Hot Docs 2010: May 7 (Friday)

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

Sisters in Law (Dir: Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi)

What makes traditions sacrosanct? How do social values change, anyway? Once again looking at a society through the lens of its legal system, Kim Longinotto (collaborating with Florence Ayisi) doesn't directly investigate these questions, but they are hovering in the background throughout. Following some strong women working inside the legal system as well as others, equally strong, whose cases are being heard, we get a snapshot of a moment where these individuals are pushing social change along, getting the first successful prosecution in Cameroon for spousal abuse. As we follow a few cases through the system, Longinotto's camera remains inquisitive and unobtrusive as always. Compelling stuff.

These Girls (Dir: Tahani Rached)

One of three films in the retrospective "Focus on Tahani Rached" programme, here we spend some time with a group of homeless girls in Cairo. On the one hand, these girls live in a state of freedom outside society (the film opens with one riding a horse through busy highway traffic) but of course sometimes freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose. Life on the streets isn't easy, especially for those pregnant or with children, but they all have to face not only the elements but also many threats to their safety. To kill time and give themselves courage they sniff glue or take drugs, and there aren't a lot of social supports for them to lean on. In fact, besides one middle-class woman who takes it on herself to help the girls, there's no society for these girls outside the one they create for themselves. Gaining their trust and staying close to the subjects, this film works both as a social examination and a character study in its low-key, observational way.

War Games and The Man Who Stopped Them (Dir: Dariusz Jabłoński)

A great story trapped in a middling documentary. Ryszard Kuklinski, a colonel in the Polish army, decides as a matter of patriotism and principal to become a spy, sending thousands of Warsaw Pact documents to American intelligence agencies. How — and why — did he do it? Avoiding all media after finally defecting to the United States, filmmaker Jabłoński is about to finally interview the elusive Kuklinski, until he has a stroke on the eve of their meeting. This forces Jabłoński to make a different kind of movie than he was expecting, and it is here that some of the problems arise. Although excellently researched and with access to a large number of inside players on both sides of the iron curtain, Jabłoński chooses to insert himself into the narrative, framing the movie with a poorly-thought-out and poorly-executed first-person travelogue. This pads the running time unnecessarily. Another poor choice was a cheesy video game-styled series of computer animations illustrating some of the Warsaw Pact tactics that Kuklinski was passing along.

A very rough start to the movie made me worry this was going to be unwatchable, but it slowly improved. Plus, as I mentioned, it's a fascinating story. On the whole though, a less-than-satisfying viewing experience and not recommended.