Another update from Hot Docs

Next up at Toronto's Hot Docs festival, for me at least, was THE RIVER WHERE WE LIVE. This film documents the everyday life of the inhabitants on and around the Niger river, from canoe-makers to fishermen to herders.

It looks great and is an interesting look at an entirely different culture and how the changes in the environment have impacted on the area but unfortunately it didn't make quite the same impact on me as it did on others by virtue of the fact that it was a bit reminiscent of Thierry Michel's CONGO RIVER, which you heard me rave about on more than one occasion last year.

If you want to know the full story (or close to it anyway) about those disturbing pictures that landed the US military in such hot water, THE GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB is the film for you. It addresses some of the reasons why the soldiers acted in the way they did and, while justifiably not excusing them entirely, it does go some way towards showing just how much the US government was to blame for the atrocities committed at the prison. Not too many documentaries seem to bringing anything new to the table when covering the recent problems in the Middle East so it's nice to see a subject that really needed a film making it into one.

I followed that up with MANUFACTURING DISSENT, a Canadian documentary about Michael Moore. While I'd urge anyone interested in Moore's films, or even if you've only seen one of them, to check this one out at the earliest opportunity. I mentioned the other day that Moore was guilty of "massaging the truth" - it seems it's a little more than that. The filmmakers started out making a film about a documentary maker they admired - what transpires is a portrait of maniacal paranoia and outright lies. If you don't already take what Moore says with a pinch of salt, you'll certainly think twice after seeing this entertaining and insightful film.

THE SUICIDE TOURIST might be the most affecting film I've seen at the film yet. It documents the journey of a man from North America living in England who, when his body begins to succomb to motor neurone disease, makes the trip to Zurich to undergo assisted suicide (Switzerland being the only place where a foreigner can legally undergo the process).

The film also follows another couple in a slightly different situation who also want to undergo the process but their plight takes second stage to the agonising and touching case mentioned above. This film may or may not change people's minds about the euthanasia debate but it does show a very human side to the process and if nothing else will surely start debate - and that in itself can be regarded as a success, and something that all documentaries would justifiably be happy with.

That's all I've time for now - I'll tell you all about the final batch of films when I'm back on home soil. Bye!