OH Canada, who art thou? Ketchup anyone?

What is Canada?  Who are it's people?  What is it's Culture?

 It has been a while since I have written a post about Food Festivals but I went to one in North York that sparked my frustration. I put up a rant on Instagram that I have since deleted after getting a reply from someone I know who didn't understand the point I was trying to make and thought I was being ignorant.  So I decided to take more time and reword what I was trying to say properly.

I decided to go to the Sweets Festival on Canada Day at Mel Lastman Square because it's within walking distance and I wanted to get out for a bit.

It said there were games and stuff for the kids,  Canadian treats, and more.  Ok, so I thought maybe there will be things like butter tarts or something, who knows.  Well, the most Canadian thing at that festival was me, Canadian-born wearing a red and white shirt and holding a little Canadian flag that they handed out.

Don't get me wrong,  everyone is entitled to do a festival but this festival was not what I thought from the advertising and from what Canada Day events there were like in the past.  In previous years there were fireworks, and food trucks including ice cream trucks on the street.  There were all types of vendors and there were more Canadian-influenced things there.  

There was a Sweets Festival at David Pecaut Square in the past and I thought that was going to be there in a small way but the closest thing to sweets was mochi donuts and something in a coconut bowl.  The vendors were some of the same vendors that had been at the last few Asian festivals so not a whole lot of new things to see and not a whole lot of Canada Day besides the flags and a string activity for the kids but I am not even sure what they were making.

I made a stupid reference in my rant about taking away Indigenous culture from the kids who were taken away from their families by the Canadian Government.  In no way do I think that was right and to me, there is no difference in the generational trauma that the Indigenous people experienced from the people of the holocaust to the black people during slavery.  It was all a loss of freedom, lives,  everything they owned, and who they were.  No one was worse than the other one for the people experiencing that trauma in their family.   I can honestly say that as the daughter of a holocaust survivor.  It leaves lifelong scars even though they can't be seen in most cases.  

The point I was trying to make in my post was that since Canada is trying to do reconciliation for the human rights violations against the Indigenous people we are throwing the baby out with the bath water so to speak and basically erasing any good that was celebrated on Canada Day in the past.  Their people must receive reconciliation but I don't think that should negate showing pride in being Canadian and the other great things we have in Canada.  We have the right to protest which some countries do not have.  For a large country, we have shrunk our pride out of shame.  We have so many huge global artists such as Drake, Justin Bieber, the Weeknd, Celine Dion, Michael Buble, Shania Twain, Rush, Avril Lavigne and on and on.  We have great artists and fashion designers.  We have great actors, Donald Sutherland who just passed, Ryan Reynolds, Jim Carrey, Ryan Gosling, Christopher Plummer and so many more.

We also have innovative design engineers who can develop space products. 

Sports,  we have the Raptors who flooded the city when they won a few years ago.

We have some of the best restaurants, and they are finally getting recognized by the Michelin Guide.

So many food products are distinctly Canadian like:

• Poutine
• Ketchup Chips
• Caesar's
• Coffee Crisp
• Hawaiian Pizza
• Sushi Pizza
• Nanaimo bars

and we are known for Butter Tarts and the shop on every corner Tim Horton's.

We invented the basketball net, Hockey, Garbage bags, the insulin process, and Ginger Ale.

I wanted to see some of this somewhere in Toronto but I couldn't find it.

This festival had Bao buns, Mochi donuts, squid on a stick,  Filipino turon and pork on a stick, bubble tea, and succulents.

This does not scream Canadian sweet treats to me.  There are festivals at the square almost every weekend throughout the summer.  There have been many vendors that have returned for multiple different festivals.  So far there has been a night market, a Taiwanese festival, a Chinese Festival and there will be a Korean festival and a Hawaiian festival.  That's fantastic and I want to see all these cultures and their food showcased at each festival and not a mish-mash of different Asian things that dilute the name of the festival and the education of what each culture's influences are.  

On Canada Day I wanted to see something that represented the great things in Canada.  I didn't see any of the musical acts and never heard of the ones listed on the program but there could have been future stars I don't know of but it would have been nice to see one well-known maybe not global superstar head an evening performance.  

The fact that the fireworks are gone from Mel Lastman Square but taken over but families all over Willowdale now should provide them with a bit of money to do a bit more.   

I am sure the kids were happy with the bouncy castles and the ice cream from a food truck but, as an adult who is a resident of the area was hoping for more.

