Category Archives: Documentary

Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 22:
MR TOILET: THE WORLD’S #2 MAN

Director:
Lily Zepeda

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Denver, One World, BendFilm, Calgary Underground

About:
A Singaporean millionaire uses irreverent humor to bring attention to the global sanitation crisis.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Jack Sim wants to talk to you about your toilet. When the charismatic Singaporean millionaire learned that nearly a third of the world doesn’t have access to proper sanitation, he set out to make a difference through his World Toilet Foundation. Cleverly using humor to get attention for his cause, Sim highlights the need for investment in this basic public health issue. Now he’s ready to plunge into his biggest challenge – securing six million toilets as part of India’s sanitation initiative.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, November 22:
VARDA BY AGNÈS

Director:
Agnès Varda

World Premiere:
Berlin 2019

Select Festivals:
Toronto, New York, Telluride, Karlovy Vary, IDFA, Edinburgh, CPH:DOX, Hong Kong, Hamptons, Chicago

About:
The auteur looks back on her career.

Celebrated French New Wave pioneer Agnès Varda, who passed away this March at the age of 90, caps off her long career with what can best be described as a filmed masterclass. Sitting on a stage in a director’s chair, Varda addresses a theatre full of admirers, recounting her work, illustrated with copious clips. Though a fairly slight project compared to some of her more recent work, it’s nevertheless enjoyable. Far from a dry lecture, her idiosyncratic personality shines bright throughout, resulting in playful tangents and musings on the personal and the universal. Varda is not content only to discuss her greatest hits, but also ruminates on her misses, providing new and old fans a fairly comprehensive overview, while doubling as a warm and funny goodbye through a lifetime of filmmaking.

New to OVID.tv this week:
12 O’CLOCK BOYS

Director:
Lotfy Nathan

World Premiere:
SXSW 2013

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Full Frame, Maryland, Sundance Next, Philadelphia, CPH:DOX

About:
A portrait of an African-American youth dirt-biking subculture.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to Netflix tomorrow, Wednesday, November 20:
BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR

Director:
Eva Orner

World Premiere:
Toronto 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hamptons, Hawaii, Philadelphia, AFI Fest

About:
A searing exposé of the hot yoga entrepreneur Bikram Choudhury, accused by multiple women of sexual assault.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Bikram Choudhury was at the forefront of popularizing yoga in North America and around the world. An Indian immigrant with a Beverly Hills base, Choudhury was a born entertainer, known for dressing in nothing more than a black speedo and a Rolex. His teaching style was tough love sprinkled with salty language and punctuated by spontaneous bursts of singing. He built a franchise empire with hundreds of Bikram studios around the world.

Filmmaker Eva Orner traces Choudhury from his rise in the 1970s to his disgrace in accusations of rape and sexual harassment in more recent years. She taps a vast trove of archival footage that demonstrates Choudhury’s charm and offers clues to his dark side.

Over the years, Choudhury’s story has received steady press coverage, but there is a fresh power in this telling, with key figures going on camera for the first time including his longtime lawyer, Micki Jafa-Bodden. The film raises larger questions about the nature of leaders and followers and the corruption of messianic figures. To this day, Choudhury has evaded prosecution and continues to attract yoga students from all over the world, bringing added tension to this rigorous investigation.