TIFF 26

In a film that has as many plot twists as any fictional movie, a kidnapping at sea splits a Yemeni family apart, as a mother’s fight for survival reveals the human cost of Europe’s border regime. Director Sine Plambech emphasises to BDE that this is “not an activist film… I see it as an artistic documentation of a human rights violation - but definitely I want people to watch it and say ‘is this a good idea, to continue to outsource the border responsibilities to countries with conflicts and war and militia and weapons? Does that live up to our European values?”

Afsaneh Salari’s new feature documentary Tehran, Under the Skin scrapes away at a side of Iranian life you won’t see in many other documentaries, namely the booming world of cosmetic surgery. Thousands of Iranian women every year are heading to surgeries to get noses sculpted, stomachs tucked, breasts lifted or skin tightened. The film, sold by CAT&Docs, has its world premiere in TIFF Lightbox this weekend. Director Salari talks to BDE.

The People’s Choice Documentary Award was presented to Barry Avrich for Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, while the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award was presented to Matthew Rankin for Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney. Honourable Mentions went to The Black Box is Orange by Yuula Benivolski (Best Canadian Discovery Award), and Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story by Adrian Buitenhuis (Best Canadian Feature Award).