Black Ice is a sweeping dissection of systematic racism in Canadian hockey culture. Directed by Oscar-nominated African-Canadian filmmaker Hubert Davis and executive produced by Drake, LeBron James, and Maverick Carter, this engrossing film documents personal stories of Black hockey players dealing with racism from fans, coaches, and other hockey players, and the institutional pressure to stay silent about their mistreatment. Davis also takes us back in time to when segregation existed in Canadian hockey as well as the destruction of the Black community of Africville in Nova Scotia, which was previously home to the Africville Seasides, an all-Black men’s hockey team in the Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes. While portraying many of the struggles of Black hockey players in Canada, past and present, touching moments between a new generation of Black coaches and players reminds us of a more humane way the game can be played.
People’s Choice Documentary Award, TIFF 2022
Q&A Sept 30; pre-recorded Q&A Oct 6
Presented by
Akim Aliu, Wayne Simmons, Matt Dumba, Anthony Duclair, Saroya Tinker, Sarah Nurse, P.K. Subban
Canada
2022
English
Racial Discrimination; coarse language; violence
Open to youth!
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Orwell: 2+2=5
Oscar-nominated director Raoul Peck reimagines 1984 in this urgent essay on power, language, and control. With narration by Damian Lewis, it’s a chilling portrait of how Orwell’s warnings became our reality.
Cover-Up
Oscar-winner Laura Poitras and Emmy-winner Mark Obenhaus turn their lens on legendary journalist Seymour Hersh in a riveting film that unpacks how one reporter exposed the truths behind My Lai and Abu Ghraib — and what it takes to hold power to account.
Image: © The New York Times
The Baltimorons
An early Xmas present and the rom-com of the year: a dental emergency on Christmas Eve brings together flailing comedian Chris and cynical divorcee Didi for a series of low-key urban misadventures.
Credits
Executive Producer
Aubrey “Drake” Graham, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Adel “Future” Nur, Noah Segal, Adrian Love, Ajay Virmani, Pauline Dhillon
Producer
Vinay Virmani, Scott Moore, Karen Volden, Karen Zylak
Screenwriter
Hubert Davis
Cinematography
Chris Romeike
Editor
Eamonn O’Connor, Aden Bahadori
Original Music
Simon Poole
Director
Hubert Davis
Hubert Davis has built a strong reputation in the documentary film scene. Davis’ directorial debut Hardwood (2005) was nominated for both an Academy Award and an Emmy. Hubert’s next project, Aruba (2006), won the Grand Jury Prize at Palm Springs International ShortFest. Davis’ most recent feature documentary, Giants of Africa, premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Hubert has directed commercials and short form docs with clients such as Coca-Cola, Ford, Nike, Pfizer and won Cannes Lions with his work for Volkswagen, Special Olympics Canada, and Hewlett-Packard.
Filmography: Invisible City (2009); The National Park Project (2011); Giants of Africa (2016)