By: Henry J. Fromage –
Thanks to some very generous distributors and publicists, I got a chance to catch a few more TIFF selections I had wanted to- Vive TIFF!
527. Songs of Earth
This stunning documentary by Margreth Olin is set in the fjords of northern Norway, where her family is from and where her father and mother still reside (and explore, in their 80s!). It’s a mixed ode to this unspeakably gorgeous country and to her parents and ancestors who carved out a life there. Two Beers.
TIFF Special Drinking Game:
Take a Drink: for every jaw-dropping shot of the fjords or nature
Take a Drink: for every charming family anecdote
Do a Shot: for blues that look simply unreal
528. Defiant
The Square‘s Karim Amer tackles another urgent fight for freedom in this Ukraine-set documentary, in which he follows several members of the current administration of that country as they do everything they can to keep the struggle against Russia alive and on the way to victory. It’s unabashedly a pro-Ukraine film, but also underlines with ease the reasons why any rational individual should be supporting them, no matter how long this struggle must continue. Two Beers.
TIFF Special Drinking Game:
Take a Drink: for every ironic juxtaposition between official statements or news commentary and what’s shown on screen
Take a Drink: whenever someone expresses that they’ll never give up
Take a Drink: for blatant Russian propaganda
Take a Drink: for perhaps not so blatant Ukrainian propaganda
Do a Shot: every time the use of nuclear weapons are mentioned or hinted at
529. Death of a Whistleblower
This South African thriller may play like a conventional Hollywood thriller and action film at points, but it’s all at the service of a story about the very real fact that the life expectancy of a whistleblower against government and/or corporate corruption is very thin indeed- for decades they have been brazenly assassinated with regularity. This is a fitting tribute to the unimaginable bravery journalists and private citizens who choose to reveal the truth must have in this country, even still. Two Beers.
TIFF Special Drinking Game:
Take a Drink: for hazmat suits
Take a Drink: for every shady dealing by a corporation or the government
Do a Shot: whenever somebody gets bumped off