I love all the different festivals in the city,  that's what I live for when I have free time but I don't want to lose what being a Canadian is and showing pride and celebrating the good things in this city because life has become tough in the past 10 years, we have lost a lot of the Canada the Good and we need to find a way to see it come back.

The Americans go all out for the 4th of July so I would love to see Canada have that reputation and build its identity as something other than we are nice people.

This is my opinion.  You are entitled to yours but please don't insult me for expressing how I feel about the changes I have seen over the past few years.  We have become a divided Country where your opinion just cancels you instead of fostering a civilized discussion.  We need to learn how to speak without being offended and discuss instead of cancel.

Click Trap- (Hot Docs Review) Click here:

 Click Trap

Duration: 84 & 54 MINUTES 

Genre: FEATURE DOCUMENTARY 

Countries: SPAIN, FRANCE

Director: Peter Porta

Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/GQtcxa2becM

I saw this film during the Hot Docs Festival recently and didn't have time to write a review, but this film has been lingering with me since I watched it.  This film will haunt you every day that you go onto social media, do anything online, and even go out in public at certain places.

I don't know if you are aware of the book 1984 the George Orwell book?  When I was in school the thing they kept talking about was Big Brother is watching you.  Well, it seems that might be true and whoever "Big Brother" is now is watching you do whatever you do online all the time.  

The genie has gotten out of the bottle and is not going back in.  Life has changed dramatically since the internet became available globally.  But what seems great and free has an actual cost that you might not see but you may feel at some point in your life.  

Teens are seeing the most extreme shift in their lives as they have become addicted to social media and all things online.  They get a dopamine hit every time they scroll through their feeds.  It seems harmless, but what if entities were using the information teens are unknowingly providing?

Remember the song Sting wrote: Every Breath You Take?  In this case, it's every click you make they are watching you.

The film is told through a series of expert contributors, who expose the secrets nobody tells you when you first join an app or do anything online.

Some things I knew but the depth that they delve into in this film is shocking and scary.

Lately, I feel like I need a digital detox to spend time in nature away from the constant bombardment of screens and tracking every minute of the day.  Modern life has forced us to spend most of our time online working and connecting with friends and family.

I am old enough to remember days before the internet, cell phones, and social media.  It was a lot less complicated and we as a society were a lot more uninformed about many things.

I use social media to connect with friends, share my blog posts, and find places to go and where the best new places to eat.  But some people use it to harm others and for personal and political gain.

We are bombarded by advertising that is pushed on us 24/7 and companies are using social media to target these ads based on what we show them through our social media life.  Look at Times Square or if you are in Toronto you just need to look at Yonge and Dundas where you are being fed huge billboards filled with advertising on every side of the intersections.

This film is a must-see, and I encourage you to watch it with teens so they can learn how social media use can have a big effect on their lives.

I don't have a release date but you can schedule screenings by contacting them through their website:

The Click Trap . Documentary Official Website

Red Fever- (Hot Docs review) Native people are the original influencers

                                                    RED FEVER (Hot Docs Review)

Feature documentary - 104 minutes 

Direction: Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge

Production : Rezolution Pictures
French Title : Rougemania 

Production country: Canada

Original languages: English 

Subtitles: French

Red Fever follows Cree co-director Neil Diamond as he shines a spotlight on the stereotypes of Native people and their culture.

Neil in NYC

An insightful exploration of the origins of Native culture stereotypes and their appropriation by North American fashion designers and in film.

While the Natives were expected to assimilate into North American culture and lose their identities their identities were then stolen by everyone else. Pop culture has perpetuated stereotypes of Native culture through the appropriation of items such as the native headdress and fringes, which hold significance in ceremonial gatherings and represent protection for the Shamans within Indigenous communities. Many fashion designers and pop artists have directly replicated Native designs from historical sources to profit from them, depriving Native people of the opportunity to benefit from their own cultural capital. This exploitation also devalues the significance and functional purpose of Native attire.

It also examines how sports teams have appropriated Native names and colors for their teams, and even the tomahawk chop is performed without consideration.

The questions of when it is acceptable to be influenced by and draw inspiration from other cultures, and whether it is ethical for non-Native individuals to use these designs for commercial gain, are important to consider.

