This Hot Docs specific episode of The Documentary Blog Podcast was recorded in collaboration with The Film Junk Podcast. Listen to more episodes of The Film Junk Podcast here.

0:00 - Intro
2:44 - Dragon Girls
13:17 - Shooting Bigfoot
28:48 - 12 O’Clock Boys
35:34 - The Unbelievers
43:29 - The Expedition to the End of the World
51:17 - The Great North Korean Picture Show
59:18 - We Always Lie To Strangers
1:06:17 - NCR: Not Criminally Responsible
1:13:21 - Aatsinki: The Story of Arctic Cowboys
1:16:21 - The Last Station
1:20:51 - Which Way is the Front Line From Here?
1:25:05 - Bending Steel
1:27:57 - The Crash Reel
1:31:56 - Caucus
1:33:42 - Blackfish
1:38:17 - The Circle
1:39:14 - 15 Reasons to Live
1:40:42 - Who Is Dayani Cristal?
1:42:57 - Searching For Bill
1:45:04 - Maidentrip
1:48:16 - Our Nixon
1:49:58 - Just the Right Amount of Violence
1:54:47 - Downloaded
1:58:30 - Outro

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Congratulations to Nathan of Little Rock, AR, Hillary of Astoria, NY and Brian of Los Angeles, CA! They’re the lucky winners of a DVD copy of Oscilloscope Laboratories’ Only the Young/Tchoupitoulas double feature DVD!

Also, a big thanks goes out to all of those who entered. This was one of biggest turn outs yet! Look forward to more giveaways here at The Documentary Blog and be sure to pick up your own copy of Only the Young/Tchoupitoulas on DVD today.

Thanks to Oscilloscope Laboratories for providing the prizes!

It’s probably fair to characterize director Morgan Matthews ‘Shooting Bigfoot’ as a bit of a freak show. Some of the people in this film come across as genuinely delusional. This is the dilemma I faced when I found myself laughing out loud at some of the truly hilarious moments throughout this doc that plays out like a real life Christopher Guest film.

I would lump Shooting Bigfoot in with such minor fare as My Date With Drew or Mansome, but at least this film is actually funny. Moments of genuine humour had me marvelling — sometimes suspiciously — at the comedic timing of some of these folks. The degree of self awareness amongst the subjects seemed to vary, but what began as a seemingly toxic director/subject relationship eventually transforms into a harmless, fun night out in the woods with a bunch of guys indulging in their strange hobby. It’s essentially one step away from live action role playing or fantasy football, seemingly focused more on the journey and less on the destination. It’s just an excuse to hang out with friends, crack open a few beers and scan the woods with military grade night vision goggles in search of 8 foot humanoid creatures. All in good fun!

I suppose the closest analog to ‘Shooting Bigfoot’ would be the number of A&E and History Channel shows focusing on swamp people and duck hunters. In this case, Duck Dynasty might be most comparable as I think the characters in that show share the same natural sense of humour and comedic timing that’s on display here. For example, in regards to a failed meat trap set to draw in a sasquatch, the following dialogue ensues:

“It just couldn’t be knocked off, it had to be jerked off.”
“So you think bigfoot has jerked off a piece of meat?”
“Yes I do.”

Some people are just naturally funny, regardless of how ridiculous they look or how insane their hobby may be. However, I do think an element of scripting is at play, particularly with one specific character.

This leads to the controversial ending of the film, and all I’ll say is that I think it’s perfectly in line with the spirit of the subject matter and more specifically, the history of the main character involved in the Blair Witch inspired set piece. ‘Shooting Bigfoot’ isn’t brilliant, but it’s a fun little comedy that made me wish I could spend a night hanging out with some of the folks in this film. — Jay C.

3.5/5

Only a day into my Hot Docs experience I already knew that The Expedition to the End of the World was going to be tough to top. Director Daniel Dencik provides further evidence that the Danes seem to have a real grasp on documentary cinema.

