“The years before five last the rest of their lives”, or so the saying goes. But what happens when the years before five are spent in an environment of neglect, abuse and unsafe conditions? Can a child so broken in their formative years that they are unable to trust, relate to those around them,…
Category: Film Festivals
The Mechanical Bride – Allison De Fren, USA
“ The fourth skin job is Pris. A basic pleasure model. The standard item for military clubs in the outer colonies. They were designed to copy human beings in every way except their emotions.” – from the film Blade Runner The Mechanical Bride is a fascinating film that delves into the sub-culture of life-like…
The Boxing Girls of Kabul – Ariel J. Nasr, Canada
The Olympic Stadium in Afghanistan, once a grim execution ground for women under the Taliban rule, is now home to a boxing coach and the ragtag group of determined young women he has been training. Their passion for the sport is immediately evident in their enthusiastic attempts to learn everything their coach can teach…
Sexy Baby – Ronna Gradus & Jill Bauer, USA
The digital age has impacted every facet of our life, and it’s arguable that our sex and sexuality has been most impacted by it. Sexy Baby, a new documentary from Ronna Gradus and Jill Bauer presents that argument very strongly through the tale of three women. This is one of those documentaries that makes you…
An Affair Of The Heart – Sylvia Caminer, USA
Documenting the past few decades of an icon like Rick Springfield can’t be an easy task. Adding in stories and impressions from the legions of adoring fans he has amassed over the years could seem nearly impossible to an outsider looking in. What director Sylvia Caminer has done with An Affair Of The Heart, however,…
Planet of Snail – Seung-Jin Yi, South Korea, Japan, Finland
Planet of Snail, a South Korean/Japanese/Finnish co-production, directed by Seung-Jun Yi, is a gentle, slice-of-life style documentary. It lets us into the lives of two extraordinary people, the deaf-blind Korean poet and writer Young-Chan, who’s enclosed existence allows him to live without the entrapments of ego, but allows for a wonderful, singular love story. He…
The Record Breaker – Brian McGinn, Denmark
Paired with Ping-Pong this half hour short follows Ashrita Furman, the man who holds the official record for the most Guiness World Records by one person (approx. 415 by the time of the screening on April 29, 2012). And delightfully they’re all fun – using the worlds biggest hula hoop, walking in the world’s…
Ping-Pong – Hugh Hartford, UK
Ping Pong is an applause inducing, laugh filled boisterously rowdy film entrenched in joy and sportsmanship. It follows a group of seniors from all over the world who are coming to China to compete in the world championships. Ranging in age from 80 to 100, these players are still going strong. The film delves into…
Finding Truelove – Sam Kuhn, USA
After finding an old high school yearbook at a Value Village, four friends become intrigued with the members of that school’s senior class. Judging the hairstyles and attire of the late 80’s, Michael, Clay, Sam and Andrew spend the next few years choosing their favourite girls and guys from the grad photos, making some…
The Punk Syndrome – Jukka Karrkkainen & J-P Passi, Finland
The Punk Syndrome is a rock, sorry, punk documentary film that follows Finland’s Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day. There’s infighting, jam sessions, gigs, tours, parties, love stories, broken hearts, moving out of your parents’ home, and pedicures. And every single one of the band members is mentally challenged. But in the best tradition of our…
The Mind Reels 