This film sensitively explores the detrimental effects of cultural appropriation on Native communities. The film is told from the perspective of a Cree filmmaker and is eye-opening. This film is both interesting and educational. It should be shown in schools because it's a part of history. It illustrates how things have been adopted and have become accepted as the norm.

This film will have its theatrical release on June 15, 2024. Check your local listings.

The Boy in the Woods -a true survival story

The Boy in the Woods (Film)

UPCOMING SCREENING HIGHLIGHTS:
Toronto Jewish Film Festival -  June 2, 2024
Cummings Centre Governor's  Screening (Montréal, QC) - June 10, 2024 
Grand River Film Festival (Waterloo, ON) - May 12, 2024
*Theatrical release is set for June 21, 2024

COUNTRY: Canada 
LANGUAGE: English
RUNTIME: 99 minutes 

CAST:
Jett Klyne (Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Supergirl, Phantom Pups)
Richard Armitage (Obsession, The Hobbit film trilogy, The Crucible)
David Kohlsmith (Chucky, Painkiller, Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go)

DIRECTOR: Canadian Screen Award winning Rebecca Snow (Cheating Hitler: Surviving the Holocaust, Pandora’s Box, Crossroads: Beyond Boom & Bust)

WRITERS: 
Maxwell Smart (book - bestselling author - ‘The Boy in the Woods’)
Rebecca Snow (screenplay)

the Link to the trailer:

https://magnetreleasing.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f9b0a996bf01892fdd22b1ca7&id=77c273e136&e=91947b0a4b

 I got a screener around the time of Hot Docs but I didn't have time to watch it but I finally had the time this week and found out that The Boy in the Woods will be at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival (32nd Toronto Jewish Film Festival - Toronto Jewish Film Festival (tjff.com) on June 2nd, 2024.  I hope you see this in time to get a chance to see the film because it's well worth seeing.

This film was based on a true story and was originally a documentary about Holocaust survivor and artist Maxwell Smart.  I assume that's his real name.

The Documentary director saw it clearly as a feature film and Max agreed to do it.  

I believe there comes a time in your life when you want to tell your story in the hopes of it making a difference to future generations and leaving a legacy in your life.

Although the story differs from my own mother's story about surviving the Holocaust they both come with the return to regular life after the war and are left with the traumatic scars of their experiences and have to pick up the pieces and move forward with their life.

This story seems unbelievable if it wasn't a true story.  Max was separated from his sister and mother just as they were about to be taken away to most likely be killed by the Germans during the war.  His mother had the presence of mind to tell him to run and to find an aunt who could help him.  He ran and ran and found that aunt but things weren't going to go so easily for him from then on.   The aunt arranged for him to stay with a family in the woods, but after the Germans arrived at the home and harassed the man, he was forced to send Max to the woods to keep his family and Max safe.  He set him up in a little enclave and taught him some basics on how to survive.  After a while another boy stumbled upon his little hideaway and the 2 became best friends in trying to survive the difficulties of starvation and the elements.  One day they heard gunshots and found several people dead but Max thought he saw someone alive.  It turned out to be a mother who was dead but she had covered up a baby and Max and Yanek worked together to cross a river to get the baby to safety.  Max saved that baby's life but unfortunately, things got worse for Yanek.  They brought the baby to the family who were able to take care of it.

Somehow Max managed to survive against all odds to make it out at the end of the war and was able to return to the family.

While he was hunkered down in the Woods,  he dreamed about becoming an artist and buying nice clothes, and getting all the food he wanted.

He immigrated to Canada and was able to live his dream.  

This is the power of keeping your faith and moving forward one step at a time and never giving up.

This is a Canadian film but it looks like a big-budget Hollywood film.  It's shot beautifully.  It's written with depth and heart.   It tells a story that has historical references while still being entertaining.

The acting was fantastic by Jett Klyne who plays Max.

I really hope this film gets the recognition it deserves and I will be rooting for it to be included in the 2025 Academy Awards.

I have probably shared too much but you still need to see it to appreciate it.

It represents all the Holocaust survivors who lived to create generations of families and their legacy.

ICFF film festival back at the Distillery

 I attended the #ICFF2024 - Italian Contemporary Film Festival Press Conference today at the Distillery District.  It returns to the Distillery from June 27 to July 22nd.

Returning for the 2nd year is the Dark Side program with more horror films and even some never seen films.

There are many international films from over 22 countries.

One of Toronto's favourite filmmakers Guillermo Del Toro will have his Shape of Water screen at the festival.