The film follows a crew of artists and scientists as they make their way through the melted massifs of North-East Greenland. Their mode of transportation is a three-mast schooner straight out of your favourite pirate film (mine would be Cabin Boy). As the men slowly traverse the winding, half-frozen rivers of the undiscovered country, they philosophize about the meaning of life and offer some unique commentary on the issue of climate change. One of them shrugs off the threat, suggesting that humans will adapt and simply move to areas of the world that aren’t flooded. A truly Scandinavian proclivity.

Moments of comedy are scattered throughout as the explorers beat their boredom by shooting off guns — sometimes accidentally — and flying around in their unique hybrid dinghy/power paraglider. At times, their mission is truly threatened by stubborn ice formations, resulting in some harrowing seamanship that, in combination with the Mozart on the soundtrack, reminded me of Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski uncontrollably floating down river in a steamboat in Les Blank’s ‘Burden of Dreams’. In fact, much of this film could be classified as Herzogian and it would make for a great double bill with Herzog’s own ‘Encounters at the End of the World’.

One of the strongest aspects of Expedition is the inspired combination of imagery and music. The film is beautifully shot and the contrasting use of Metallica and Mozart is a lot of fun. There film is exciting, kinetic, and fresh and provides a completely unique take on the environmental doc that ignores numbers and graphs in favour of focusing on the personalities and philosophies of its unique cast of characters to illuminate and inspire. However, this is an adventure film first and foremost. The Expedition to the End of the World was undoubtedly my favourite film at Hot Docs and will remain one of the best films of the year. — Jay C.

5/5

Dave Carrol’s ‘Bending Steel’ exists in the same inspirational cinematic sandbox as Rocky and Rudy. Sure, strongman feats like horseshoe twisting and telephone book tearing might fall into the fringe category of what we traditionally define as ‘sport’, but strongmen are most definitely athletes. Their success depends upon their physical prowess, a strong mental constitution, and a natural ability to entertain a crowd.

Chris Shoeck has what it takes to be a professional strongman but he still struggles to prove himself to his peers and his parents, who are seemingly indifferent to his unusual ability. He and his mentor Chris Rider work towards bringing a traditional strongman show back to Coney Island, giving Shoeck a defined goal. Throughout the film we watch him bend various metals with ease, but it’s his struggle to bend a two inch bar — a metaphorical stand-in for his self-doubt and fears — which symbolizes his journey. Shoeck also attempts to conquer his fear of crowds by workshopping his act at open mic nights, resulting in a particularly awkward first performance. I loved watching his peers evaluate the particulars of his stage act, pointing out the various details that only a professional strongman would identify as problematic (the angle at which he stands, holding the successfully bent item up to the crowd, etc.) When the film finally reaches its Coney Island climax, you can’t help but root for Shoeck in the tradition of cinemas great underdog sports dramas.

Carrol and cinematographer Ryan Scafuro handle Shoeck’s story with a respect for cinematic craft, telling a beautifully shot, emotionally rich character piece that avoids the grandiose mythologizing that other filmmakers might give in to. ‘Bending Steel’ is a sincere and poignant look at a unique sub-culture who’s success is measured in pounds per square inch. — Jay C.

4.5/5

When I was seven my parents put me in a karate class at our local community centre and immediately quit after the first day. My breaking point? Push ups on my knuckles. I was a pussy then and I’m a pussy now and I wouldn’t last a second at the Shaolin Tagu Kung Fu school.

Director Inigo Westemeier’s ‘Dragon Girls’ follows a group of hardworking tweens who’ve dedicated their childhood to learning Kung Fu as a point of personal and national pride. In exchange for a strong body and strong will, they’re sacrificing a good chunk of their childhood thanks to long hours of intensive martial arts training. The whole ordeal makes Michael Jackson’s lost years in the Jackson 5 look like Disneyland (or Neverland, in his case). The meaning of Kung Fu is discussed throughout the film and while the masters loosely definite it as “Energy gained by hard work in the course of time”, the more telling answer comes from one of the young students who says “Kung Fu means to train and train and train again.”

The film starts with some stunning imagery of symmetrical martial arts routines performed with terrifying accuracy by an army of teenage girls who seem primed to take over a small country. While the dedication to the art and the extreme level of physical precision is initially impressive and inspirational, the oppressive work schedule and borderline abusive training regiment loses its charm pretty quickly. At one point in the film a group of girls compare battle scars, many of which are extremely impressive. It’s like a little girl version of the crew of the Orca exchanging war stories.

