My last two films at Hot Docs were People of a Feather and Love Shines. Unfortunately, I missed You've Been Trumped, at the last minute making time available for out of town guests I hadn't seen since last summer.
My experience at Hot Docs was quite wonderful, including the lineups that were usually in spring sunshine. Meeting interesting people surrounding the events is one of the highlights. I heard about films I hadn't seen and told others about ones I had.
People of a Feather is set in the Belcher Islands in the Arctic and is about the Inuit, the eider duck, the effects of hydroelectric dams and climate change. It was a very beautiful and effective film, also a strong political statement.
Love Shines is about the musical career of singer and songwriter Ron Sexsmith. Not knowing much about how songs get put together and out there in the public sphere, it was fascinating to me. Also to see the creative process, the various people who work together, the studio, the associated insecurities of Sexsmith, the acheivement of his solo show at Massey Hall. Sexsmith was very honest and exposed a lot of his own angst and personal story, which I would imagine took some courage. Afterwards I bought the CD in which the moving song, Love Shines, appears on the track. Sexsmith appeared for the Q&A along with the director, Doug Arrowsmith.
Apparently You've Been Trumped was a good expose of Trump's attempt to build a golf course in Scotland. Gives a sense of a man who wouldn't be the good president he claims he would be! Integrity doesn't seem to be a high point. I like films of this nature about contemporary figures that expose the ways in which they mislead the public. Or perhaps are deluded themselves.
My favourite is still Mama Africa.
Now that the Festival is over, back to writing fiction!
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