Face 2 Face With David Peck

Erin and I talk about gender disparity, her new film Girl Unbound, honesty, inspiration and where our perspective comes from.  For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Trailer More info about the film here. Synopsis Maria Toorpakai Wazir has spent her young life defying expectations. At age 25, she is an internationally competitive squash player. But in her home country, Pakistan, she remains controversial. In her family's region of Waziristan, women are forbidden by the Taliban from playing sports. In Girl Unbound, we follow Maria over several months as she represents Pakistan on the national team and carves her own identity, despite threats to her family. Filmmaker Erin Heidenreich makes her feature directorial debut with the same self-assurance behind the camera that Maria possesses on the squash court. The film takes us from Toronto, where Maria practices with squash champion Jonathon Power, to Pakistan, where her family is forced to relocate to Islamabad for safety. Defying fundamentalist threats,

Paul and I talk about his new film Dog Eat Dog, living in the “sweet spot” of history, why humans have run their course and the recidivist nature of crime.   For more information about TIFF go here.   IMDB Trailer   Synopsis   DOG EAT DOG is a gritty contemporary crime thriller starring Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe about a trio of excons, deep in the underbelly of Cleveland, who are hired for a kidnapping.   When the botched abduction goes awry and gets completely out of control, the cons find themselves on the run, vowing to stay out of prison at all costs.   Biography   Paul Schrader is an award-winning screenwriter and film director. Schrader wrote or co-wrote screenplays for four Martin Scorsese films: Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and Bringing Out the Dead (1999). Schrader has also directed 18 feature films, including his 1982 remake of the horror classic Cat People, the crime drama American Gigolo (1980), the biographical drama Mishima: A Life in Four Cha

Mohanad and I talk about Palestine, history, peaceful revolution, looking for shadows and finding the bridge between all of us. For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Trailer More info about the film here. Synopsis In his remarkably assured debut documentary, Ramallah-based director Mohanad Yaqubi untangles the fraught history of his homeland, long at the centre of one of the world's most painful conflicts. With the precision and grace of the best essay films, Yaqubi uses found footage, much of it newly discovered, to trace his country's quest for self-determination, dignity, and, ultimately, peace. Off Frame AKA Revolution until Victory builds off Yaqubi's discovery of film shot by the Palestine Film Unit, a group founded in the 1960s that saw itself as the cinematic front of the Palestinian movement. He connects their work in this tumultuous historic moment with wider trends, bringing his documentary into dialogue with the larger film world. There are parallels with Third Cinema and social realism,

Maria-Jose and Olga and I talk about show-women, reinventing yourself, living for and with your dreams and gender issues of all kinds. For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Trailer Synopsis The disco-era heyday of Mexico's burlesque culture may have long passed, but many of the sequined stars of those cabarets are still with us. Their stories speak volumes about what it means to be a no-longer-young woman in a career grounded in physical beauty and erotic appeal. Eight years in the making, María José Cuevas' Beauties of the Night is a captivating group portrait of iconic Mexican showgirls, still thriving with grace and style in their ostensible golden years. Shifting elegantly between eye-popping archival materials and endearingly frank new interviews, Cuevas introduces us to Olga Breeskin, who actually began her performing career playing classical violin with her father; to Lyn May, who, now in her sixties, happily maintains a rigorous daily regimen of exercise and intercourse and extols the virtues

Ilan and I talk about his new film An Eye for An Eye, hate, racism, and forgiveness, why the future may not be so bright, where hope fits in and why developing a positive narrative is essential.  IMDB Trailer More info about the film and Ilan here. Synopsis The subject of a new documentary out in theatres beginning October 28th, "An Eye For An Eye" by Israeli director Ilan Ziv, tells the story of shooting victim Rais Bhuiyan , the only survivor of a post 9-11 hate crime by Texas native Mark Stroman who would became known as the "Arab Slayer" and whose life Ziv and Bhuiyan worked tirelessly to save.  Ilan Ziv's 8-year journey and friendship with Stroman helped guide him to his final revelation: to seek forgiveness and a deeper understanding of the origin of his hate and racism, providing a unique and provocative insight into the mind of a racist turned serial killer. Ziv and Bhuiyan came together on this project to open hearts and minds around the culture of hate and the politics of revenge post 9-11, a rhetor

