Khoa Lê

Frédérique Lessard, three-time Olympic medalist, is retiring. She decides to leave her spouse, with whom she had planned to start a family. Faced with emptiness, she will discover that life is not a race and will have to learn to live without performing. Freely inspired by the life of Marianne St-Gelais, but also by several Olympians.

Au-delà du sexe deals with human sexuality from every angle. We tackle subjects that are still taboo, and educate people to better know and understand one of the foundations of human life: sexuality.

Afro Canada is a documentary series that traces 400 years of Afro-descendant presence in Canada. This docuseries, rich in historical and social significance, will leave a lasting impact. By re-appropriating various narrative techniques, Afro Canada pays tribute to the collective memory of Afro-Canadians, whose history is marked by slavery, forced displacement of their bodies and families, and, above all, their resilience — an essential resilience for ensuring that future generations can live freely.

Adapted magnificently to the screen by the director Khoa Lê, the diptych serves both as an archive of research and creation work aborted by the constraints of an uncertain era and as a delicate and unique cinematographic object.

In Saigon, family culture carries on as it has for centuries, even when blood ties are broken. Through a mosaic of intimate portraits, Má Sài Gòn explores humanity’s universal desire for love, acceptance, connection and belonging through an LGBTQ+ lens. The film is a love letter – a bittersweet ode to a comforting yet disturbing mother, to a city that is as liberating as it is oppressive.

Four women share funny and intimate tales of one-sided infatuation, mutual attraction, erotic moments, and fumbling attempts at sexual expression. For them, discovering that they’re attracted to other women comes hand-in-hand with a deeper understanding of their personal identity and a joyful new self-awareness.

Hot Docs will commemorate Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation with the commissioning of In the Name of All Canadians, a compilation of six short documentaries inspired by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. From Indigenous rights to multiculturalism to the controversial ‘notwithstanding clause,’ participating filmmakers have each selected a specific aspect of the Charter to explore, looking at how it resonates in the stories of their fellow Canadians.

The prophecy of Khoa Lê’s 93-year-old grandmother (bà nôi) burdens his unknown future and reflects the roots of his past. Born in Vietnam but raised in Canada, Lê’s homeland pilgrimage is measured parts self-portrait, ethnography and an ethereal quest for identity. His bà nôi is funny and forthright in a matriarchal manner, as one with little time to worry about what others think. Stark observations of her home life and family visits contrast visually stunning dreamlike sequences of fog-laced silhouettes and twilight vistas that echo an unpredictable path. As he celebrates New Year’s events with family traditions and rituals steeped in superstition, fortunes and horoscopes, it’s clear Lê is seeking signs of destiny as he poetically captures a soul floating between two worlds.

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Denis Gagnon, fashion designer, is putting the final touch on his latest collection. Confined in his basement, turned atelier, he instinctively assembles materials (glitters, Jersey, leather and silk). Denis returns to his home town of Alma (Lake Saint-Jean) where he meets up with family and old friends. During this visit home he shares his concerns, inspirations and perceptions as a creator. The "enfant terrible" of Canadian fashion is the subject of this new cinematic picture. Rather than solely focusing on the clothing, "My name is Denis Gagnon" is an intimate portrait of a complex character. Denis Gagnon presents himself as the artist behind enormous dark glasses.