Reviews of screenings from the 2009 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Toronto, Canada.
The Red Chapel (Dir: Mads Brügger)
A Danish comedic theatre troupe heads to North Korea to try and expose the evil of that brutal dictatorship. Figuring that the authorities there are oblivious to sarcasm and unable to speak Danish, the crew mostly plays along with their handlers, waiting for chances to catch sight of some of the faultlines. As events unfold, we see different reactions to the doublethink required to maintain the façade: Brügger is fairly cynical and shameless in the depths he'll go to, while morally-centred disabled performer Jacob feels signs of the strain required. It's all darkly funny and manages to show some of the everyday steps required to perpetuate a total system of thought control.
Shadow Billionaire (Dir: Alexis Manya Spraic)
An utterly fascinating story about tycoon Larry Hillblom (the "H" in the courier company DHL) who is lost at sea on a routine flight. Why didn't he get a pilot's licence? Why didn't he write a will? Could there be any repercussions from his penchant for prostitutes? A story that gets weirder as more as revealed. Sadly, there isn't a lot of footage of Hillblom, and throughout there are some visual gaps where the filmmakers are forced to use filler: plenty grainy shots of beaches and sunsets etc. Fortunately, there are some great characters on screen, including a tenacious "rooster" of a lawyer who refuses to give up when faced against big suits and big money. This is an interesting doc, but would work fine to see on television.
The Way We Get By (Dir: Aron Gaudet)
The airport at Bangor, Maine is a major transfer point for troops entering and leaving the U.S. for Iraq. This film follows a group of senior citizens who have made it their job to give the soldiers the best send-off and welcome possible: getting off that plane, the soldiers are greeted by applause, handshakes and hugs. It's also a story about getting old and how folks deal with the physical infirmities and loneliness that the years bring. We follow three seniors from the group, and get to know them and see why this is such an important part of their lives. I'm a soft touch, admittedly, but I was teary for the length of this one. Greeted by enormous applause and a standing ovation, this is the best film I've seen at this year's festival so far.
The Cove (Dir: Louie Psihoyos)
"James Bond meets Jacques Cousteau" is the hook for this eco-triller doc, which looks poised to be a phenomenon when it hits wide release this summer. In a small Japanese fishing village, dolphins are herded into a natural harbour, and the best and plucked out for sale to aquariums around the world. The rest are taken to a hidden cove and slaughtered. Yet no one wants to buy dolphin meat — so what happens to it? Many questions are answered when a team of concerned activists and divers sneak behind the fences to reveal what happens in... The Cove. Expertly constructed for maximum emotional impact, this film also aroused a huge audience reaction. Quite excellent.
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