This year they will have a Norman Jewison tribute program called Jewison's Compass, with some of his films including Moonstruck, In the Heat of the Night and The Thomas Crown Affair.

There is a focus on Sustainability this year and there's a documentary called Green over Grey,  which includes a panel discussion.  There is also a Wine tasting, doc film and panel.

And with a nod to Classic Italian film there is a Fellini exhibition this year.

They are bringing back the free music concerts in the afternoons.

The films come in packages that include food tastings,  popcorn and drinks. 

The tastings are from booths around the distillery.

One of the things I would like to attend is the Cinematic Tour. $21 on a Sunday afternoon you can tour the distillery and find out where some of the Worlds greatest films were shot and there's also a scavenger hunt. Sounds fun.

And there's a haunted walk.  Since the Distillery goes way back I am sure there are lots of stories there.

I love the Italian Comedies, they are really broad comedies.

One of the films I saw at Tiff was Next Goal Wins by Taika Watiti and it will screen a couple of times.

A new Hollywood film is Space Cadet with Emma Roberts.

Another highly talked about TIFF film from Atom Egoyen is Seven Veils. 

The best part of the festival is watching it outdoors sitting on blow up couches under the twinkle lights and the stars.  Having it outdoors does come with challenges but if the day is nice it's glorious.

#ICFF2024

For more information: Schedule - ICFF - Lavazza IncluCity

For tickets:   AudienceView Professional (ovationtix.com)

Michel Gondry-Do it yourself- (Hot docs)

 

• Director: François Nemeta
• Writer: Stéphane Davet, François Nemeta
• Stars: Björk, Jack Black, Jim Carrey
• Genre: Documentary
• Time: 1hr and 20 min.
• Release Date: 2023-09-04

I watched the documentary Michel Gondry-Do it Yourself during the Hot Docs Film Festival but finally getting to the review of it now because I am behind in my reviews.

It was a very artsy documentary.  I had heard of Michel Gondry but didn't know anything about him so I was very surprised to find out about how many artist and projects that I knew that were his projects or collaborations.

Michel Gondry is definitely an original artist who has his own vision that is outside of the convention of the film and video world.

 

Some of the artists he has worked with include:

• Bjork
• Beck
• Kylie Minogue
• Daft Punk
• The Chemical Brothers
• Jack Black
• Jack White

What they have in common are artists that originate not copy and do things no one else would think of.

His film projects include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Considered mind-bending at the time.

This documentary is more of an art house type of film but you find out so many things about a man that is more well known to indie artist than to the public.

I found it fascinating to see how he works and where the ideas come from.

His work is like broken mirrors and abstract art.  It's messy, wonky, mad, fragmented, and crazy.

The film is worth a look especially if you grew up in the 80's because it will feel like a flashback.

I don't know where it will be shown yet but I am pretty sure this film will be one of those cult classic films that you will find at film festivals and streaming somewhere.

Beethoven's Nine: Ode to Humanity (Hot Docs review)

 BEETHOVEN’S NINE: ODE TO HUMANITY (Hot Docs)

When the story becomes personal

A Film by Larry Weinstein

World Premiere 

Country: Canada

2023

Languages: English

Director Larry Weinstein

Produced by Liam Romalis, Jason Charters, Riddle Films Inc.

Executive Producer Sarah Polley

Runtime:  83 minutes

Trailer: Hot Docs 2024 Trailer: BEETHOVEN'S NINE (youtube.com)

Website: Home - riddlefilms.com

This film's synopsis doesn't do it justice. The film veers way beyond the concept of Beethoven's music and war to connections to art, and psychology and then it becomes personal for the director.

I was captivated by this film and originally thinking it was just going to be a history lesson about Beethoven and his career. It was that and so much more. Told through some archival footage and interviews with psychologists, music historians, and people connected to art and culture. There are links to the music and war and it starts off with references to Hitler and the Germans. This film was in progress during the Russia/Ukraine conflict so it references that war as well. The film was also filmed in the middle of the October 7, 2023 attack on the Israelis by Gaza. The connection to that conflict became extremely personal to the director as his sister was one of the people who was shot in a field with her husband and they didn't know if they were alive or not. The director was then forced to connect his personal story to the original story in the film making this a richer layered and sad connection to the film.

The other notable connections to Beethoven were the cartoon strips created by Charles Schulz. You will never look at that comic strip the same way after seeing the connection. Conductor Leonard Bernstein's last performances are portrayed in the film and the connection is made to his life.

