When Geoff Macnaughton first saw the Tragically Hip docuseries “No Dress Rehearsal,” he knew it had to be a part of the Toronto International Film Festival.
“The roller-coaster of emotions that I went through watching — it’s one of the first things I watched, I think in February — and I knew instantly we have to do something special on this,” the TIFF programmer said.
So when the four-part series about one of Canada’s most beloved rock bands had its world premiere last Thursday as part of TIFF’s Primetime program, there was a post-screening parade from the Royal Alexandra Theatre onto King Street West, where Choir! Choir! Choir! led a public singalong of three Hip songs, with surviving band members Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, Paul Langlois and Johnny Fay in the crowd. (Lead singer Gord Downie died in 2017 of brain cancer.)
When you think of TIFF, which continues until Sunday, you think of movies, naturally. But Primetime is the fest’s small but proudly presented television section, which this year features eight TV series, five of them world premieres.
“No Dress Rehearsal” is one of the most high profile offerings, but the program includes other emotionally resonant shows, such as “The Knowing,” in which celebrated Indigenous journalist and author Tanya Talaga explores both her personal history and Canada’s residential school legacy; and Thomas Vinterberg’s “Families Like Ours,” which examines the consequences for one extended family when climate change forces an entire country to shut down.
“In the early days of Primetime (which launched in 2015), we were out there fishing for titles and working really hard to get stuff,” said Macnaughton, TIFF’s senior director of industry and theatrical, who’s been in charge of Primetime for six years. “Now there is a lineup of companies and players all wanting to bring it to us. It’s made my job easier in some ways, but harder in other ways, because I’m saying no to great stuff.”
Winnowing down the entries from 70 or 80 shows, Macnaughton looks for “something I haven’t seen before”; also for world premieres and shows with the kind of talent that will “get people off of that couch into a cinema to see a series.”
“It’s such an interesting experience seeing series on the big screen with an audience,” Macnaughton said. Screenings usually feature at least two episodes, although in the case of “Families Like Ours” all seven were shown.
“I love … pretending I’m on my phone but listening to the comments of people as they walk by (on their way out of the theatre),” he added. “‘I love that — how do I see more of it?’ is a big one or ‘I love that I had access to the creators’ (at the Q&A).
“That’s kind of the buzz that I hear.”
I watched at least two episodes of every Primetime show. They’re described below in alphabetical order, along with information on additional TIFF screenings and where to stream the ones that have been bought for North American distribution.
1. Disclaimer (United Kingdom)
Based on the novel by Renée Knight, this thriller starts with three seemingly unrelated stories: that of investigative journalist Catherine (Cate Blanchett), who has a thriving career, a doting husband (Sacha Baron Cohen) but a strained relationship with her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee); widowed, embittered and forcibly retired teacher Stephen (Kevin Kline); and young Englishman Jonathan (Louis Partridge), seen in flashbacks on a trip to Italy. When the connections begin to come into focus and a long-hidden secret starts to upend Catherine’s life, the series really gets its hooks into you and you’re eager to learn more.
Additional TIFF screenings Wednesday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 11:45 a.m.; streams on Apple TV Plus Oct. 11.
2. Faithless (Sweden)
This drama, based on the 2000 Liv Ullmann-Ingmar Bergman film of the same name (which also screened at TIFF), is a slow burn that starts to catch fire in the second episode. Frida Gustavsson stars as Marianne, an aspiring actor and mother happily married to pianist Markus (August Wittgenstein) but irresistibly drawn to David (Gustav Lindh), a divorced screenwriter friend of Markus’s. This is a deep, measured reflection on infidelity, not just as it happens but 40 years after the fact, adapted by Sara Johnsen and directed by Tomas Alfredson (“Let the Right One In”).
Additional TIFF screenings Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and Friday at noon.
3. Families Like Ours (Denmark)
Alongside the Hip doc, this was my favourite Primetime entry. It’s the first TV series from Oscar nominee Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”), who also co-wrote the drama. It posits that in a not-too-distant future the government of Denmark shuts down the country rather than go bankrupt trying to hold back rising water. Its citizens have mere weeks to find places to go and to leave behind not only their homes and possessions but, in some cases, their loved ones. We watch one extended family make impossible choices, especially teenager Laura (Amaryllis August), who makes a rash decision that has dire consequences for others, especially her boyfriend Elias (Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt). Despite the dark subject matter, the show is infused with love and hope.
Additional TIFF screening Saturday at 1 p.m.
4. M — Son of the Century (Italy, France)
This stylish and darkly humorous drama from director Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Darkest Hour”) traces the rise of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from his beginnings as a newspaper publisher capitalizing on the anger of disaffected First World War veterans to found what would become the National Fascist Party. Actor Luca Marinelli often speaks directly to the camera, making viewers almost complicit in his cynical grasping for power. “Let’s turn fear into hatred,” he tells his followers, who are seen inflicting gut-wrenching violence on an ever changing roster of victims. It’s impossible not to think of modern-day tyrants as you watch.
Additional TIFF screenings Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. and Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
5. The Knowing (Canada)
Indigenous journalist and author Tanya Talaga is on a mission in this docuseries to find out what became of her great-great-grandmother Annie Carpenter, who has essentially been excised from the public record. Her quest is personal but also universal; hers is just one of many Indigenous families struggling to piece together their histories from incomplete official documents, particularly the ones pertaining to the country’s residential schools, whose abuse, neglect and erasure of Indigenous cultures continue to resonate today. Thanks to series like this one, the truth is undeniable, but the reconciliation still feels a long way off.
Additional TIFF screenings Thursday at 6:15 p.m. and Friday at 8 p.m.; streams on CBC Gem Sept. 25.
6. The Listeners (United Kingdom)
What if you had physical symptoms that threatened your grasp on sanity but that other people said were all in your head? How far would you go for validation? In this well-acted series, directed by Janicza Bravo and adapted by Canadian playwright Jordan Tannahill from his own novel, English teacher Claire (Rebecca West) hears a low-level hum that appears to have no medical cause. Her student Kyle (an impressive Ollie West in only his second screen role) hears the hum too. They come together — threatening their family relationships and Claire’s professional life — in a search for its meaning.
Additional TIFF screening Thursday at 11:45 a.m.
7. The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal (Canada)
This is an exhaustive look at a band that was indisputably, proudly Canadian: from its beginnings as a group of high school friends playing music together 40 years ago to its final concert in August 2016, 14 months before frontman Gord Downie’s death. His brother, Mike, tells the tale with rich archival footage, interviews with the surviving band members and celebrity admirers, and, of course, that familiar music. Actor Jay Baruchel points out that the band was never nationalistic in a rah-rah-Canada way; yet, if you’re Canadian, I wager you’ll feel a deep sense of pride as you watch. Also: prepare to cry.
Additional TIFF screenings Thursday and Friday at 6:30 p.m.; streams on Prime Video Sept. 20.
8. Thou Shalt Not Steal (Australia)
The Aussie road trip movie or TV show is almost a genre unto itself, particularly when it involves the vast expanse of the Outback. In this irreverent, earthy comedy from Indigenous creators Tanith Glynn-Maloney and Dylan River (“Mystery Road: Origin”), teenager Robyn (Sherry-Lee Watson) escapes juvie to undertake a journey at the request of her grandfather. She’s accompanied by stowaway Gidge (Will McDonald), with unsavoury preacher Robert (Noah Taylor), Gidge’s dad, and ex-prostitute turned cabbie Maxine (Miranda Otto) in pursuit.
Additional TIFF screening Tuesday at 6:05 p.m.
See tiff.net for information.
