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 if he will be granted asylum. His is a tragically lonely life with minimal interactions with other people. He is dissuaded from going to any gyms or practicing his fighting skills as he was relatively well-known in Russia and runs the risk of being recognized and captured. Though the audience never sees his face in the Movie, the pain of his solitude seeps through every pore and bone of his body. His current station in life is heartbreaking to watch. The heartbreak is compounded by the many messages left on his phone by his mother. At times tearful and at times masterfully manipulative, hearing her voice and words are agonizing.

Persecution is an ugly word. Being singled-out and besieged due to the colour of your skin or your religious beliefs or who you love is anathema to me. SILENT VOICE made me angry as well as broke my heart.

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 and the comfort he feels living in Serbia but he eventually relents, leaving his homeland for the first time ever in his life. As they start their trajectory and develop a strong fan base around the world, cracks begin to form in the foundation of their marriage.

It is difficult not be entertained by this couple. Though stereotypically Brit stoic, Faith is singularly-focused and Branko is an energetic and at times volatile whirlwind. I also defy anyone not to fall in love with Branko’s foul-mouth grandmother. When the marriage is tested due to an event that was no surprise to me at all and Branko returns home to be with his family, we are left wondering if their personal relationship and musical partnership will survive. See FAITH AND BRANKO to find out.

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 prisoner) and Franz Wunch, an SS officer at the camp.

Impeccably-researched and using interviews with Helena and her sister Rosa, as well as fellow female camp prisoners who validate the stories, Wunch’s daughter who confirms the great love her father had and archival footage of Wunch talking at length, this Movie is never less than fascinating. Horrors pile onto more horrors, culminating in unspeakable tragedy when Rosa becomes a prisoner alongside her two young children. Moreover, it also showcases the bravery of the two lovers as they were responsible for saving the lives of many of Helena’s fellow prisoners. In a bizarre twist of fate Franz asks the love of his life to testify at his war crimes trial in 1972 and she reluctantly does.

The power of LOVE IT WAS NOT is unflinching in its honesty and left me thunderstruck.

By Justin Waldman

The United States penal system is broken, Any Given Day proves that. One town in Chicago, specifically Chicago’s Cook County Mental Health Court offers people with any mental illness a rehabilitation program instead of traditional probation but under the same restrictions as probation. While this is a step in the right direction, after the program ends people are left to their own devices, and any relapse or reconviction for anything caused by their mental health would lead to a felony charge and make their lives almost impossible to carry on.

Any Given Day is a difficult watch, because it is real, it shows how hard it is to live with a mental illness and the constant struggle to overcome and try to live ones life. Every day is a struggle, and that is exemplified throughout but with every goal achieved it further proves there is always a light, even in the darkest tunnels.

Searchlight Pictures x Mr. Will are thrilled to give Readers a chance to win a free Digital Download of Academy Award Best Picture winner, NOMADLAND.

Synopsis:

Following the economic collapse of a town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and explores an unconventional life in the vast landscape of the American West. Along the way, she forms unbreakable bonds with other nomads in this powerfully moving story of hope and resilience from director Chloé Zhao, based on the book by Jessica Bruder, also starring David Strathairn.

Trailer:

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Nomadland arrives in Canada on Blu-ray™ and Digital June 8, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Searchlight Pictures)

Dennis Quaid stars in BLUE MIRACLE, based on an inspiring true story. See the new Trailer!

Synopsis:

The incredible true story of Casa Hogar, the Mexican boys home that entered the world’s biggest fishing tournament to save their orphanage.

BLUE MIRACLE arrives on Netflix May 27, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

By Justin Waldman

It is the year of the Music Documentary and Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm packs the Rock and Roll punch it needs. Brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward, they turned in their milk farm and created a recording studio and word spread like wildfire and they became one of the most famous recording studios. The likes of Black Sabbath, Oasis, Robert Plant, Iggy Pop, etc. have recorded at Rockfield.

What makes this Documentary so great, is the history and stories that have come out of this studio. Freddy Mercury and Queen recorded early sessions of what would later become Bohemian Rhapsody, Ozzy Osbourne stated that they just went up, got high, and made music that later became some of the hits of Black Sabbath and so forth. With other studios like Abbey Road recording music at the same time, it truly is incredible that this small little farm secured such incredible talents and record some of the most recognizable music we have today. The farm is still going strong!  

By Justin Waldman

A.rtificial I.mmortality is incredibly interesting Documentary asking us the difficult questions of what if we could place our mind and moreover conscious in an AI program. While this has been explored throughout countless fictitious films, the Documentary scratches the surface of the science, moral questions, and real possibilities of artificial immortality. The Documentary features several interviews with Nick Bostrom, Douglas Rushkoff, Ben Goertzel, Deepak Chopra and Hiroshi Ishiguro. Deepak Chopra wants to become a new AI himself, similar to an Alexa or Siri , but provide his insight and therapeutic methods by AI.

While A.rtificial I.mmortality focuses on the science and real possibilities of AI, it just scratches the surface. It does not bog down in specifics or other realms of artificial immortality, which works as it asks the audience to explore further on their own volition. It gives a taste of what there is to discover, while providing enough context to satisfy those just wanting to have a bare bones understanding of the world of AI.

By Justin Waldman

The Face of Anonymous explores the powers of “Hacktivist” group Anonymous while focuses on Commander X specifically. Anonymous is the group behind cyber-attacks and supporter of Wikileaks while getting justice for the voiceless. However, The Face of Anonymous focuses solely on one member, Commander X – real name Christopher Mark Doyon – who is currently wanted by the FBI. One of the many things that Commander X is responsible for is hacking VISA, Paypal and Mastercard for no longer allowing people to support Wikileaks. This is initially what lead the FBI to investigate him as his abilities were now known to the highest law force in the world.

The Face of Anonymous gives us candid interviews with Mark himself, who has not made himself shy to the Hot Docs festival, as well as journalists who talk about the impact Commander X has had on the virtual and real world. There is some interesting thoughts and ideas that Commander X finishes with, specifically pertaining to the 2016 US election.

By Justin Waldman

Have you heard of Sparks? Have you not heard of Sparks? Quite frankly it doesn’t matter if you know the British/non British band, The Sparks Brothers is an excellent Documentary. Ron and Russell Mael have been making and performing music for over 50 years, going through reinventions of sound and style throughout their career. They managed to create sounds before they became popular, accused of plagiarizing themselves as their sound has inspired countless acts.

With wonderful direction from Edgar Wright, The Sparks Brothers encapsulates all of their music, style, and influence throughout fifty years of music and life. They left the United States to go to the UK where they were incredibly more popular, to creating an entire Synth album in the late ’70s, everything the Sparks have done has been criticized and revolutionary. Wright’s direction is flawless throughout the Documentary, providing every ounce of insight for the audience that is possible for Sparks.

The only issue that lays within this otherwise incredible and fun Documentary is the amount of information we are given. It gives a thorough and extensive look at Sparks throughout their entire career, and what could have changed if one thing or another changed. However, having never known of Sparks (by name) prior The Sparks Brothers, this Film was eye-opening and engaging.