The making of Beethoven's last compositions was extraordinary because he was deaf and the making of this film became equally as extraordinary because of the real-life situations that were parallel to the making of the film.

There are many themes including, equality, power, wealth, art, suffering, freedom, and many other emotions that are brought to the surface.

I don't have a release date. The doc had 3 screenings at the Hotdocs.ca film festival.

If it gets released soon please make sure you put it on your watchlist. It's a very important film.

Luther: Never Too Much (Hot Docs)

LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH 

Directed by Dawn Porter 2024 | English | Documentary | USA | 101 minutes 

Luther Vandross was an Icon in the Music Industry, known for his smooth and sexy voice.  He was a multi-Grammy Award-winning artist who sold over 50 million albums. Some of his biggest hits included Dance with My Father, Endless Love, and Ain't No Stopping Us Now.   

 This documentary is a look at his illustrious career.  It's a celebration of all the great music he made and the people he worked with and influenced throughout his career.  He was a singer, songwriter, and producer and helped many people with their music.  I was surprised to learn that he worked with David Bowie on his Young Americans song.  Another unlikely connection was his collaboration with Richard Marx.  Luther's music seemed to flow easily but his life and health not as much.  Luther always struggled with his weight and was striving to look like the artist he thought he should look like.  He was categorized as an R&B singer but he wanted to do so much more.  He sacrificed everything in his life for music.

In 2003 he suffered a stroke just before what turned out to be his final album.  Although his whole career was about singing songs of love, sadly he did not have that one love in his life or any children but he was surrounded by the love of his friends, collaborators, and fans.  He exuded love and joy throughout his life even though it wasn't easy.

Luther Vandross (born April 20, 1951, New York, New York, U.S.—died July 1, 2005, Edison, New Jersey) 

INTERVIEWS 

In total, 20 interviews conducted were included in the film including the following participants (listed in order of appearance): 

The Outpost- one man's dream of saving the Amazon with a Rock concert

 

The OUTPOST at the  (Hot Docs Film Festival)

A documentary by Edoardo Morabito Italy, Brazil | 84min | Color | 5.1 & Stereo | 1.78:1 | Italian, English, Portuguese 

Screening at the hotdocs.ca film festival

Christopher Clark a Scottish man living in the Amazon wants to save the world by raising money to save the Rainforest in Brazil.

A chain smoker with a big dream to get Pink Floyd or at least David Gilmour to put on a massive concert in the rainforest to raise the money to build back paradise in the Amazon.  

His journey attracts the filmmaker to follow his dream in hopes of success in his endeavors.

Chris, with his Scottish, working-class values,  tries to move the earth in the Amazon, but corruption and apathy become his roadblocks.

He journeys to London to try and connect with past contacts who can reach out to other celebrities and well-connected contacts to see if he can get money to move forward.  Lots of talk but nothing pans out from that attempt.

He returns to the Amazon and then tries to develop an outpost but the government has other plans.

He holds on to his dream and tries everything he can to make it happen and things don't go as planned.

He watches the forest burn in the fires and things fall apart.  

Chris believes he will die in the forest but once again his plan changed as he developed cancer and moved back to Scotland to live with his sister.  Unfortunately, he died in a hospital in Edinborough so he was never able to see his dream come true but just before he died he found out they guaranteed a reserve of the Rainforest so at least some of it would be protected.

This is a story of a dream, persistence, blind faith, and idealism.  

This film is visually stunning with the contrast of the destruction of the Amazon and the beauty that still exists.  

It's a cautionary tale of Climate Change, greed, and the lack of caring to protect the ecology for the future.

It's a very sad look at where we are going as a people.

www.hotdocs.ca

Born Hungry-life can change course at any time.

 BORN HUNGRY

at www.hotdocs.ca

Sash Simpson

Directed and Written by Barry Avrich
Executive Producers: Jay Hennick, Mark Selby, 
Cinematographer: Ken Ng 
Cast: Sash Simpson, Shipra Khanna, Thomas Zacharias, Sandra Simpson 
Year: 2024 
Run Time: 77 minutes 
Countries: Canada Language: English 

This film is a beautiful journey from a street kid in India to a celebrated Chef in Canada.  

How did he get there? 

