#HOTDOCS: “NUDE TO ME”
By George Kozera
When Director and star, Daniel Berish, discovered that his grandparents initially met at a nudist colony, he decides to visit Canada’s oldest nudist camp, Van Tan, to learn what life is all about while wearing only a smile. With all the “hoohah” bits pixilated for broadcast, NUDE TO ME is a wildly charming 20-minute foray into the forests of British Columbia where people tend to their gardens, chop wood and play volleyball.
In the beginning it was fun watching ...
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#HOTDOCS: “FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK”
By George Kozera
During my university years in Montreal, oh so long ago, I impulsively picked up an album by the all-girl heavy rock group Fanny based solely on who produced the album. At home, needle to the vinyl, and I became obsessed after hearing the first track. I wasn’t their only fan. FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK opens with a David Bowie quote: “Fanny is not one of the most important female bands of all time; they are one of the most important bands of all time, period. Their ...
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#HOTDOCS: “BLOOM UP – A SWINGER COUPLE STORY”
By George Kozera
By day, Hermes and Betta (a lovely middle-aged Italian couple) run a pet supply store, interacting with clients on a very professional and personal level. It’s at night when they let their freak flag fly: Hermes and Betta are swingers where their interactions take a wildly different turn.
BLOOM UP takes us deep inside the world of swinging where like-minded people explore carnal pursuits without shame, fear or judgment. It is a fascinating topic to pursue as it is ...
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#HOTDOCS: “AIN’T NO TIME FOR WOMEN”
By Justin Waldman
Ain’t no time for Women is a Short Documentary about the 2019 Presidential election in Tunis. These women are all gathered in a salon discussing everything they have gone through throughout their lives with the dictatorships and hardships they’ve gone through. In its short 19 minutes, it packs an impactful punch.
What makes Ain’t No time for Women so great is the fact that in such a short time the women can turn this regular salon into a political powerhouse with ...
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#HOTDOCS: “BANK JOB”
By Justin Waldman
The duo of Daniel Edeistyn and Hilary Powell challenge all preconceived notions we have of money, debt, crypto, currency, and politics to an extent in their though provoking and inspiring documentary Bank Job. They are essentially Robin Hood, in creating their own currency that they distribute to their community, and buy their debt, something that we didn’t think was possible, to free the people in essence. If you were to ask someone how money were to be created, outside ...
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#HOTDOCS: “SET!”
By George Kozera
Did you know that there’s another “Best in Show” competition that has nothing to do with the Westminster Kennel Club dog show? This one is held annually at the Orange County Fair in California and it is for Best Table Settings. I shuttered with delight!
Truth be told, I can be a tad OCD when I attend a dinner party and see that the tableware, glasses and cutlery are set up all wrong. Whereas I never say anything to the hosts, my inner Emily Post/Martha Stewart is ...
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#HOTDOCS: “TAMING THE GARDEN”
By Justin Waldman
A completely fascinating tale of wealth vs nature and what humans are willing to sacrifice to gain something else. Taming the Garden is so rich in its presentation, and so wild in facts that it almost feels surreal. When former Prime Minister of Georgia wants to buy fully grown trees and remove them to his own private garden, he promised locals infrastructure in exchange, but the question that was never truly asked was at what cost? Give up the gorgeous nature in exchange ...
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#HOTDOCS: “SILENT VOICE”
By George Kozera
SILENT VOICE is powerful Documentary about young people fleeing Chechnya due to its anti-gay policies and continued deadly violence toward the LBGTQ community. A must-see companion piece alongside last year’s searing “Welcome to Chechnya”, this Movie only focuses on one person.
Khavaj is a young Mixed Martial Arts fighter who was tormented ruthlessly by his own brother back home and now lives in Belgium, receiving support from a non-profit group and awaits to see ...
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#HOTDOCS: “FAITH AND BRANKO”
By George Kozera
Faith is in Serbia to learn all about gypsy music known as Roma. While there, she meets Branko, a Roma Violinist, and this British Artist slowly develops romantic feelings towards her effervescent musical collaborator. They make beautiful music together and decide to marry.
FAITH AND BRANKO follows these lovebirds as they journey through their life together. While wonderful at first, Faith needs her travel itch to be scratched and Branko is reluctant to leave his family ...
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#HOTDOCS: “LOVE IT WAS NOT”
By George Kozera
My mother spent the last nine months of World War II in Auschwitz and I grew-up hearing her many first hand accounts of living in a Concentration Camp. Not only had visiting the site left me with images I will never forget, I make a point of watching any films that deal with the Holocaust during daytime hours. That’s how I viewed Filmmaker Maya Sarfaty’s astonishing Documentary LOVE IT WAS NOT, based on a love affair between Helena Zitron (a stunningly beautiful Jewish ...
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