Tag: Hot Docs

TheNFB’s May Release Schedule Celebrates More Than Asian Heritage Month.

And we offer a recap on titles we reviewed some months ago, and include a look at what’s coming, our top picks and trailers of a few TheNFB works too (where available).

TheNFB National Film Board of Canada LOGOSpring is in the air, and there’s lots happening over at the National Film Board of Canada. Not only are they also celebrating Asian Heritage Month, but also recognising new talents in the medium of animation and storytelling. It’s great to see that there’s some Asian talent being recognised in this TheNFB’s Hothouse program.

Here’s a list of what’s here and coming soon:

Starting May 1
Asian Heritage Month AT THENFB

  • Following a multi-award-winning festival run, Toronto creators Thao Lam and Kjell Boersma’s animated short doc Boat People uses a striking metaphor to trace one Vietnamese family’s flight across the turbulent waters of history. Our review can be read here, and it’s a strong piece to bring awareness about those grandparents who gave up a lot to give their children, and their kids a brand new life. (disclaimer: some of the video attachments are geolocked to Canada)

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It’s Okay to Have a Playing Card “Lost in the Shuffle,” But Don’t Let Your Eyes Stray During that Legerdemain

Just how the deck of playing cards evolved over time to become part of a magician’s bag of tricks is perfectly explored in Lost in the Shuffle, and you’ll wonder where your socks disappeared to as well!

Lost in the Shuffle with JonPlaying at Hot Docs
May 1 8:15 pm at the TIFF Lightbox 1
Toronto, Ontario

Everything that viewers want to know about how the deck of cards came to be, why it’s played in certain social circles and when stage magicians embraced it for their tricks is well covered in the documentary Lost in the Shuffle. Just when I thought it concerned revealing how a few tricks are done, there’s more to this stage prop than meets the eye.

Like Jon Ornoy, who narrates this piece, I was enamoured with the art. Not all of them have that boring patterned back, and some of the early designs are art pieces in itself! They turn out to be very collectable and have a hefty price tag to them. As for why that king, queen, and jack exist on the face, what’s revealed is apparently factual! As for why spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs exist, there’s even a tale behind that too. But why should that matter to a card trick master like him?

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When Red Fever Delivers an Honest Look at Indigenous Rights, What’s Revealed is Important

In what makes Red Fever’s cinematic discourse effective is that the filmmakers are able to touch upon a lot of issues without being too preachy.

Red Fever Documentary Poster
This documentary played at Hot Docs on May 1st, 5:00pm at the Ted Rogers Cinema May 3rd, 5:30pm at the TIFF Lightbox 1 Toronto, Ontario

Coming to Theatres June 14 

Catherine Bainbridge and Neil Diamond’s Red Fever is a very eye-opening documentary about why Native American culture fascinates the world. The iconography is nearly everywhere. Whether that’s with certain fashion trends or because entertainment rarely properly looks at their way of life, not everyone is happy about it.

What this film does is to show how White man has misrepresented those motifs. I’m glad what’s revealed will have an effect on those watching this presentation, and what’s special is its historic significance. Some of it can be traced to matters of spirituality, and other aspects concern lineage.

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