CJRU reporters Reza Hassanirad, Lauren Malyk and Jacob Dubé bring you their top picks from Hot Docs 2015 – talking music lessons, Kurt Cobain, aliens and more.
Kurt Cobain was one of the most influential people of the ‘90s. As the singer and guitarist of Nirvana, he served as the symbol of rebellion for millions of teens worldwide, with his suicide in 1994 further cementing his symbol status. In Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, director Brett Morgan firmly roots Cobain to the ground and ditches the mythos to show a raw, unbridled look on the musician’s life.
Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas isn’t like other reporters. He has been called “the James Bond of investigative journalism” for his unique style and talent in breaking news stories. In Chameleon, director Ryan Mullins gives an unrestricted look into the life of the mysterious faceless man who aims to “name, shame and jail.”
Every once in a while, among the monochrome suits walking to their next meeting while keeping to themselves, an eccentric will appear. They could be doing anything from riding their unicycle to taking their pet iguana on a walk, but it is refreshing to know they are among us. This is the group of people that Oscar-winning documentarian John Zaritsky attempts to present in this film.
It’s not every day that a phone call with a close relative is abruptly ended by the sound of the prison’s dial tone indicating that the time is up. In Pinocchio, director André-Line Beauparlant deals with a troublesome brother whom she can barely trust in a film that challenges just how far family ties can stretch before they break. <
A unique docu-simulation by director Michael Madsen, fits beautifully into this zeitgeist of giddy expectation by asking: what would really happen if Earth was visited by an alien entity? No, you won’t find any metropolitan-sized explosions or death rays or anything remotely geared towards a summer blockbuster crowd in the film.
Scattered along the coastlines and islands of Southern Thailand and Burma live the Moken, an ancient people whose lives are intimately interwoven with the rhythms of the ocean. Sailing a Sinking Sea beautifully profiles the sea-voyaging nomadism of the 3500 year old culture and immerses the viewer in their idyllic life-world.
When it comes to cinema, categories with the adjective “short” tend to be overlooked. It’s a shame, because there are many temporally truncated but towering films. Don’t skimp on short. It’s often sweet. Two examples of wonderful short documentaries are Home Cooked Music and Hell Runs on Gasoline, both Canadian produced.
In a world full of bubbly soda-filled drinks and fast food, it’s no surprise that sugar is everywhere and the impact it has on our diet. This documentary focuses in on The Sugar Association, Inc.’s battle with the public and professionals for the US sugar industry.
In this short 20-minute film, Music Lessons, the viewer observes the children at Yorkwoods Public School, near Jane and Finch, learn and grow through with the music they create. The viewer is invited to watch, learn and grow with the children from the moment they first learn how to make paper violins to when they open up their instruments case.
