BKonthescene

We started the Hot Docs Festival on the opening day for Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions

Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions (2026) is a documentary that was the opening feature during Hot Docs 2026.  Pope and director, Michelle Mama were in attendance for the Q&A as it was an excellent choice for opening the 2026 Hot Docs Festival in Toronto.

The doc profiles the era where Canadian queer rock icon and Rough Trade frontwoman Carole Pope, now 79 yrs old, was a true trailblazer.  The film explores her rise with her partner in her personal and music career, Kevin Staples who passed away last year.  You could see Rough Trade on music video shows, with their multiple hit songs, tv commercials for Pepsi Cola, and winning Juno awards over female luminaries such as Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray, Lisa Hartt, Shawne Jackson, and Sylvia Tyson. 

An unheard music style from the 80’s, her unspeakable self overtones and earth shaking music, and her impact as a sexual pioneer in rock is what made her garner attention as a alternative icon who inspired the musicians appearing in this Doc:  Sabastian Bach, Jan Arden, Peaches, K.D. Lang and Rufus Wainwright.

Overall, a retrospective look into the Punk/New Wave era with Carole Pope, Rough Trade and how they paved the way for the freedom of expression through music, fashion and attitude. A great way to start the Hot Docs Festival as we’ll continue our reviews on Day two.

Our journey during this amazing festival brought us to the choice of Black Zombie as we arrived just in time at The TIFF Light Box on King St.
Black Zombie is an intellectually sharp and culturally urgent documentary that reclaims one of pop culture’s most misunderstood icons. Director Maya Annik Bedward peels back decades of cinematic distortion to trace the zombie’s true origins in Haitian Vodou, where it functioned not as horror spectacle but as a haunting metaphor for enslavement and resistance.

The film’s greatest strength lies in its reframing—challenging audiences to reconsider familiar imagery through a historical and political lens. Blending archival footage, expert voices, and genre analysis, it exposes how Hollywood stripped the zombie of its cultural specificity and repackaged it for mass consumption.

While occasionally dense in its academic approach, Black Zombie remains compelling through its clarity of purpose and emotional undercurrent. It’s less a horror documentary than a cultural reckoning—one that lingers long after the credits, asking viewers to confront what has been lost, erased, and finally reclaimed.

Trying to find love in modern times,with the use of apps which sometimes starts off as excitement to obsession, sure we’ve heard of actual success stories and it did  work out. Love Apptually asks people who use what were their experiences, outcome and what were they expecting from the sites.

The doc finds some interesting background and gathers a ton of info on each subjects pattern with the algorithm they have and people don’t even know how the personal info is shared with other companies they are affiliated with or other outlets they easily pass onto. Profit and the mighty buck is their driving force oppose to having people succeed in the lonely world of dating, connecting and finding a real partner in life.

It was Sunday and our next selection was-Gimme Truth

In this world, such as the USA there is a multitude full of soothsayers, distortion of the truth, promises of false hopes, beliefs in unproven theories.  So much that it all adds up to a lot of head shaking moments when people present their ideology in forums such as conventions, fairs, and public forums.

Out of this arrives conspiracy advocates, outer limits of the universe for inner peace, alien speculation and during the pandemic crisis, the belief that it was a “Plandemic” of misinformation which was all planned out to manipulate people into believing the government and pharmaceutical companies, fooling us all.

Possibly an escape from these times of upheaval or people thinking their beliefs are in the forefront of the way, a money maker with the lecture circuit, book tours and sales of their trinkets during conventions.  Still millions are flocking to wanting a purpose with these people who are delusional or somehow either really believing in their strange ways or are in it for fame, power or the mighty buck?

With the popularity of YouTube and AI, we are inundated with theories and possibilities of conspiracy, forbidden activities, alien abduction or forces out there causing us negativity, where every corner of the earth is analyzed.

Luckily we got to the Hot Docs theatre early as the line up was around the block for the premiere showing of the Ballad of Judas Priest. In the world of rock n’ roll, specifically heavy metal, it’s synonymous to mention the iconic Judas Priest, with their 50+ year career as one of the top-heavy metal pioneers.  One of the most influential bands, the who’s who appear in the feature that included: Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine (also the co director of this Doc.), Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath (before his passing), Kirk Hammett, Guitarist of Metallica, Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Lizzy Hale (Halestorm), Darryl “DMC” McDaniels (Run-DMC).  With special Appearance by Jack Black (Tenacious D).

The band’s journey started and originated from the industrial West Midlands, then to Birmingham, England, and the pinnacle, being inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  This in depth documentary features unseen archival footage, their personal trials, the band being prosecuted for their art and celebrity interviews.

All-in-all, a must see for fans of music who travel with this band on their journey of rock n’ roll while still being relevant in sustaining their fans and still loving their craft.

Code of Misconduct is a tense, methodical documentary that digs into the fragile line between accountability and institutional self-protection. Director Sébastien Trahan approaches the subject with restraint, allowing facts and firsthand perspectives to build a quietly mounting pressure. Rather than leaning on dramatic flourishes, the film relies on careful structure and patient storytelling, revealing how systems designed to enforce rules can just as easily obscure them.

What stands out is its focus on process — the bureaucratic language, the internal reviews, the slow grind of investigation—which becomes as compelling as any personal testimony. The human cost is never far from view, surfacing in moments of frustration and moral fatigue. At times, the pacing feels deliberately slow, but that mirrors the reality it portrays.

By the end, Code of Misconduct leaves a lingering unease, raising difficult questions about transparency, power, and whether true accountability is possible within closed systems.

