TIFF20 REVIEW: Inconvenient Indian [2020]

Once a story is told, it cannot be called back. As author Thomas King states near the end of Michelle Latimer‘s feature-length documentary inspired by his novel of the same name, Inconvenient Indian: “The problem has never been ignorance, but arrogance.” White, Christian colonialists can only say that their ancestors didn’t know any better so often before the words prove meaningless. Whether of not their actions towards the indigenous populations of North America were malicious in intent becomes inconsequential once the case for the pain and suffering wrought is made.…

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HOTDOCS13 REVIEW: ALIAS [2013]

“Every kid has dreams. But then you get reality.” Holding onto hope for a better life to strengthen each subsequent generation so one day his ancestors won’t be forced to hustle on the street, Alkatraz strives to achieve a future through his music. Raising his daughter on one hand and doing what he “has to do” on the other, this father is dreaming of a way out. No longer rapping about gunplay or petty beefs with friends turned foes around the east side of Toronto, Alkatraz realizes it’s time to…

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