Tag: Documentary

At F1RST, The Spirit Who Swims Sheds Light On A Local Problem

Through powerful storytelling, The Spirit Who Swims highlights the resilience of Indigenous stewardship and the urgent need to protect both salmon and Indigenous rights.

Playing at FIRST: A Celebration of Indigenous FilmThe Spirit Who Swims Movie Poster

The next time I go fishing, I’m paying respect to the river for allowing me to catch my bounty. That’s because the well-meaning documentary, The Spirit Who Swims, shows how the times have changed. From net catching to being more than a sport, there’s a lot more to just going out to reconnect with nature. This movie directed by Bev Sellars and Garry Tutte examines the clash between local Indigenous communities who subsisted on fishing for continued growth versus the west. To be specific, the Secwépemc, Stó:lō and Tsilhqot’in are identified.

When Europeans came to North America and formed their governments, they wanted to gatekeep. While these colonials were not dependent on the land to find their sustenance, others were. While four particular indigenous communities depended on the bounties the Fraser River offered, the other settlers saw something else and changed the way the waters flow.

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When Endless Cookie Offers A Touch of the Surreal

No, this film isn’t about food, but the metaphors are certainly evident in Endless Cookie. It’s a very quirky slice-of-life work by animator/filmmaker Seth Scriver.

Endless Cookie Movie PosterNow playing at select cinemas in Canada. Please check local listings (or see below)

Unlike similarly styled comedy sketches that were popular in its day, Endless Cookie is an animated film that’s basically a vignette of moments about two half-brothers. What this work delves into concerns what life is like between Seth Scriver (who is white and lives in Toronto) and Peter Scriver (who is Indigenous, from the Shamattawa First Nation in northern Canada). It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025 and is certainly heartfelt. After it’s run at imagineNATIVE Film Festival, it’s now playing at select cinemas across Canada which started June 13th.

When compared to the shenanigans on what I recall from SCTV and The McKenzie Brothers, the situations are similar. And the approaches to making a subtle social commentary are dead on. While these live-action skits are certainly more of a parody of Canadian identity, this animated biography goes much further.

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Coming Soon! Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror

Kaleidoscope Entertainment has confirmed that Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror is set for a UK release, with an exclusive first look at the new artwork. 

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror Kaleidoscope Entertainment

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror will celebrate its UK Premiere at Sheffield DocFest on 19th June, screening at SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival on 22nd June, before having its Irish Premiere at GAZE on August 3rd, with additional previews and festival screenings soon to be announced. Following its festival run, fans will experience the ultimate ode to all things Rocky Horror in cinemas across the UK & Ireland from 3rd October. As for when this will come to America, it’s possible that negotiations are under way for a Halloween release.

In this SXSW hit, the cult phenomenon of Rocky Horror is explored in depth like never before with an extraordinary cast of contributors.

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After Watching The Grocery List Show, To Say “Who’s Hungry” Goes Without Saying….

The Grocery List Show is coming to PBS soon, and we got a preview! Although this series run is very short, let’s hope this miniseries will grow and show why buying local matters!

The Grocery List ShowWorld Premiere

I’m spending my time checking out the short films being played at the Los Angeles Asian Film Festival and when there’s “food” involved, I have to begin with The Grocery List Show. This five-part series hosted by Chef Chrissy Camba will be available on May 28 on PBS YouTube channel and their app, and it’s an impressive look at what keeps some mom-and-pop type operations alive.

Quite often, after school, I’d stop by my local corner store for a snack and maybe a comic book. They had some essential groceries too, since not everyone wanted to make a longer trip to the market for a jug of milk. Although today’s stores are not like that, the reason is because of how times have changed. Instead of finding next month’s Spider-Man here, it’s only Archie these days. Sometimes, those personalities behind the counter are people I know from either down the street or they live in the suite upstairs.

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Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie is Perhaps Their Best Recap To Date!

Before these two comedy legends retire, Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie show the duo at their best. This documentary examines both the good and the bad of their decades-long career, entertaining and examining society’s ills.

Cheech and Chong's Last Movie PosterRelease Date: Apr 25

Cheech and Chong’s Last Movieis perhaps the best documentary made to recount everything that’s happened in their careers. That’s because this road trip movie is the best way to present them fondly recalling their work as they head to some unknown destination, perhaps to smoke their last joint. The best part is in how they are being themselves instead of their on-stage characters. I’m glad to see them as best friends rather than anything else.

Here, this work directed by David Bushell also goes further back in time to consider how each of them got their start as a comedian. It also examines their childhoods and considers the problematic times which still hold today. When parts of the United States of America take issue with immigrants, Tommy left to go live in Vancouver, BC. He wanted to avoid the draft than deal with individuals who didn’t like the fact he’s of multicultural descent. While there, he met Cheech and the rest is history. Although success wasn’t immediate, they kept ongoing.

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On How My Dearest Fu Bao Will Be Sadly Missed Far and Wide

Look out Po, My Dearest Fu Bao may well beat you out for cute and cuddly. This adorable panda literally grows up for everyone to see before going home to China

My Dearest Fu Bao Movie PosterAvailable to stream on VOD

I wonder, in this modern age, whether we need zoos. Not every one knows about what goes on behind the scenes, and those handlers who live by Steve Irwin’s credo deserve a lot of hugs too when one animal dies or must move on. When My Dearest Fu Bao thoroughly details all that affection from all those individuals who have been with her since the beginning, it’s best to have a box of tissues nearby!

To say goodbye to this adorable panda is tough. That’s because she is South Korea’s first giant panda bred and born in captivity. In an agreement made with China, all the pandas loaned to other country’s reserves (to expand the gene pool) must “come home” to live at the Wolong National Nature Reserve.

When archival footage gives viewers a look at her life at Everland’s Panda World, everyone assumes she is happy. Although they know the handlers must send her home to live with others of her kind, that journey to get to that moment will have many folks feeling misty eyed. Unlike Lucy, who must live out her life at the Edmonton Zoo (my movie review can be read here) and cannot join a proper herd, the contrast is heart-wrenching. Anyone curious about this pachyderm’s current health crisis can easily google up the latest news. I learned about the problems that can arise when moving animals to better habitats. Continue reading “On How My Dearest Fu Bao Will Be Sadly Missed Far and Wide”