EESTI ELU reedel, 16. oktoobril 2020 — Friday, October 16, 2020
Around the World on a Reel of Film: Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema brings audiences to new places Vincent Teetsov You may know Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema from film screenings as part of EstDocs, or you may be a local from The Annex who has attended the Cinema for films more regularly. Either way, if you’ve been around Toronto’s streets, you’ve likely gone under the large vertical sign and glistening marquee lights of what was once the Bloor Cinema. It’s had a lot of different names and identities over the years, but through out this time, it’s been a cul tural mainstay of our local community. It’s one of the founding mem bers of Bloor Street Culture Corridor, which VEMU (The Museum of Estonians Abroad) is also a member of. As Alan Black, the Managing Director of Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, tells me, it’s a place where we can all take part in the transformative power of documentaries. Hot Docs has worked together with Bloor Street Culture Corridor founder Heather Kelly and the Royal Conservatory of Music since the Cinema opened 8 years ago as Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. It’s a partnership that’s founded on fostering a “group and communal spirit.” There is also an open-mind ed spirit when it comes to aligning programming. Re cently, Hot Docs showed an excerpt of a documentary about Billie Holiday, followed by a
performance of Holiday’s music from the stage of Koerner Hall. In 2019, Hot Docs worked to gether with the Royal College of Music for the Music On Film series, including a screening of That Pärt Feeling: The Uni verse of Arvo Pärt. “It’s different in the online context,” Black says,“but as a cinema, we were always trying to create an experience that was more than just going to see a movie and then going home.” This approach has paved the way for Hot Docs at Home, the Cinema’s new online platform for watching films. Hot Docs at Home has ex panded their audience beyond cinephiles, to those who want to learn new things and explore different points-of-view. And when the Cinema temporarily closed their doors in March, they transcended geography, too, moving quickly to built a platform where their 10,000 members could continue to watch films. Ultimately, the Cinema’s mission is to show people great documentaries, wherever they may be, and re gardless of whether the building can be filled or not. Over the next few weeks, Hot Docs at Home will be offering a monthly subscription option, with more and more content being added. Recently, the platform has added a collection of the staff’s favou rite films from the past ten years. It seems that documentaries can act as a form of “travel.”
Esto Children’s Fund – Women’s Shelters in Estonia One in three women around the world have experienced vio lence at least once in their life. This tragic per centage applies to women in Estonia, Canada and the United States. Emergency women’s shelters offer temporary shelter and support to women and their children who have suffered psychological, physical or sex ual violence. These shelters also act as support centers and provide outreach services to women not living in shel ters. These services include: emotional support and resources for professional guidance for these victims are provided 24/7 free of charge and a telephone help line is staffed by fully trained per sonnel. Both Canada and Estonia have national programs to support Emergency Women’s Shelters and transitional support with assistance managed by
provincial and/or local govern ments. In Estonia since 2012, over 1,500 women per year have approached women’s shelters for help. About 10% of these women in Estonia have requested shelter. According to Andrea Kink, Victim Services Manager at the Ministry of Social Services, in 2019 the total number of women seeking help in Estonia was 2,176 of which 155 women and 103 children were given emergency housing. In the first six months of 2020, these womens shelters have provided a total of 917 crisis counselling sessions. These women’s shelters are only temporary and funded by the government of Estonia, help is needed to transition women and their children to indepen dent living. Government fund ing is limited and based on family income, child support or spousal support other needs such as: glasses, winter boots, special needs, unexpected ex penses such as repairs to house hold appliances, internet access and other costs that are beyond
Black, who has himself directed documentaries, including Beau tiful and Deranged: The Song of the Yukon (2006), about sing er-songwriters in the Yukon, sees that potential. “As a Cine ma, we totally embrace the idea of virtual tourism. Particularly now.” Broader cultural representa tion is a top-of-mind issue at Hot Docs, and this includes the stories of Estonians. When asked about memorable connec tions he has to Estonia, Black speaks of his colleague Laura Lillepruun, who has been “a great champion of Estonian culture throughout her tenure at Hot Docs.” He also speaks of EstDocs, as it excites him to host a festival with a very specific audience and intent. “It’s always amazing to watch people come together at the Cinema, who may not have ever been at our Cinema before. Or they may not have been there since it was the Bloor 10 years ago, and coming in and watching films that in spire and impact them... It’s also been nice to have our members, who are very curious, be able to explore the rich his tory of Estonian cinematic cul ture.” Looking to the future, he is convinced that when the time is right, the Cinema will “be exactly what people need”, in the sense that it will counteract the recent isolation experienced by communities across Toronto. “I’m looking forward to a