As much fun as tournament style docs can be, Dragon Girls’ more lyrical, contemplative approach was quite refreshing. It’s beautifully shot and edited and makes some interesting cultural observations that aren’t that far off from western ideals. China has the Shaolin Tagu Kung Fu school while we have toddlers in tiara’s and soccer Mom’s. — Jay C.

4/5

Two great films from last year — Tchoupitoulas and Only the Young — have just hit DVD via Oscilloscope Laboratories and we’ve got THREE copies for giveaway here at The Documentary Blog!

The interesting thing about this release is it’s actually a double bill. Yes, both films are contained in one DVD package, along with an array of special features. Tchoupitoulas was one of my favourite films of 2012 so obviously this release is a must own. For those unfamiliar with these films, here’s some info:

TCHOUPITOULAS is a lyrical documentary that follows three adolescent brothers as they journey through one night in New Orleans, encountering a vibrant kaleidoscope of dancers, musicians, hustlers, and revelers parading through the lamplit streets. The filmmakers fully immerse us into the New Orleans night, passing through many lively and luminous locations and introducing us to the people who make the city their home.

ONLY THE YOUNG follows the story of three teenagers that live in a small desert town in Southern California – a town dominated by foreclosed homes and underpasses, unfilled swimming pools and skate parks. These kids must find things to do in a place that offers nothing – yet in the course of observing their day-to-day lives, we see them discover friendship, first love, heartbreak, and what it means to be young. Tippet and Mims’ delicate, ethereal filmmaking and ONLY THE YOUNG’s innocent yet rebellious subjects collectively embody the very essence of adolescence.

For a chance to win a copy of Tchoupitoulas and Only the Young on DVD, simply send me an email here with ‘TCHOUP’ in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address and I will announce the winners sometime next week.

Tchoupitoulas and Only the Young are now available on DVD.

What perfect timing! I JUST watched David Mamet’s ‘House of Games’ for the first time two days ago. As a casual fan of magic and a big fan of Ricky Jay himself, I have high hopes for directors Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein’s ‘Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries & Mentors of Ricky Jay’. Here’s they synopsis:

What happens when documentary filmmakers—whose mission is to probe, explore, and Reveal—take as their subject one of the world’s greatest living magicians, whose life and art are basically off limits to probing, exploration and revelation? More than a decade in the making, Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay is the captivating result of this curious conundrum: a mesmerizing journey into the world of modern magic and the small circle of eccentric geniuses who mastered it.

At its center is the multitalented Ricky Jay, a best-selling author and historian, an acclaimed actor, a leading collector of antiquarian books and artifacts, but above all a conjurer capable of creating a profound sense of wonder and disbelief in even the most jaded of audiences. In his extraordinary—and extraordinarily popular—one-man shows, Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants and Ricky Jay: On the Stem, he proved himself to be the contemporary embodiment of an elite lineage, offering audiences not only exhilarating entertainment, but also a rare glimpse of a secret, lost world.

Kino Lorber has picked up ‘Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries & Mentors of Ricky Jay’ for distribution and it looks like it will be hitting limited theatres starting in May. For more information, head over to the film’s official website.

Toronto filmmaker Morgan White has come up with a unique way of distributing his new film ‘The Rep’, which will have its Canadian theatrical debut this month at the Winnipeg Cinematheque. ‘The Rep’ is a love letter to repertory cinemas, focusing mainly on the story of the now defunct Toronto Underground. So, in an attempt to support independent cinemas struggling to compete with the big chain multiplexes, Morgan has offered up his film for free to those who are interested in programming it. Not only that, the theatre will keep 100% of the profit! Here’s what he has to say:

Are you a programmer of an independent theater, or maybe a film fan who loves the theatrical experience? I need your help!

At it’s core, The Rep is about the preservation of repertory and independent theatres, and the cinematic experiences one can have sitting in a darkened theatre with a group of people. That experience is something that I value greatly, and it was the driving force behind the creation of The Rep. I want to see these theatres survive.

