Hot Docs: Thursday, May 7

Reviews of screenings from the 2009 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Toronto, Canada.

Lonely Boy / Sad Song of Yellow Skin (Dir: Wolf Koenig, Roman Kroitor / Michael Rubbo)

Another pairing from the "Spotlight on the NFB" programme, the gem here is the half-hour Lonely Boy, a verité portrait of Paul Anka in 1962, when he was like female Viagra dipped in crack. Anka croons, women scream, and we also get a few glimpses behind the scenes. Enormous fun, and the style's immediacy can still be felt today.

The second film, 1970's Sad Song of Yellow Skin is also immersive, taking us on an hour-long tour though Saigon. The war itself is mostly distant, but its effects are felt everywhere. Director Rubbo seems more interested in heading off the beaten path, and spends much of the film's time in two contrasting islands — a literal one occupied by a monk's peace camp, and a figurative one in the form of a slum. Atmospheric stuff, and an interesting time capsule.

The Jazz Baroness (Dir: Hannah Rothschild)

An intriguingly full house for this, a portrait of Pannonica "Nica" Rothschild, black sheep of the Rothschild family, long-time Jazz patron and companion to Thelonious Monk. There's some great stuff here, starting with a great love story, personal histories encompassing sharecroppers and royalty, and no shortage of fabulous music. That said, this is merely a good documentary. Suffering from that familiar problem of historical docs, there's sometimes a frustrating lack of primary material to draw from, leading to over-reliance on stock footage and some filler. Plus a somewhat awkward framing device, giving us the director's personal struggle to dig up the facts and put the story on the screen. All that said, this is such a fascinating story that it's worth seeing for anyone interested in Monk or the history of bop. Also: points for the deployment of Helen Mirren, reading Nica's letters and bringing her to life. It's rare that I say this, but this would be an excellent candidate for a feature film.

Mugabe and the White African (Dir: Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson)

Under the increasingly tyrannical leadership of despot Robert Mugabe, large farms are being seized for redistribution to the masses. On closer examination, it turns out that only white farmers are being targeted, regardless of whether they are good farmers, good employers, or good citizens. As the tension in Zimbabwe ratchets up, one principled farmer refuses to be bullied and stands up for the rule of law. Michael Campbell and his family decide to fight, taking their claim to an international tribunal for redress against a blatantly racist policy. As the government uses every delaying tactic possible, Zimbabwe, suffering through the aftermath of Mugabe's stolen election, becomes increasingly anarchic. A tense and powerful story that asks who the real exploiters are, and who counts as a "real" African. Gripping stuff, although despite the fact that the film ends on a positive note, one leaves feeling that the story isn't over, and that a happy ending is not inevitable.

Prom Night in Mississippi (Dir: Paul Saltzman)

In 2007, Charleston, Mississippi — a town where the high school wasn't integrated until 1970 — still held separate proms for black and white students. The wheels of change were set in motion by actor Morgan Freeman, a son of the local soil, who offered to pay for one prom for all. Following the students through the school year, we see the struggles required to make this happen. For the students, this mostly not a big deal — they've gone to school together all their lives. But division is hard-wired into this town. Not a deep doc, but very well made in telling a story of something that should have been dealt with decades ago. There are plenty fun moments, and it's generally a sweet journey.

Outrage (Dir: Kirby Dick)

This polemical doc focuses on a weird American political phenomenon — closeted queer politicians, mostly Republicans, whose hetero fronts include sponsoring rabidly anti-gay politics. Following a number of cases of varying notoriety and some of the activists who work to "out" them, the film aims to inform and arouse the audience's anger. Unlike, say, The Cove, where I left the theatre pumped up and ready for action, this left me shrugging my shoulders a bit, possibly because these issues seem distant from my time and place. It was enetertaining though, and the thesis (that self-hating queer politicians are one of the biggest dangers to advancing equal rights) is worthy of further reflection. Best of luck with figuring out that gay people don't have cooties, America!