Hot Docs Festival 2018

Date: Sun, May 06, 2018 12:45PM
Price: Tickets start at $15 per film. For details and to purchase tickets, visit hotdocs.ca

Come to the Museum for on-screen action this spring, when our auditorium becomes a venue for Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival.

Schedule
12:45 pm Time for Ilhan
(Norah Shapiro, 2018, 88 min., PG)
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3:30 pm Afghan Cycles
(Sarah Menzies, 2018, 90 min., 14A)
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6:15 pm Commander Arian - A Story of Women, War and Freedom
(Alba Sotorra, 2018, 77 min., 14A)
and The Guests
(Arshia Shakiba, 2018, 6 min., 14A)
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8:45 pm We Could Be Heroes
(Hind Bensari, 2018, 78 min., G)
and Zion
(Floyd Russ, 2018, 10 min., G)
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Time for Ilhan
(Norah Shapiro, 2018, 88 min., PG)
International Premiere
Rising political star Ilhan Omar, a charismatic Somali Muslim and young mother of three, seeks election to the Minnesota House of Representatives. Can she unseat the 43-year female incumbent, defeat the Somali male candidate she previously worked for, and beat back increasing Islamophobia under Trump Nation? Filmmaker Norah Shapiro chronicles the hard-fought three-way race for state representative in the United States' largest Somali community.

Afghan Cycles
(Sarah Menzies, 2018, 90 min., 14A)
World Premiere
Susan B. Anthony once said that the bicycle has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. But in Afghanistan, the stakes are much higher for women who cycle. This extraordinary film tells the tale of a cycling group in Bamiyan, spearheaded by one woman who teaches girls to ride as a means of independent transportation and freedom, and with dreams to compete nationally.

Commander Arian - A Story of Women, War and Freedom
(Alba Sotorra, 2018, 77 min., 14A)
World Premiere, screening with The Guests
On the front line of the Syrian war, 30-year-old Commander Arian guides a female battalion towards the city of Kobane to release its people from the grip of ISIS. In this empowering tale of emancipation and freedom, director Alba Sotorra brilliantly crafts an enthralling portrait of a woman on a mission.

The Guests
(Arshia Shakiba, 2018, 6 min., 14A)
World Premiere, screening with Commander Arian
When does a temporary home become permanent? In a poorly resourced Syrian refugee camp, makeshift barbershops, schools and weddings spring up as inhabitants try to regain the familiar rhythms of their lives.

We Could Be Heroes
(Hind Bensari, 2018, 78 min., G)
World Premiere, screening with Zion
A gold medal-winning athlete returns home to Morocco after the Paralympics amid wild fanfare and hopes for a better future, but when he’s abandoned by his athletic federation, he finds the drive to defend his title by training a successor and protesting for social justice. We Could Be Heroes records the highs and lows of life and sport, mentorship and friendship — and what a personal best truly looks like.

Zion
(Floyd Russ, 2018, 10 min., G)
International Premiere, screening with We Could be Heroes
Abandoned at birth, 19-year-old Zion Clark is no ordinary young man. He is three feet two inches tall, doesn't have legs and refuses to use prosthetics. As he grapples with the challenges life has thrown his way, he knows there is one place he is truly at home: the wrestling mat, where he competes against able-bodied opponents.


Bios:
Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, offers an outstanding selection of over 200 films from Canada and around the world to Toronto audiences of more than 200,000. Learn more about the festival at hotdocs.ca.

Partners:
An associate partnership presented by