May 28, 2020 1:06 pm
Steve James' City So Real and Maria Finitzo's The Dilemma of Desire are both available for streaming in Ontario as part of the Hot Docs Festival Online. For the Festival’s 10 days, May 28 to June 6, Ontario audiences will be able to stream documentaries, watch pre-recorded Q&As, and partake in virtual live events. Plus, a large selection of titles will be available for an extended post-Festival viewing window until June 24.
Originally scheduled to take place April 30 - May 10 in Canada, the in-person festival was cancelled due to concerns of COVID-19. Critics have praised both films as 'must-see' in a lineup featuring 140 films from across the globe.
"[The Dilemma of Desire]’s a powerful reminder that true equality will come only when we all arrive at a place of understanding and acknowledgment that women are sexual beings, entitled to live their lives fully within the expression of their desire," said Sonya Davidson of the Toronto Guardian.
"What the filmmaker and her subjects ultimately find goes beyond just questions of art, science, and representation (like that’s not already enough), offering a full spectrum look at how ignoring anatomy feeds into all corners of existence. By its end, good luck not being suddenly, immensely cliterate," wrote Kate Erbland of IndieWire who named The Dilemma of Desire as part of the top 10 most exciting films at HotDocs 2020.
"What emerges from City So Real isn’t a tale of two cities, but rather seven or eight that are fighting to be heard and acknowledged," wrote Andrew Partner of The Gate Entertainment Magazine. "Chicago, as portrayed in James’ latest, is a mess at the moment, and the series examines those who either want to invite radical change or reinforce the status quo. It’s one of the most wholly engrossing films at the festival this year, and like any great limited series, it’s compulsively watchable and enthralling."
Hot Docs Festival Online is available now at hotdocs.ca. Streaming is geo-blocked to Ontario, so you will need to be within the province to stream films.
See an exclusive clip from The Dilemma of Desire on Women and Hollywood.