Dr. Lang and I talk about redundancies in the brain, the tendency towards addiction, bio-markers and neurological disorders and vaccines, neuro-plasticity and diagnosis. Get a copy of his book: “Parkinson’s Disease: A Complete Guide for Patients and Families” here. Biography Dr. Lang directs a large multifaceted clinical research program in the field of Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders. Dr. Lang’s research includes clinical studies of poorly recognized neurological disorders. Dr. Lang is Director of the Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson’s Disease at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto and Director of the Movement Disorders Centre at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre. Lancet Neurology, the world's leading medical journal, has referred to Dr. Lang as “a master of movement disorders.” In addition to leading Canada’s busiest Parkinson’s clinic, Dr. Lang is dedicated to advancing research, including studies of poorly recognized neurological disorders; clinical trials of

Yesim and I talk about tradition, sexual politics in Turkey, harsh modernism, manipulation, control and patriarchal power. For more information about TIFF go here. Trailer Synopsis In her most politically charged film to date, Turkish writer-director Yesim Ustaoglu revisits her previous films' themes of alienation and the longing to escape, viewing them through a distinctly female lens. In Clair Obscur, a film about the lives of two women from opposing worlds, Ustaoglu explores the different possibilities and limitations that exist for women in Turkey today. Chenaz thinks of herself as modern and liberal. Resident psychiatrist at a hospital on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, she lives with her long-time partner, Cem, in a stylishly appointed home. Valuing each other's independence, Chenaz and Cem appear to think of each other as equals, but as Chenaz spends more time with a work colleague, she begins to wonder if Cem's treatment of her is motivated by love or by a desire for control. Elmas lives with her much-

  Jonathan and I talk about “blindness” and disability, assistive technology, crowd funding and why he roots for the underdog. Biography My name is Jonathan Nadeau and I'm a husband, a father of three, and a blind GNU/Linux user. I'm also the host of three podcasts about free software. I interview project leaders of free software and GNU/Linux distributions. This summer I'm interning with the FSF's campaigns team. I was not born blind but was in a car accident when I was 14, which caused me to lose my sight — after my accident I was introduced to a world of accessible technology using proprietary and nonfree software. I came to free software from using Windows and used a program called Jaws — this software allows people who are blind or have low vision to access a computer and be productive, by reading text and actions on the screen. Jaws is nonfree software — users can't share it due to the terms of the license and as a result many people who would benefit from it, are unable to get a copy. In the United Sta

Raja, Hiam and Sarra talk about their new film Foreign Body, refugees, identity, relational complexity and the present over the future. For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Trailer Synopsis Seeking refuge from her Islamist radical brother whom she informed on, a young woman arrives in France illegally following Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution and discovers a new world of both hope and danger, in the fourth feature from writer-director Raja Amari (Satin Rouge, Buried Secrets). In the turbulent aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, young Samia (Sarra Hannachi) flees her homeland. She braves hostile seas in the crossing to France, but once there she finds that her struggles have only just begun. With no friends, no family, and — most crucially — no immigration papers, Samia has to figure out how to make a life and a living in a foreign land. She meets a young man, Imed (Salim Kechiouche, Blue is the Warmest Color), and soon finds work in the employ of the elegant Leila (the inimitable Hiam Abbass, subject

Bill and Mark and I talk about their new film The Head-hunters Calling, pure ego, being present and why we’re all addicts of one kind or another. For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Synopsis A ruthless corporate headhunter (Gerard Butler) battles his rival for control of their job placement company, until a family tragedy brings his personal and professional lives into conflict. Grounded in a generous, soul-searching lead performance from Gerard Butler, this drama follows a corporate headhunter torn between the dictates of his ambition and the needs of his family. For Dane Jensen (Butler), success demands a little ruthlessness; you don't get anywhere without stepping on toes. After years of climbing the corporate ladder, he has the biggest goal of his career in sight. The head of Dane's recruitment company (Willem Dafoe) has announced his retirement — and the time has come for Dane to pounce. Dane's ascension requires all his attention, particularly given that his biggest rival (Alison Brie) is you

