winter comes—to document
the effects of climate change on the planet's last area of unspoiled
land. Unfortunately, director Jean Lemire (who also heads the research
crew) doesn't completely deliver on any of the three key things the
film should feature: stuff about the crew (who are they? why have they
agreed to take part?), stuff about life on a schooner (what's it like?
where do they sleep? where do they shower? what are the effects of such
close quarters for so long?), and stuff about the research (what do
they do? what kinds of info are they gathering?). There's plenty of
pretty cinematography, an overwhelming score that borders on
over-the-top, and some self-indulgent voiceover storytelling... but not
a whole lot of documentation of what sounds like it was probably an
amazing experience.
The Forgotten Woman (7/8) is an incredibly powerful and
hugely moving (read: Vickie cried for almost the entire film) look at
the treatment of widows in India—specifically, their exile to a life
of overt poverty in the temple city of Vrindavan, their loss of family
and property, and the fact that even in present day, some 40 million
widows appear to be living in the past. It is heartbreaking, to say the
least. Directed by Dilip Mehta, brother of filmmaker Deepa, the film
makes for an excellent companion piece to her similarly themed
Water. It's filled with compelling interviews and gut-wrenching
imagery (one of the most memorable is a shot of a man on a run-down
street, feeding a stack of what appears to be naan to some dogs, while
a penniless grandmother sits—with all her possessions in bags—a
couple of feet away, hiding her face) that sheds light on a part of
modern history that appears to be going largely unnoticed.
Likely
to be one of the hot-ticket films is Errol Morris' latest
Standard Operating Procedure (7/8), which trains its lens
on the allegations of torture at the Abu Ghraib prison—specifically,
those incidents captured on film and widely seen by millions and
millions of people. Remember little Lynndie England? She's interviewed
here, along with a number of other military personnel who were either
directly or tangentially involved in those notorious pictures.
Simultaneously shocking and not really surprising, the exposé recreates
events and uses video footage of what transpired to tell the soldiers'
stories... some of which are infuriating, and others (England's in
particular) kind of creepy. What was truly remarkable to me was that
the women featured in the film seem to have aged decades apiece since
the photos were taken... when, in reality, it's only been four years.
Anyway... onwards to day one!
The weather outside is a tad on the warm side, and I was a tiny bit
worried I'd be crispy by the time my first film of the day let in. Yes,
I wore sunscreen, but standing in line with no ounce of shade in sight
(still too early for the trees to have leaves) can make even an SPF 30
seem like baby oil.
Never
in a million years did I ever expect that a documentary about a heavy
metal band would be touching, sweet or so moving that it would make me
cry... but Anvil! The Story of Anvil (7/8) was all those
things. The film looks at the titular metal band, who hail from Toronto
and who enjoyed a short-lived tour in the rock spotlight in the early
1980s, as they continue to seek another shot at glory. Together for
some 30-odd years, the guys have gone from teenagers and
twentysomething rock gods to middle-aged husbands, fathers and working
Joes who still perform, albeit to much, much smaller crowds. Director
Sacha Gervasi—a Brit who was a fan of, and roadie for, the band as a
teenager—told the audience that the film was a labour of love for all
involved, and it shows. Amid the blazing fret work, thundering drums,
banshee vocals, infighting, disappointments, triumphs and strange
encounters in Eastern European bars... this film is all heart, all the
time. And more than a little bit inspirational.
I
followed that with a double-bill of short(ish) docs: Kids +
Money (6/8) and Emoticons (5/8). Kids...
was sort of like watching an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16,
that grotesque show where horrifyingly wealthy teenagers behave like
complete bratty asshats (brasshats?) as they indulge in ridiculous
amounts of excess. Well, imagine those self-involved teens sitting down
for interviews in which they expound on the importance of having the
right clothes, the right "look" and why fat kids aren't cool. That
should give you some idea of what delights are to be found in this
film. It was simultaneously fascinating and repellent. I wonder how
these kids' parents felt watching the wisdom that spilled forth from
their offspring? By contrast, Emoticons profiles a number of
somewhat socially cast-out teenage girls in the Netherlands, who have
found solace and friendship online. Often moving, but slightly lacking
in cohesiveness overall (i.e., I wasn't sure what we, the audience,
were meant to glean from the doc), director Heddy Honigmann captures
some great moments of candid honesty from the girls and reminds viewers
that bullying and online gaming isn't just something common to awkward
teenage boys. (Note: yeah, I got all teary at this film, too.)
So, my lofty goal of not crying too much at HotDocs 2008 has already
evaporated—or, perhaps, precipitated—right before my eyes on day
one. Oh, but good news: Myrocia Watamaniuk is back! She intro-ed the
second set of films with her usual aplomb. Hooray!
