5 documentaries about women taking on the world at Hot Docs 2023
Some of the festival's most anticipated films focus on fascinating women portrayed in all their complexity
These recommendations are part of CBC Arts's coverage of the 2023 Hot Docs Festival.
The movie industry is not always good to women, to say the least. But the documentary side of things has historically been kinder. Crews for documentaries typically have 10 percent more women on them than narrative features, for example, and film festivals tend to screen a higher proportion of women-directed documentary films than they do narrative features.
There's also the other side of the lens. At the 2023 Hot Docs Festival, many of this year's films focused on women are also made (mainly) by women. The festival also continues its Persister program, which shines a light on films about women who are speaking up and demanding to be heard.
What's special about this year's women-focused documentaries is that they aren't just girl-power docs. The women in these movies take on the world in a bunch of ways: they create incredible art, make major changes in the world and share their deepest emotions with us. But they also hit rock bottom, make mistakes and can be unlikable. The films are impactful because the documentarians embrace these women for who they are, rather than who we want them to be.
These five women-focused films from this year's Hot Docs Festival are more than just personal favourites. They will change your perspective on the world.
Razing Liberty Square
One of the festival's top films this year follows three women fighting against a luxury development in Miami's historically Black and public-housing neighbourhood, Liberty Square. Director Katja Esson weaves together the narratives of a school principal, a climate activist and a single mom to explore the issues of racism, gentrification and climate change.
Esson is an Oscar-nominated documentarian and it shows. She knows how to highlight big issues with small moments. Town hall meetings become interesting, zoning laws become infuriating and ribbon cuttings become absurdist. The film does such a good job connecting viewers to its central characters that the ending feels like saying goodbye to friends — a rare achievement in documentaries about climate change and housing policy.
This World is Not My Own
This World is Not My Own feels like a dream. The film chronicles the life of American folk artist Nellie Mae Rowe. For an hour and a half, viewers get to see the world through Rowe's eyes: the history, the racism, the dreams, the imagery and the friends. We even get to see her say no to the world's most famous "no" woman, Nancy Reagan.
Directors Petter Ringbom and Marquise Stillwell make the most of the visual medium by mirroring Rowe's aesthetic in the film. They use the bright colours and childlike items of Rowe's work to recreate scenes from the artist's life, which wasn't quite as sunny as her paintings.
What's cool is that they took this style from Rowe, who did the same thing with her paintings. The art seems all beautiful and dreamy, until you look a little deeper and realize that many of her paintings were about murdered and missing Black boys in Atlanta.
La Singla
Prepare to be entranced when you watch La Singla. Director Paloma Zapata chronicles the rise of the deaf, Romani flamenco dancer Antonia Singla. Zapata chronicles Singla's life growing up in the Barcelona suburbs to the renowned flamenco dancer at 17 years old. Suddenly, Singla disappears without a trace. 60 years later, Zapata goes out looking for her.
It doesn't matter if you know nothing about flamenco — Singla's intense flamenco moves and scary but beautiful eyes will keep you glued to the screen. Singla's mother said she danced with anger, and as the movie unravels, you can see why. No spoilers, but if you liked Framing Britney Spears, you'll love La Singla.
The Disappearance of Shere Hite
Despite this movie having the word "disappearance" in it, it's not the same kind of mystery as La Singla. Director Nicole Newnham wants to understand why nobody knows about female sexuality pioneer, Shere Hite, the author of The Hite Report. Her infamous 1970s book about the female orgasm drew ire and fascination, making it the 30th bestselling book of all time! Yet her name isn't roped in with her contemporaries, like Gloria Steinem or Erica Jong.
The director of the Oscar-nominated Crip Camp sets up the movie like many of the female orgasms that Hite wrote about: it builds and builds with Hite's fame, only to be defeated by male ego and patriarchy. The Disappearance of Shere Hite is a poignant reminder that a woman's fight is never over — even when she reaches the top.
Coven
Coven follows three millennial women tracing their witch ancestry. But the movie is so much more than crystals and manifesting. The film honours the witchy tradition of finding your place in the world, even if it seems weird to others.
What stands out in this film is the vulnerability of the women. Canadian director Rama Rau somehow got the witches to do past-life regressions, tarot readings and spiritual rituals onscreen. Those things may sound woo-woo or silly, but the emotions that come out during these rituals are raw.
Rau's superpower lies in making her subjects comfortable with their vulnerability. That's no surprise, considering her previous work includes a documentary about the tragic bullying of Rehtaeh Parsons.
Hot Docs runs from April 27-May 7, 2023. For information about film times and tickets, head to the festival's website.
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