One of the first social media outlets to appear and became a must have and then disappeared. Initially MySpace started out as an outlet for artists such as musicians, which grew into a platform to showcase pictures, interact and be in contact. It was the first major social network, its major impact on music discovery Drake, Adele; Katy Perry, Artic Monkeys, My Chemical Romance, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, to name a few of the successful artist who benefitted from MYSPACE and its collapse after its 2005 acquisition by News Corp.

Through interviews with Tila Tequila, Kevin Smith, Dane Cook, Chris Carrabba Jeffree Star, Mickey Avalon, Melissa Marie Jac Vanek ,Lil Jon, Members of bands such as Simple Plan, All-American Rejects, and MySpace cofounders, Chris DeWolfe and Aber Whitcomb. An interesting retrospective Doc with what transpired with social media over 20 years ago and the evolution of the platforms today in 2026.

American Doctor is a quietly powerful documentary that trades sensationalism for intimacy and moral weight. Director Poh Si Teng crafts a deeply human portrait of a physician navigating the complex intersections of identity, duty, and displacement. Rather than presenting a straightforward biography, the film unfolds with a reflective, almost meditative rhythm, allowing the audience to sit with uncertainty and contradiction.

The storytelling is restrained but purposeful, anchored by moments of vulnerability that feel earned rather than staged. Visually, it leans into simplicity, letting faces and silences carry emotional force. What lingers most is its exploration of belonging—both to a profession and to a country that may not fully accept you.

While some viewers may find the pacing deliberate to a fault, its emotional honesty and subtle political undercurrent make it a compelling entry in this year’s Hot Docs lineup.

We headed to the showing of Ghost in the Machine and we were really looking forward to this Doc covering modern technology.

We see A.I. all around us and with the rise of this technology, it’s so accessible online to give us an answer in seconds. The debate will always arise with it being a necessity these days, to eventually getting out of control with it taking over our lives, causing havoc and mass panic.

This documentary digs into the history, background and some unknown things regarding A.I.’s formative years before it became mainstream.  Some parts of Ghost in the Machine are fascinating, thought provoking and shocking, with the use of stereotypes, eugenics, racism, unproven theories and misogyny, among other social negatives that were conjured up. 

A.I. has certainly developed quickly in the mass market, exponentially faster at times, making life easier and something to ponder with how it’s advancing too quickly in our lives.

The history of what A.I. is now, is explored and it is unsettling at times, a reflection of how it has to be and how we now are in terms of the progression of A.I.

Teenage angst, a get away and a home away from home.  What we have is, Vegapolis.  France in Montpellier, one of the most popular skating rinks around, as the weekends are packed with attendees who are youngsters, teens and skating aficionados that gather each week.

The documentary follows their gathering and their different personalities as they navigate through their ups and downs, trials and tribulations, like a reality series we see that populated the tv screen these days. We’ve been there before, having this safe haven where we can get together and bond. A refuge to have solitude, as skating is their sanctuary and some have decided that this could be their calling as a career in coaching, skating the circuit as a competitor and the Olympics. 

These arenas are institutions that have endured modern technology.  Yes, now including laser shows, pondering beats by a dj and ambience that fit the modern era, but the comfort of the rinks have this sense of being a second home, may it be for a few hours.

Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love, but at the same time the crime rate, poverty and homelessness is still a problem in the intercity. What are the kids to do in terms of keeping active and staying focused in their lives, school and learning lessons of responsibility?

There is-Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club  where this community horse stable is run by volunteers to support kids in the city on the value of having a purpose, helping them forge their path in life, being productive and learning new skills. The kids look forward to their time at the stable with chores such as cleaning the whole stables of debris, grooming, riding, exercising the animals and feeding them.

A heartwarming story of getting the children off the streets as this is a safe haven for them to prosper.

Music and Rapping go hand in hand as a universal language all over the world. In Cork, Ireland at the Kabin Studio, teenagers are given the opportunity to express their lyrics in rapping, singing and writing rhythms and eventually performing in the traditional Irish language while rapping to their creation.

As the videos show vintage footage when they first began their journey to how they progressed as performers – in writing, in the studio and on stage with a live audience. The subtitles helped to interpret the lyrics as the genre of rap is universal, no matter language is used. The whole cast and director from Ireland were in attendance for the Q&A.

When three Norwegian women who bill themselves as witches, feminists and black metal artists, how is an audience perceiving them? A novelty act, just because they’re topless women? Should we pay attention to the makeup, wigs, a stage show with a lot of growling thrown in? The director Maja Holand was in the audience for a Q&A as this was her first directorial endeavour in the cinematic space.

With a name like Witch Club Satan, the band faces plenty of flak, opposition and criticism. The documentary presents a mock courtroom trial with a multitude of witnesses testifying on the stand in a “witch hunt” scenario. Most of the people are praising the virtue of this band and what they have to offer. One female on the stand criticizing their motives as feminists while baring their boobs, swearing and not portraying how a true feminist should act.

There was a three year pact that the women agreed upon and the film following their journey from being mediocre playing their instruments, then being invited to top European rock festivals with a cult following initially, then growing to a big fan base, crafting their skills in playing their instruments, writing unique lyrics and recording albums with controversial videos to accompany their music.

There’s segments on their personal lives as their love ones are shown bonding with each member of the band, their quiet moments away from Black Metal and how they enjoy quality time away from the touring, band practices and enjoying each others company as they grow as musician during this unique pact and as the director mentioned during the Q&A, they will make their North American live debut with a 16-date headline tour across the U.S. and Canada, running May 27 through June 16, 2026.