Sash Simpson as he is known now was given his name when he moved to Canada to be adopted by caring Philanthrophists  Sandra and Lloyd Simpson.  Sandra a saint set up an orphanage that saved Sash's life at 5 years old.  From 5 years old he somehow survived on the streets of India until Sandra and an Indian woman found him sitting on a bench and they took him to their Canadian foundation orphanage where he would finally have a bed, clothing, and most importantly food.  This changed the trajectory of his life.  A determined boy, he constantly tugged on Sandra to bring him to Canada and, as a Christmas gift to her he was finally brought to live with her in Canada along with many other orphaned kids who came and went, estimated at about 31.  The family had 4 biological children as well who all accepted these other kids as normal for their family.

Because of this large family it became the children's task of cooking at least one night a week and Sash's specialty was his favourite spaghetti.  When you have to cook for that many people it becomes easy to work in a professional kitchen because you can handle the stress.

I have never met Sash but have been aware of him for a long time because he was on a TV show about catering events that his boss and mentor Mark McEwan (North 44 and Bymark) was the subject of.

I have met and eaten McEwan's food many times so Sash may have cooked some of it.

I have a couple other connections to this film.  I used to work at the director's former company for a year in a not-very-exciting role.  And one of the other producers was on my TIFF team for a couple of festivals.  So not only was this film sort of about food and a chef but there were so many other reasons to see it.

I loved this film because Sash returned to India to find out about his past and search for his family but what he found was the flavours, the culture, and the feelings he had when he was a boy trying to survive.  It was a full circle moment when he was serving food to the boys at the Orphanage where he lived.

He explored the markets,  all I can say about that is, goat brains.

In 2019 Sash finally opened his own Restaurant,  of course, it is called  Sash but of course, he also had to pivot during Covid so that's when they started working on this film and a trip to India.

His adopted father has passed away but his mother was able to see his restaurant open and he attributed it all to her.  Unfortunately, she has since passed on so his journey to find his biological family continues.

The film flows back and forth from India to Canada with family interviews and archival footage along with his search in India.  It's beautiful and heartwarming to see how far a determined and strong boy can go.

President of Hot Docs Marie Nelson, Director Barry Avrich, Producer Mark Selby, Cast: Sash Simpson

The last Hot Docs screening is:

Sunday, May 5, 2024 - 2:15 PM - TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema

To support the Orphanage Families For Children, visit FamiliesForChildren.ca

A photographic memory- a stunning portrait of a woman

 A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY       

      

           

International Premiere

Feature documentary Screening at www.hotdocs.ca   Hot Docs International Documentary Festival

RUN TIME: 87 minutes 

RELEASE: 2024

DIRECTOR/WRITER: Rachel Elizabeth Seed 

Writer/Director Rachel Seed declares that she has been surrounded by cameras her whole life so it made perfect sense for her to make a documentary that examines her Journalist mother's illustrious career 30 years after her passing.  Rachel's mother Sheila Turner-Seed was a world-renowned Journalist who broke the mold of what Journalists were.  Sheila passed away from a brain aneurysm when Rachel was 18 months old.  Rachel doesn't have memories of her mother and having only grown up with her father raising her she began the arduous task of going through her mother's extensive archives to find out who her mother was.  She looked through her photographs, read her articles, and found videotapes of the many interviews she did with acclaimed photographers.  

The video archives allowed Rachel to see her mother's movements and hear her voice, something she had no memory of because of the loss at such a young age.   

Rachel got to spend time with her mother's friends, colleagues, and mentors and really got a sense of what she accomplished and her personality.

I don't think Rachel expected to learn about herself in the process.   She found footage of her mother with her as a baby and toddler that brought her to tears.

She also found out some secrets. Did she really see everything her mother, was or just the illusion that was projected on film.  

A very heartfelt, visual, and historical film are all encompassed in this documentary.

It flows like a dream that glimmers and fades.

I connected to this film because of my lifelong love of photography and documenting all kinds of things in life.

There's one more screening at Hot Docs on May 5th, 2024 if you have a chance to see it.

www.hotdocs.ca

Is a Deck of cards the key to a Murder Mystery of a King?- Lost in the Shuffle

 HOT Docs Review

Lost in the Shuffle

Directed and written by: Jon Ornoy

Country: Canada  Time: 100 min.

Starring: Richard Turner, Shawn Farquhar, Alexandra Duvivier, Juan Tamariz, Michael Vincent

Production Company: Animal Mother Films

Can you make a documentary about a deck of playing cards interesting?  Yes, you can!

