Reviews

A charming and often melancholic documentary that follows the efforts of two avian- and environmentally-minded brothers, Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes tells the story of Saud and Nadeem as they rescue and care for thousands of New Delhi’s black kite birds. A winner in Sundance World Documentary Competition earlier this year, the film gets a Special Screening at Cannes.

A striking portrait of a young teenager working as a labourer around the Perkoa gold mine in Burkina Faso, If You Are A Man sees the young Opio face the toughest of decisions as he realises that the only way to make money to pay for his schooling is to head down into the mine himself, a prospect that terrifies him.

A love story about two young disenfranchised Germans, whose romance is played out against the backdrop of Berlin’s streets, Heiko Aufermauer and Johannes Girke’s engaging and watchable film never passes judgment as this sometimes troubled couple kiss, embrace and also struggle to kickstart their young lives.

“What is a good picture?” is the fundamental and intriguing question at the heart of this warm and generous road trip documentary, as filmmaker Nahuel Lopez joins acclaimed German photographer Thomas Hoepker as he heads across America, training his lens on a changed world and also facing up to the challenges of his slowly advancing dementia.

How do you measure the impact of a horrific crime on a nation? And, more specifically, how does a crime involving children affect their peers? The End of Innocence is a haunting and gripping reconstruction of the extensively covered case of Marc Dutroux, who in the 1990s triggered a collective Belgian trauma, but who also united a divided nation.

A compassionate yet deeply harrowing delve into the important work done by the Croatian empowerment programme ‘I Am Much More Than My Trauma’ which helps women who were raped and traumatised during the Croatian War of Independence. Vedrana Pribacic’s film focusses on a handful of women taking part throughout the programme’s two-year duration.

Evelien Spreitzer is disabled and in a wheelchair. Her sexuality has always taken a back seat, but now she’s on a quest. A quest which she shares with honesty and intimacy. Screening in Hot Docs World Showcase, the resulting film is an inspiring portrait of self-discovery, despite doubts and vulnerabilities, with starring roles for sex toys and a professional sex carer.

A fascinating and enthralling film that begins as a story of momentous artistic discovery before spiralling into heated examination of the power of the cultural establishment. Acclaimed Norwegian filmmaker Nils Gaup’s documentary debut, an International Premiere at Hot Docs, may raise questions and provoke debate but ultimately (and perhaps most importantly) it helps celebrate an artistic talent long thought forgotten, and one that has been hitherto dismissed.

An often heartrending essay on grief and on how humans and nature rebuild after trauma, Jennifer Rainsford’s lyrically titled film is set against the backdrop of incidents of March 11 2011, when the largest earthquake in modern history hit Japan and then, some thirty minutes later, the dark tsunami waves roared in over the north-eastern coast, dragging cars, homes and lives back out to sea. Review: Mark Adams

Contrasting visions and perspectives of modern-day Armenia are played out in 5 Dreamers and a Horse with the film focussing on four protagonists as they aspire to fulfil their very different dreams. There is also – as the enigmatic title suggests - a horse…but in truth it plays a minor role in proceedings.