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
The Kneeling Goddess
In which wealthy industrialist Arturo de Cordova purchases the titular nude sculpture of his lover (María Félix) as an anniversary gift for his innocent, adoring wife. Soon enough the wife is dead, though untangling just how and why is part of the fun.
The Blue Trail
77-year-old Tereza makes a break for the Brazilian jungle in this trippy septuagenarian fantasy, the latest from Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro is a quirky picaresque, lushly photographed and filled with mordant humour.
Two Prosecutors
In the midst of Stalin’s purges, a naïve prosecutor sets out to investigate a prisoner’s innocence, unaware of the labyrinthine bureaucracy awaiting him. A Kafkaesque procedural thriller about the pursuit of justice in the face of corruption.
Image: © SBS Productions
Crepúsculo
A brain surgeon (Arturo de Córdova) begins to doubt his own sanity when the woman he's in love with (Gloria Marin) marries his brother — and he starts fantasizing about murder.
Victims of Sin
This movie is a hot scramble of piety and passion, sentimentality and sleaze. Ninón Sevilla plays Violeta, a rumba sensation who oversteps when she rescues a newborn from the trash. This gets her fired and wins the enmity of the pimp who fathered the kid.
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)