Here's my take on Lost in the Shuffle the documentary screening at the 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival.

I don't know anything about magic but I was thoroughly entertained watching the journey of Canadian Magician Shawn Farquhar as he traveled around the world meeting up with fellow Magicians and Historians trying to uncover the hidden secrets of the evolution of a deck of playing cards.

He seeks to uncover a murder mystery of a King in England as depicted in over 400 years of playing cards a tool of the trade for most Magicians.  Farquhar made an interesting discovery that led him on a windy, plot-twisting journey.

Highly entertaining characters and a well-told story that is also visually appealing.  

You will say "huh" when hidden secrets are revealed.

Lost in the Shuffle had 2 screenings at the www.hotdocs.ca    look out for it if it gets picked up for wide release soon.   If you are a budding magician you will be extra chuffed.

I couldn't find distribution details but I am fairly certain this will be available to see in a theatre or streaming soon.

www.hotdocs.ca

Hot Docs 2024 -Drama & Picks

 

     APRIL 25 to May 5th, 2024.

This year's Hot Docs will be much different than previous Hot Docs for many reasons. I have been going to Hot Docs for years and volunteered for a short time, so I got to know some people who put the festival together.  These people are knowledgeable, kind and have Integrity.  This year with the exit of the 2 driving forces at the top of the list, Creative Director Shane Smith and Executive Director Chris MacDonald, and the change of the leadership at the top things didn't go as well as they usually did.  They brought in Creative Director Hussain Currimbhoy, who was said to create a toxic environment.  Marie Nelson became the President.  But ever-present were the programmers who after many years of experience pursued finding great films under more and more difficult circumstances.

After the decimation of cash flow caused by Covid closures and cutbacks and people's cautious return to big festivals the funding environment of any arts organization in Toronto became more difficult.  But add a toxic environment at the hands of its leaders and you create a powder keg ready to blow.  Just as Hot Docs was about to present their 2024 Press Conference there was a mass exodus of the programming team.  I have never seen this happen in over 20 years of attending festivals in Toronto.  I know a couple of the programmers and I know they are passionate about film and would not do this unless they saw no other choice.  

But they still did their job and there will be films at this year's festival.  I do hope that these events won't cast a shadow on the work of the documentary filmmakers who struggle to have their work completed and seen.

I wasn't at the Press Conference but someone I know was and it seemed as though Marie Nelson had to spend most of the time discussing what happened and why the programmers left.  

So this year will not have the people who programmed the films introducing them to audiences but I hope that you still go see the films and support the filmmaker.   The festival needs financial support to keep going and you can voice your wishes with feedback at the festival.

I put together a list of my Picks based on subjects and stories that seem interesting to me.  These generally fall into the categories of pop culture, environment, food and inspirational stories.

Here is my list and will see how many I get to see and what my thoughts are after I see them:

• Luther: Never Too Much
• Beard
• Born Hungry
• Charles Officer Memorial Screening of Mighty Jerome
• The Click Trap
• Cyborg Generation 
• Disco's Revenge
• Eno
• Eternal You
• Farming the Revolution
• The Here Now Project
• Limits of Europe
• Me, Michael and I 
• Michel Gondry, Do It Yourself 
• The Outpost
• A Photographic Memory 
• Secret Mall Apartment
• Seeking Mavis Beacon
• So This Is Christmas
• Stray Bodies
• Union 
• The White Mountain
• Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story 

 

I'm not going to give you the synopsis because I want you to go to the Hot Docs website and look up these films and others that might interest you.

Harvey Lalonde won't be there to take your tickets but I am sure he is sad to see his favourite people gone but would still wish he could be there to see you.

Hot Docs Festival | Hot Docs

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Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema Box Office 506 Bloor Street West

Screening Tickets SCREENINGS: $20–$23 ($18–$20 FOR MEMBERS) 6-TICKET BUNDLE: $99 ($89 FOR MEMBERS) Special Events not included (p. 6–7) SPECIAL EVENTS: FREE–$27 ($24 FOR MEMBERS) 

Screening Ticket Packages Perfect for sharing—enjoy Festival screenings and special events with your friends! Redeem tickets in advance online or in person at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema Box Office. 12-PACK: $209 ($188 FOR MEMBERS) 20-PACK: $299 ($269 FOR MEMBERS)