the means of a single working mother earning about 600 euros a month. EERO established a Child ren’s Fund in January 2020 to assist children living in poverty in Estonia. In conjunction with the Estonian Relief Committee based in New York and Toetame.com based in Florida, we continue to collect money in support of these women and children during their transition to independent living. These funds are coordinated by Naisliit (Women’s League) di rected by Mailis Alt to our pilot project at the Pärnu Women’s Shelter. Plans are to expand this project to transitional programs at other shelters, if there are adequate donations. The Esto Childrens Fund project is focusing their efforts to support those women with children who are transitioning to independent living and are facing dire hardship because of the pandemic crisis. Their in comes, including any financial support they receive, do not cover prescription glasses, spe cial medical dietary needs and are insufficient for the balanced nutritional needs of children. According to Margo Orupõld, Project Coordinator in Pärnu,
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We’re Listening… (Continued from page 9)
named SBTRKT. A guy named Teebs out of the LA Beat Scene is someone I’ve been listening to, and more chill and down tempo stuff. Do you have a favourite Estonian DJ? And do you ever sample Estonian music in your music? I listen more to older things that I’ve come in contact with, less stuff that’s happening now. I have this Oskar Luts pressing that has some samples of him moment where we’ll have 700 reading Kevade, or there’s Arvo people together again to watch Pärt; different kinds of things that make it about grabbing a film.” If you’re looking to venture from the old and making it new. through film right now, Hot It’s a funny experience being Docs will be virtually showing I an Esto in Canada, or anywhere Am Greta, a documentary about else I imagine. You’re very the life and work of climate much Estonian, but you’re very activist Greta Thunberg. It much something else as well. tracks Thunberg’s life from her You’re also drawing from this first moments of activism to the well and depth of experience in present day. your culture, a lot of it dark and Outside of films, Hot Docs is emotional and full of pain. And also presenting a series of then also, just very hopeful, lectures about American politics which is an amazing contrast. I and the US election (http:// feel like it’s a really rich history hotdocs.ca/p/america-votes), to extract the pieces from that hosted by journalist Alison make sense for you and hope Smith, formerly of CBC. For fully turn it into something the next lecture, on the evening cathartic or reflective. of October 27th, Smith will be You used to be a music talking with Astead W. Herndon teacher for kids at lasteaed from The New York Times, (Toronto’s Estonian kinder about the Democratic Party and garten). What kind of racial justice. On November me mories do you have of 10th, she will speak with politi those days? cal columnist Susan Glasser and First off, Liina Purje-Lepik scholar Lawrence Lessig, to was who I was teaching with. deconstruct what happened in She’s just amazing and such a the election and what’s going to great person, singer, and teacher. happen next. Just being with her in that Fellow cultural organizations environment was so great. I on Bloor Street have much to started before I had kids. I think offer, so be sure to take a look I was 24 or 25. Some of those at their new and exciting virtual Saturday mornings were a little programming. rough, I’ll be honest. I had to get up after DJing somewhere and teach these kids with a this is particularly a concern in fresh face. It was exhausting, those situations where there is but at the same time there was no spousal support, even when this innocence and purity there court ordered or other family which is infectious in the best support. As winter is approach way possible. ing, in addition to nutritional What kind of projects are and special needs, we would you working on these days? also like to ensure that these I’m really into my live studio families are able to acquire performance series on the Off winter boots and clothes. Centre DJ School YouTube Currently there are 22 women channel (https://www.youtube. and 38 children who are transi com/user/OffCentreDJ). I’ve tioning to independent living in been performing with Topher Pärnu. Stott as well, he’s a phenomenal Please support these women drummer. It’s nice to have the and children by donating as opportunity to perform in a “live” environment. f ollows: [The TC50 live concert] If in Canada, you can do nate by email money transfer to should be really cool. I might eeroesimees@gmail.com, trans also go into the archives [at ferring your money through the Tartu College] and grab some Northern Birch Credit Union to vinyl from there and see how I the EERO account or by mail can incorporate it, to see how I ing a cheque to EERO (ECF) at can bring it all full circle. It’s 17 Tufton Cres., Toronto, ON the 50th anniversary, so it M4A 2E2. EERO, a registered makes sense. Canadian charity #89233 8369 ••• RR0001, issues tax receipts for Watch the live show on donations in excess of $25 in Estonian Music Week’s Face February for the previous tax book page, and make sure you year. follow their page on Facebook If in the U.S. please forward and Instagram so you can stay your tax deductible donation to in-the-know about upcoming the Estonian Relief Committee events! at 243 East 34th Street, New This interview has been edited (Continued on page 13) and condensed. Photo: hotdocscinema.ca
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