Lutz and I talk about his new film Mali Blues, the question of culture, colonialism, the power of music to evoke emotion and change and artful disruption.   For more information about TIFF go here.   IMDB Trailer   More info about the film here.   Synopsis With her radiant voice and magnetic presence, Fatoumata Diawara, known as Fatou, is a rising star in world music. In her home country of Mali, music traditions are deep and varied, but their longevity was threatened when Islamic fundamentalists banned music in northern desert towns for several months beginning in 2012. (Diawara had a memorable cameo in Abderrahmane Sissako's Academy Award-nominated film Timbuktu as a singer being punished.) Having fled Mali as a young woman to escape an arranged marriage, Diawara's personal relationship to the country is complicated. In Mali Blues, we follow her as she returns in 2015 to give her first home concert at the Festival of the Niger in the southern Mali city of Ségou. Director Lutz Gregor treats our eyes to dazz

Kathy and I talk about social change, catalyzing action, creative activism and choosing love and why fearlessness matters more than we know. For more information about Kathy head here and her new book head here. For more information on Creative Visions. The Journey is The Destination: IMDB Biography Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and a graduate of Wellesley College, Kathy has worked as a teacher, journalist, author, and film and television producer in England, Africa and the United States.  In 1997, Kathy launched Creative Visions Foundation, a global organization that supports “creative activists” who use their creative talents to change the world around them.  CVF was inspired by the life of Kathy’s son, Dan Eldon – artist, adventurer and activist – killed in 1993 while on assignment for Reuters New Agency in Somalia. Since 2004, CVF has acted as an incubator, academy and agency for more than 200 projects and productions by artists, filmmakers, playwrights, and leaders of social movements on five continents w

Oliver and I talk about Sufism, the “geometry of the heart”, religion, contra-tradition, the mystical edge to everything and why there is really nothing at all to understand. For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Trailer For more information about the film go here. Synopsis Winner of the Grand Prize at Cannes' Semaine de la Critique, this mesmerizing, minimalist "Eastern western" confirms Oliver Laxe (You All Are Captains) as a remarkable and distinctive talent. Inspired in part by the director's itinerant travels and his immersion in Sufism,Mimosas — which was first glimpsed as the film-within-the-film in Ben Rivers' The Sky Trembles and the Earth is Afraid and the Two Eyes are Not Brothers — is by turns heady and epiphanic as it explores cinema's possibilities of representing the ineffable. Shot against the backdrop of Morocco's staggering Atlas Mountains, Mimosasseems to take place at some strange intersection of the ancient and modern worlds. A young, wild-eyed preacher (Shakib Ben Omar) is summo

Juho and Jarrko and I talk about love stories, boxing as a metaphor, what’s important in life and how not to be cynical. For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Trailer More info about the film here. Synopsis Winner of a top prize at this year’s Cannes festival, the irresistibly charming debut feature from Juho Kuosmanen is a funny and forlorn comedy-drama inspired by the real-life showdown between Finnish boxer Olli Mäki and American champion Davey Moore in 1962 Helsinki. Funny, forlorn, and irresistibly charming, Juho Kuosmanen's assured debut featureThe Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, which won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at this year's Cannes, is inspired by the true story of Finland's most successful boxer of the 1960s. Shot in black and white with scrupulous attention to period detail, the film centres on the prelude to Mäki's historic fight in Helsinki with American Davey Moore, the bantamweight champion of the world. Almost painfully open and ingenuous, Olli (Jarkko La

Jim and George and I about Tuko Macho, The Nest Collective, an African generational voice, identity and internal voices and why extreme order is surreal. For more information on Tuko Macho(IMDB, trailer, website) and TIFF. Synopsis Tuko Macho (Sheng for "we are watching") candidly explores the frequently violent intersections of class, law and justice in Nairobi. Shot mostly in Sheng -- Kenya's unique pidgin of English, Swahili and local languages -- Tuko Macho's storylines are drawn from real-life stories that the people of Nairobi have become uncomfortably familiar with. Presented exclusively on Facebook as a web series, Tuko Macho has traversed between fiction and the real world, allowing audiences to vote for or against the execution of characters, and sparking intense conversations about the place of retributive justice in a city with few heroes. Tuko Macho stars Kenyan stage and screen actor Tim King’oo as Biko/Jonah -- the philosophical and operational heart of the vigilante operation, Nairobi radio qu