And so, it is with that sentiment in mind that I’m offering The Rep to any theatre who’d like to play it, letting them keep 100% of the profits to put back in to their business. Maybe they could put the money in to programming an awesome rep flick, or put it towards upgrades to their theatre. What ever they see fit is A-Ok with me!

This distribution model certainly isn’t for everyone and I don’t see it catching on any time soon, but it’s a great addendum to the film itself and will hopefully inspire others to go out of their way to patronize and support their local independent cinemas.

If you’re a programmer and want to enquire about screening ‘The Rep’ at your cinema, head over to the film’s official website for more information.

Film fans might recognize the name Peter Kuran thanks to his visual effects work on blockbusters like Star Wars, Robocop, and Drop Dead Fred. What some might not realize is he actually helmed a series of documentary films in the 90′s focusing on the history of nuclear weapons testing throughout the 40′s and 50′s. The first of his trilogy, ‘Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie’ was released in 1995 and had a huge impact on me. I remember seeing it multiple times on PBS (I think?), and was completely astonished by the ambitiously cinematic presentation and Kuran’s operatic use of music, stock footage, and CG recreations. It also didn’t hurt that William Shatner appears in ‘Rescue 911′ mode, narrating the picture. Seeing as Kuran comes from an effects background, there was a lot of care taken in restoring the previously classified footage featured in the film. This additional attention to the visuals makes for a vibrant and visceral experience that is both awesome and terrifying.

‘Trinity and Beyond’ spawned two lesser sequels, ‘Nukes in Space’ and ‘Atomic Journeys: Welcome to Ground Zero’, but it’s his original film that’s worth checking out. I never hear this film mentioned amongst some of the great contemporary documentaries, which is too bad. ‘Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie’ is personally an influential piece of filmmaking that presents its historical subject matter in an accessible and cinematic fashion. It’s one of the first documentaries I’d seen that truly felt like a “movie”. You can check it out in full at the top of this post or better yet, order the blu ray, which is totally worth your hard earned money.

Have a look at this beautiful brand new trailer for director Dave Carroll’s ‘Bending Steel’. The film follows strong man Chris Schoeck as he trains in New York City to become a professional strongman. Now I’m even more excited to check this film out next month at the Hot Docs Film Festival where it will have its international premiere. Here’s the synopsis:

Bending Steel, a deeply moving and inspiring documentary from filmmakers Dave Carroll and Ryan Scafuro, explores the life of 43 year-old Chris Schoeck, a Queens, NY native who is training to become a professional Oldetime Strongman. The story follows Chris’ journey from his early days training in a small basement storage unit, to his very first performance on the big stage at New York’s historic Coney Island. Alongside his trainer Chris Rider, he meets living legends and heroes within the community. For the first time ever he gets a taste of acceptance, something that since his early childhood has always felt just out of reach. Suddenly Chris sees an opportunity to finally stand out, to make a name for himself, to find his place in life.

If you’re in Toronto next month, be sure to fit ‘Bending Steel’ into your Hot Docs schedule. Meanwhile, head over to the film’s website and find out how you can see this film.

If you haven’t seen the History Channel’s ’102 Minutes That Changed America’, set some time aside and be sure to check this thing out. I know the promise of a 9/11 made for TV documentary isn’t the most enticing, but directors Nicole Rittenmeyer and Seth Skundrick (and producers Jon Siskel and Greg Jacobs) make use of an ingeniously simple approach to overcome the challenges of reframing a historical event that’s been repeated by the news media ad nauseam.

The film combines multiple sources (16mm film footage, amateur home video, news) and edits them into an almost real-time replay of the terrorist attacks as seen from the hundreds of people who capture it with their cameras. Some brilliant editing and subtle sound design result in a truly visceral multi-angled piece of citizen journalism, full of amazing images and harrowing moments.’102 Minutes That Changed America’ overcomes a desensitized, jaded perspective on one of the most replayed, retold, and rerun news events. Unfortunately, I don’t think it has quite overcome the stigma of its made-for-TV History Channel roots. The film is embedded in full above.