Hot Docs 2010: May 5 (Wednesday)

Reviews of screenings from the 2010 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Toronto, Canada.

The Peddler (Dir: Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano, Adriana Yurcovich)

Acting is just pretending. Anyone can do it. Which is what the utterly unique Daniel Burmeister proves when he rolls into town in his beat up old car. With a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings and letters of praise, he offers the mayor a deal: in exchange for a month's food and lodging, he will shoot a movie in their village, starting the local townspeople. This is no scam — Burmeister has done this dozens of times. Though he has no IMDB listing, he has over sixty movies to his credit.

And so, we watch Burmeister in action. A hands-on optimist, there's no problem that can't be solved, and few ideas he won't say yes to. (When taking a cab ride, he asks the driver if he'd considered being in the movie. The driver says, no, of course not, etc. for a couple seconds before moving to "maybe". And then, pulling a garish wig out of nowhere, asks, "could I wear this?" Sure!) And so, we get something like Roger Corman's La nuit américaine, with the zero-budget production rapidly moving along. Burmeister is about as DIY as it gets, and we're treated to lessons from world's quickest film school as we watch his practical methods for getting shots and reverses, special effects, dolly shots and, ultimately, editing. And once the project is done, the grand premiere in the town hall, with everyone excited to see themselves on screen. Not only can the townspeople order a copy, they are left with memories of the one time something exciting happened in their dusty town, some new encounters with fellow citizens, and maybe just a bit of an idea that they could do something they'd never have dreamed possible.

Nicely shot and laugh-out-loud funny throughout, this was one my favourites of the festival so far.

Steam of Life (Dir: Joonas Berghäll, Mika Hotakainen)

An elegantly simple series of vignettes, all linked by the uniquely Finnish love of the sauna. Inside, men have a space to be open and unguarded — as naked emotionally as they are physically. (And, indeed, there's a lot of non-sexual nudity in this film, though most of it is wrinkly or bulgy and not very prurient except for the especially inclined.) And so, in a series of diverse and unique saunas, we get a series of conversations — some sad, a few amusing, but all far removed from the stoic, macho image these men present to the outside world. A very touching tribute to Finnish men realizing that sometimes talking about it makes things seem better.

Freetime Machos (Dir: Mika Ronkainen)

Speaking of the state of Finnish masculinity, this doc takes us along for a season with the Oulu rugby squad. Though they are pretty serious about their team — the practice a lot and even have their own beefcake charity calendar — they're not, frankly, very good. Their goal for the new season is to do just well enough to avoid relegation to the lower division. But this is just a backdrop against we can watch the warm friendship between Matti and Mikko, as well as a memorable supporting cast. We get a lot of boys' talk and locker room naughtiness, but also a poignant investigation into the perils of manhood, friendship, and growing older. Top-notch production values seal the deal, making this a highly-enjoyable experience.

Complaints Choir (Dir: Ada Bligaard Søby)

Conceived as a project by Finnish artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Koctha-Kalleinen, the Complaints Choir delivers exactly what its name suggests. Potential members come up with lists of grievances, and the best are arranged as a choral performance. This film captures the artists working on a sort of franchise model, helping to establish new Complaints Choirs in Chicago and Singapore. Although, like a lot of art concepts, this seems equal parts clever idea and chance to subsidize a jet-setting lifestyle, some interesting stands emerge. While in Chicago the Choir attracts mostly liberal, organic shopping NPR listeners (as one reflective attendee observes), in Singapore — where public complaining is decidedly not encouraged by the government — the Choir seems less like a goofy lark and more like a vehicle for free expression, at which point it's shut down by the regime. There were a few amusing moments, and an interesting cultural contrast, but this ultimately wasn't particularly satisfying overall. Even the music of the actual choirs — which was featured less than one might have guessed anyway — didn't engage all that much.

(Oh, and my complaint? Movies that are predominantly in English don't require subtitles throughout. It just gets distracting.)

Although, as the case may be, I was actually at this screening more for the preceding mid-length doc, the utterly delightful The Fabulous Fiff and Fam (Dir: Solveig Melkeraaen). Nearly ninety years old, Fiff and Fam are life-long friends, and we follow them meeting each other for an annual resort vacation. Both are still filled with astonishment at the world and figure they have a lot of living yet ahead of them. They eye the "younger men" (oh, those sixty-somethings!) and lounge by the pool just as they might have a half-century before. As elegant as its subjects, this film is a perfectly delightful character sketch and testament to long-standing friendship. I will think of Fiff and Fam every time I pour myself a glass of Bristol Cream.