Andreas Dalsgaard and I talk about his new film The War Show, Syria, self-discovery and tools of expression, silence and journalistic analysis. Synopsis A Syrian radio DJ documents the experiences of herself and her friends as their dreams of hope and liberation in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring give way to the grim realities of repression, forced emigration and extremism. Syrian radio host Obaidah Zytoon and her friends are caught up in the euphoria of the 2011 Arab Spring. Camera in hand, these artists and activists take to the streets to protest Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and record their experiences. They talk about art and relationships as much as politics. But as they film themselves over the next several years, their hopes for a better future are tested by violence, imprisonment and death. Zytoon and friends have worked with veteran Danish director Andreas Dalsgaard to shape, narrate and edit years of footage into a deeply moving personal narrative. The War Show, subtitled "From Revolution to W

  Don and I talk about the new film The David Dance, what it means to feel different, self-esteem issues, fitting in and his take on a story that has “universal appeal.” For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Trailer More info about the film here. Synopsis Away from the microphone, David (Don Scimé) is soft spoken, shy and unsure of himself. However, as his on-air alias, "Danger Dave" - host of the local radio show "Gay Talk" in Buffalo, New York - he's poised, witty and every listener's best friend. His sister, Kate (Antoinette LaVecchia), is a thrice-divorced banker with a yen for classical music and cats. Though successful, the siblings suffer from a secret, yet vast sense of inadequacy.  Kate decides to adopt an orphan in Brazil and asks David to be a father figure. Meanwhile, David grapples with his self-doubts while gawkily romancing his co-worker. Past and present intertwine in this bittersweet winter's tale of a man learning to love and accept himself. The film is the feature directorial debut

Robert Cenedella and I talk about his new film Art Bastard, how not to play the "art game," the narrow minded establishment, and what isn't art. For more information on Art Bastard: IMDB, Trailer, website. Synopsis In a madcap art world obsessed with money, fame and hype, how does an artist driven by justice, defiance and his own singular style thrive? Art Bastard is the rousing tale of a rebel who never fit into today's art world, yet has become one of its most provocative, rabble-rousing characters. At once a portrait of the artist as a young troublemaker, an alternate history of modern art and a quintessential New York story, Art Bastard is as energetic, humorous and unapologetically honest as the uncompromising man at its center: Robert Cenedella. Cenedella was a contemporary of Andy Warhol. But he has essentially served as the antiWarhol. His noisy, raucous, color-splashed paintings of city scenes approach the world with a sincerity that defies the irony, frivolity and controversy-for-the-sake-of-controv

On today’s TIFF episode I talk to Orlando and Joanna about their moving new film The White Helmets, Syria, courage and doing the right thing in the face of fear. For more information on The White Helmets(IMDB, trailer, website) and TIFF. Synopsis A Netflix original short documentary, set in Aleppo, Syria and southern Turkey in early 2016, takes viewers into the war zone. As the violence intensifies, The White Helmets follows three volunteer rescue workers as they put everything on the line to save civilians affected by the war, all the while wracked with worry about the safety of their own loved ones. Moving and inspiring, The White Helmets (by Oscar nominated team Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara) is both a snapshot of the harrowing realities of life for ordinary Syrians who remain in the country, and a humbling portrait of the power of the human spirit. Biographies Orlando von Einsiedel is a London-based director. His debut feature documentary Virunga was nominated for an Academy Award. The White

Fred and I talk about his new film All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception and the Spirit of I.F. Stone, speaking truth to power, unplugging from the mainstream, pressure from below and good journalism. For more information about TIFF go here. IMDB Trailer More info about the film here. Synopsis Vancouver-based filmmaker and TV news veteran Fred Peabody explores the life and legacy of the maverick American journalist I.F. Stone, whose long one-man crusade against government deception lives on in the work of such contemporary filmmakers and journalists as Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald, David Corn, and Matt Taibbi. For decades, maverick American journalist I.F. Stone took on the powers that be — from Red-baiting fearmonger Joe McCarthy to Lyndon Johnson to Ronald Reagan — in the pages of the tiny publication I.F. Stone's Weekly (and later in the New York Review of Books and The Nation), most of it typed, two-finger style, by Stone himself. Working without the "access" to those in power so prized by establishmen