Montreal International Documentary Festival – War, politics, sexual trends, climate change, the topics are of great variety, and they are expected to make people think about them. The 21st edition of the Montreal International Documentary Festival is underway and should finish this Sunday, November 18.
For lovers of tennis, the closing film this Saturday, November 17, is “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection” directed by Julien Faraut, in English and French, with English and French subtitles. It focuses on a historic game at the Roland Garros tournament in 1984. The documentary is described as “original and ambitious. It is the portrait of a non-conformist athlete, a reflection on the relationship between cinema and sports, and a look back at one of the most legendary tennis matches of all time.”
On the political and historical categories, the film “The Waldheim Waltz” by Ruth Beckermann touches a controversy that shook Austria in 1986 during that country’s presidential campaign when it was revealed that Kurt Waldheim, then a diplomat highly regarded who had been the U.N. Secretary-General in the 1970s, had a Nazi past. And as more details emerged, it became known that his involvement with the Nazi movement was not insignificant, he had been an officer in the Wehrmacht. However, these revelations didn’t hurt his chances, on the contrary, they helped him. An interesting phenomenon to observe and compare with today’s events, when we see Austria as well as other European nations, embracing political movements that resemble the nationalist and xenophobic discourse of those old tragic days.
Canadian documentarists and especially the renowned National Film Board have a good reputation in this movie genre. Not surprisingly, “Ma guerre / My War” a film by Julien Frechette doesn’t disappoint, the subject is unusual: as we all know, the terrorist organization known as ISIS has been recruiting young westerners for some time now, a problem that has been extensively documented. However, little is known about volunteer fighters from the west –including Canada– who have joined the opposition to ISIS. Volunteers who have been fighting alongside the Kurdish and Iraqi forces against the jihadists. The case of a Canadian woman who is actually with a women battalion is quite impressive for the degree of dedication to her work and her sincere commitment to helping liberate her fellow women suffering under the tyrannical rule of ISIS.
For detailed information on the Montreal International Documentary Festival visit www.ridm.ca
Feature image: “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection”
